The secondary education covers the school degrees which are between the end of the elementary school and the Université. The secondary school is often divided into two orders of teaching which correspond one to the last years of obligatory teaching and the other to the beginning of post-obligatory teaching. The systems retained by the various countries can be very different.

In Belgium

Secondary education is organized over six years, called first secondary , second secondary …

As from the third year, teaching is subdivided in four “branches”:

  • General

  • Technical of transition
  • Technical from qualification
  • Professional

The Belgian pupils spend each year two series of examinations, in December and in June, organized by the school or the canton at the end of the cycle. The pupils have an examination in each branch. There is thus no baccalaureat in Belgium, or rather, there are two of them each year!

In France

Secondary education includes/understands the college and the college.

  • the college accommodates the children during four years, generally from eleven to fifteen years, the schooling being obligatory up to sixteen years. The teaching of the college is sanctioned by the national Diplôme of the patent.

  • the college is composed of the classes of second, first and final. The class of second is a class of determination (second general and technological or second professional). One chooses his orientation in class of first (vocational school, technological or general) and his section (in the general high schools: literary, scientific, economic and social). At the end of final, the high-school pupils pass the baccalaureat, first university degree (it makes it possible to fit in the university of its choice).

In Switzerland

See also: secondary Degree I, secondary Degree II

Secondary education includes/understands the secondary I and the secondary II .

  • secondary I goes until the end of the compulsory schooling. It is called Cycle of Orientation (CO) in the cantons of Freiburg, Geneva and Valais, secondary École in the cantons of Bern, the Jura and Neuchâtel and Vaud and Scuola Media in the canton of the Tessin. Certain cantons issue a certificate of end of secondary studies.

  • secondary II constitutes the first phase of the post-obligatory schooling. It includes/understands all the training programs professional and of general training (vocational school, school of general culture and school of maturity). Each one of these schools is sanctioned respectively by a federal Certificat of capacity, a general Diplôme of culture and a Swiss Maturité. It is also possible to follow these dies of study in private school.

In Canada

With the Canada, education is of provincial jurisdiction, which causes that secondary education enormously differs from one province to another. The Quebec has a particular school system (explained below). The majority of the provinces, in particular the Ontario, follow the American system. The secondary schools include/understand 4 levels, that is to say 9th at the 12th year.

The Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, the New Scotland, and the Île of the Prince Edouard do not follow this system. In these provinces, the secondary schools are named " senior high school" and count 10th at the 12th year of studies. Between the elementary school and the secondary school, that is to say 7th at the 9th year inclusively, the pupils go to the " junior high school". Majority of the " senior high schools" are simply named " high school" : thus, the " term; high school" indicate usually a " senior high school".

Several areas of the Colombia-British use a system similar to that of Alberta: thus, the " Middle school" is established 6th at the 8th year. However, in other areas of the Colombia-British, the " Middle school" do not exist: secondary education includes/understands levels 8 to 12, whereas the elementary school includes/understands the levels of the nursery school at the 7th year. This decision depends on the school commission.

Historically, several provinces had two programs of secondary education. One aimed at preparing the pupils at the job market whereas the other aimed at preparing them for the university.

In Quebec

The secondary studies last five years:

  • First cycle:

    • Secondary 1
    • Secondary 2
  • Second cycle:
    • Secondary 3
    • Secondary 4
    • Secondary 5

Those correspond, in the remainder of Canada, at the years active of the seventh at the eleventh year. At the end of the secondary, the pupils having finished their secondary studies receive a diploma of secondary studies (OF). The pupils have typically from 12 to 16 years.

It is the provincial ministry of education, leisure and the sports (MELS) which directs the school system as well as the programs of studies.

The pupils wishing to go more quickly on the job market can not finish their secondary studies and make professional studies, if they already made a success of all the obligatory courses of the secondary level 3 or secondary 4 (according to the selected program). These studies, one duration of approximately two years, lead to obtaining the diploma of professional studies (EPD), allowing a specific training a trade.

The pupils who continue studies postsecondaires go initially to the Cégep (acronym meaning “college of mainstream education and professional”), which consists of two or three years of studies, which emerge, in both cases, in obtaining the diploma of collegial studies (DEC).

  • education préuniversitaire, one 2 years normal duration, prepares the student at his entry at the university using course of general training.

  • technical education, one 3 years normal duration, makes it possible to the students to acquire more specific knowledge and practices concerning a trade. Technical education makes it possible to the students to enter on the job market or to continue their studies at the university.

See too

school|school

Education systems by country

Related articles

  • Schools of engineers in France

  • High schools in Belgium
  • School at the house
  • cégep Québécois

External bonds

  • Eurostat, European comparisons on the level of study of the young people. (Since the banner page: Topic Population and social conditions/Miter Indicating Tables/in the long run: Education and continuing education.)

  • Eurydice

Simple: High school

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