Educational stage
classification system for progress during formalized education
Educational stages are subdivisions of formal learning, typically covering early childhood education, primary education, secondary education and tertiary education. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognises nine levels of education in its International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) system (from Level 0 (pre-primary education) through Level 8 (doctoral)). UNESCO's International Bureau of Education maintains a database of country-specific education systems and their stages, published as World Data on Education. Some countries divide levels of study into grades or forms for school children in the same year.
Organization
Education during childhood and early adulthood is typically provided through either a two- or three-stage system of childhood school, followed by additional stages of higher education or vocational education for those who continue their formal education:
Early childhood education at preschool, nursery school, or kindergarten (outside the U.S. and Canada)
Primary education at primary school or elementary school, and sometimes in the early years of middle school
Secondary education at secondary school or high school, and sometimes in the later years of middle school
Higher education or vocational education
The following table introduces the main concepts, although terms and ages may vary in different places:
For additional ISCED stages of education, see ISCED.
Sudbury schools do not use formal grade levels or educational stages. Instead, students ages 4 through 18 are intermingled in a democratic educational system, relying on a series of certifications to use equipment that may require specialised knowledge or safety procedures. These certifications are not typically restricted by age, but rather by demonstrated ability.
By country
Australia
In Australia, children undergo thirteen years of formal education (plus non-compulsory preschool or kindergarten), usually starting at age 4, 5, or 6 and finishing at age 17, 18, or 19. The years are numbered from "Kindergarten" to 12.
Australian Capital Territory
In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), primary school is Kindergarten/years 1–6, high school is years 7–9, and college or Senior Secondary is years 10, 11 & 12 (see table below).
The public source identifies “Educational stage” as classification system for progress during formalized education. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Educational, stage and classification.
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This entry incorporates text from “Educational stage” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.