School start & leaving ages round the world 🌎

[Needanewname42]

Being curious, people always say the UK start school young compaired to other countries.

Scotland tradionally started school at 5 13 years of school. 7 Primary 6 Secondary

I think England is 15 years of school?? Starting at 4.5.

AIBU to think countries who start formal school at 6 or 7 have less years of formal school ?

England is 7 years of Primary, 5 years of secondary, then two years of "education or training". 14 years.

In Ireland the average age for starting primary school is 4.5 - 5 years and lasts 8 years, secondary school start around 12/13 and lasts 6 years if they do transition year otherwise 5 years.

I was once in a country where riots ensued after the government tried to extend compulsory schooling into the secondary years - the rioters were holding banners objecting on the grounds that doubling compulsory school years would make their children learn at half the speed "like British children do"

In Sweden you start school at six, however pre-school is almost universally attended (80%) and has a very very similar curriculum to reception and year 1 in England. School leaving age is 15/16, however virtually all teenagers go on to the Swedish version of college for three years.

Germany is similar to Sweden, start primary school at 6. However most children go to kindergarten. Not sure what age most children start kindergarten but seems to be mostly by the age of 3.

Primary school is age 6 - 10.
Secondary school ending depends on the school but I think most people will be in education of some kind until 18 or 19.

Japan is also similar to Sweden - compulsory education is from 6-15 years old, but virtually all children attend some sort of kindergarten from 3 or 4. And nearly 100% attend 3 years of high school until aged 18.

Children get 2 years free at montessori or playschool ages 3 and 4 depending when their birthdays fall in Ireland.

In my US state, you turn 6 years old in Kindergarten and there are 13 years of public education. Or you need to be 5 by Aug 31to go to Kindergarten.

Typically 6 years in Elementary school (K - 5th grade)

Then 3 years of Middle school (6th - 8th grade)

Then 4 years of High school (students don't refer to themselves as a 11th grader or whatever, but it goes freshman, sophomore, junior, senior).

In NZ children can start school between 5 and 6, but most head off as soon as they've had their fifth birthday.

You can leave at age 16.

It took my British MIL a long time to get her head around this - NZ doesn't have cohort entry (schools can, but most choose not to), and children literally start as close as possible to the day after their fifth birthday, meaning every few weeks there is a new child starting in reception.

As above, in NZ kids start on or after their 5th birthday (they actually used to be able to start aged 4 years 10 months). Depending what end on the calendar year they start they are designated year 0 or year 1. Primary school is 8 years, secondary 5 (years 9-13).

Most kids are hanging out for their fifth birthday so they can start school.

When we were in India the school starting age was technically 6 but most private schools at least (which we were limited to as foreigners) had 2 years before 6 to get them used to school etc. The starting age was therefore widely talked about as being 4 amongst (Indian) colleagues. It probably varies a lot though. Leaving age I think is 14 but most children I knew were in school beyond that

I’m in Sydney (which is relevant as different states and territories in Aus have different education systems). Lots of flexibility here, 6 is the age where you have to be in school. My Feb born DD started the week before she turned six but she could have gone the previous year if I had wanted - I was offered the choice between a 3 day pre-school or full time kindy place. That was private but most kids do a pre-school year somewhere then there are 13 years of school K-12. It does mean you have a very wide age range in a class, it can be 18 months.

In Ireland there is alot of flexibility you can start after the child turns 4 and they must start by 6, 80% of children start at age 5, as a teacher of infants I've had children who just turned 4 in the summer start with children who are 6 in October etc. 8 years of primary school and 5 or 6 years of secondary school (optional transition year) but legally you can leave at 16.

There are 2 free preschool years starting on the September of the year when then child turns 3. So my August born child was 3 starting preschool and so 5 starting primary school. My December born child will only be 2 years 9 months starting preschool as he was born at the end of December so will be 4 years 9 months starting school. My February born child will be almost a year older as he will be 3.5 years when he starts preschool and so 5.5 years when goes to school. The free preschool years are optional so I could send him at 4.5 but I think this is too young (unless you have no choice my niece in London started reception when she had only been 4 a few days otherwise if they had waited she would have been made start in Year 1 and to me that is bonkers! But it's to do with their catchment etc!)

If I'm ever asked for advice on what year to start them I always advise waiting, the preschool years are amazing and all play based learning and a family member who is a secondary school teacher also advises same. Alot of parents will say "Oh my 4 year old is so mature for their age/clever/bored at playschool" and they might manage fine for a few years but sometimes it catches up with them later.

Italy has preschool nutsery from 3-6 (not compulsory but almost all dcs go)
Primary from 6-11
Middle from 11-14
High school from 14-18/19 (It's 5 years so you finish at 18 or 19 depending on when your birthday is).

I'm not sure if you have to do all 5 years of high school (all my cousins did)

In France, school is compulsory from age 3. There are 3 years of ecole maternelle which is pre-school. Then you start primaire which is the beginning of really formal school at 6. Maternelle is very much play based but does involve the discipline of school I.e. sitting and listening at set times, following instructions for activities, lining up in the playground to go into the classroom, that kind of thing.

No you don’t, you have to stay in education system until you are 16 I think (might have changed recently to 18). After middle school you can also choose an apprenticeship eg hairdresser, shop assistant, baker etc.

preschool is pretty much free (my friends pay €28 per month for food) and is therefore widely attended. You attend preschool and primary in your hometown and don’t choose and select preferences.

Germany children start at 6 or even 7. I think stay at school until 18.

I think adding the preschool years on, and what they cost, is important here. English Reception is more similar to German Kindergarten for example than the first year of German primary

Scotland starts from 4½ years and has the option to defer 1 year depending on the birthday so could be 5½years (think deferral rules have slightly changed so you can defer even more children).

7 years primary and 5 or 6 years of secondary school. I left after 5th year aged 16 but went to university at that point. You can leave at 16 regardless of whether you go into a job, further education or nothing!

In Victoria, Australia, kids born from May to December start school the January after they turn 5. Those born January to April have the choice to go when they're 4 turning 5, or wait until they're 5 turning 6.

You have the option of 3 year old kinder, then 4 year old kinder with a gradual increase in hours before they start school. Primary starts with Prep then grades 1 to 6, and high school is years 7 to 12.

There's no equivalent to GCSE's, subjects are broken down into units completed over years 11 and 12 (though a lot of kids will start a year 11 subject in year 10 which allows them to access more subjects later) You have to pass a certain number of units across the levels to get your VCE certificate, if you're applying for uni your marks are then converted into a ranking score.

There are options to leave formal education from the end of year 10 and do an apprenticeship or Tafe course so not everyone completes year 12 but they have to be in some sort of learning until they're 17.

Where my kids went to school in California Kindergarten started when they were 5 and the cut off was November 1st. Finished High school in year 12 so 13 years of school.

Since the second free preschool year was introduced I think the average age for starting is shifting upwards in Ireland. It depends on when the birthdays fall, but a February born child is probably more likely to start at 5.5 years now, instead of 4.5 years a few years ago.

Portugal is similar to the other continental European countries mentioned - proper school starts at 6, although many/most will attend a pre school from 3. Being from the UK I thought it was extremely late for a child not to formally start learning reading and writing until 6, but now having seen children going through it I've changed my mind. Some children do of course learn earlier, whether through parental support or their own interest, but those that don't spend those 3 pre school years learning through play and developing lots of skills outside of the more 'academic' ones - social, physical, creativity etc. And the kids I know of who weren't reading/writing before they entered school at 6 picked it up very quickly as soon as they started so I don't think they were disadvantaged in the end.