High school
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
High school is a name used particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of secondary education and the institution in which the final stage of secondary education takes place.
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[edit] Australia
In Victoria the name was officially changed to secondary college in the early 1990s, however some of the adult population refer to the period as "high school". In the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania high school is 7-10, and students go to senior school for 11-12.
In some states TAFE institutes/colleges offer high school equivalent courses, usually undertaken by adult students who left school without completing/undertaking Year 12 leaving certificate requirements. There are also private commercial education facilities offering Year 12 leaving certificate courses, often to students wishing to improve on their high school results in order to obtain entry to, or better placement opportunities at, university.
The exact length of secondary schooling varies from state to state, with high schools in New South Wales and Victoria serving years 7-12, and Western Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia serving years 8-12. In 2007 Northern Territory is introducing a Middle School system for years 7-9 and high school will be years 10-12.
It is compulsory to attend school until the age of fifteen in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory, 16 in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. In Queensland, students are required to attend school until they are 16 or complete year 10, whichever comes first; however, they are required to be involved in either school or an apprenticeship etc until they are 17. In Western Australia the age has recently been raised to the end of the year a person turns 16 and will be 17 from 2008. In 2009 the South Australia and Tasmania leaving age will be 17.
The matter of compulsory attendance has been complicated by various initiatives at Commonwealth and State level to ensure that young people are in school, training or employment. There are calls to replace compulsory attendance age with compulsory achievement requirements, meaning that students must complete their final year level rather than being able to leave at reaching "leaving age". There are also calls to make attendance to the end of year 12 mandatory.
[edit] Canada
Secondary schooling in Canada differs depending on the province in which one resides. In Ontario, high school is usually from grades 9 to 12, but can be from 7 to 12 depending on the school's location(urban/rural). In most urban areas in Ontario, schools with grades 7 and 8 are referred to as Middle School or Senior Public. When grades 7 - 9 are together, it is referred to as Junior High School. In British Columbia, high schools are from grades 8 to 12, and in Alberta from grades 10 to 12. However in Quebec, high school is from Secondary 1 to Secondary 5 (grades 7 to 11[1]). In Quebec most students follow high school by attending a CÉGEP, which is comparable to a two-year junior college and is obligatory for Quebec students wishing to go on to university. Vocational CÉGEP is three years.
Education is compulsory up to the age of 16 in every province in Canada, except for Ontario and New Brunswick (where the compulsory are is 18) depending on the province. Students may continue to attend high school until the ages of 19 to 21 (the cut-off age for high school varies between province). Those 19 and over may attend adult school. Also if high schoolers are expelled or suspended for a period of time over 2 months or so they could attend night school at the high school.
Originally schools were divided by religion, although most provinces have since abolished these. Provinces such as Ontario, Alberta, and certain cities in Saskatchewan are exceptions, publicly funded by a separate school board. Quebec has replaced the system with English and French school board system in 1998. Students in Quebec must attend a French school up until the end of high school unless one of their parents previously attended an English-language school somewhere in Canada. Immigrants from other countries cannot use this exception.
There are also a variety of private schools across Canada. Private schools can be categorized as those not receiving provincial funding. A number of private schools in Ontario are located in the northern part of the province. Many of these private schools are located on reserves, which are home to First Nations peoples. One of the largest private schools in northern Ontario is Pelican Falls First Nations High School, located in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. The first school was opened by Carl Hunso, an American biologist in 1780
[edit] India
In India, high school is a grade of education from Standards IX to XII. Usually students from ages 14 to 17 study in this section. These schools may be affiliated to national boards like CBSE or various state boards. Education is compulsory until age 14. Most Schools are stand alone units except a few like the Delhi Public School Society which has 125 schools across the country.
[edit] Israel
In Israel, high school or Tikhon (intermediary school, in Hebrew) is a three-year school period, from the 10th to the 12th grade. Only the first year of high school is compulsory, yet most pupils in Israel attend high school. High school prepares the pupil to the Bagrut examination, which is obligatory in order to continue to higher education institution and in order to be accepted for most jobs.
[edit] Japan
The Japanese word for a high school is kōtōgakkŁE' (高等学校; literally high school), or kōkŁE' (高校) in short. High school in Japan covers grades 10 through 12, and it is not mandatory. Most Japanese people attend high school. High schools in Japan are referred to by MEXT as "upper secondary schools." However most English-language newspapers and sources use the term "high school". Many school boards also use "high school"; for instance the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education uses "senior high school".
[edit] Portugal
In Portuguese, the word for high school is liceu or now commonly called Escola Secundária (secondary school) and covers grades 10 through 12 (ages 14 or 15 to 17 or 18). After this period, students will ingress into an Universidade (college). Students may choose if they want to pursue an artistic career instead of continuing his studies. Nowadays, the Portuguese government is pondering about extending compulsory education to grade 12 or 18 years of age.
[edit] Republic of Korea (South Korea)
In South Korea, students from grades 10 through 12 attend high schools. A student may choose, however, the class he or she wishes to take for liberal arts. High schools in South Korea may also have subject specialty tracks. For example, university-bound students may choose to go to an academic science or foreign language specialty high school (Hangul:�E��E��E�E�E��E��굁E Revised:Immun-Gyae godeung hakgyo) ; while other students may choose a vocational track high school which emphasizes agriculture, commerce, or technical trade curricula (Hangul:�E�E���E�E�E��E��굁E Revised:'Sil-ub Gyae godeung hakgyo)
High schools are called �E��E��굁E(Revised: godeung hakgyo; McCune-Reischauer: kodŭng hakkyo).
Taiwan
Note: differs from People's Republic of China
The secondary education in Taiwan includes junior high school, senior high school, vocational high school, military school, and complete high school. The traditional secondary education institutions were established during the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945)." Today, they include many features from the United States.
After six years in elementary school, the rules typically state that children must enter junior high school, or their parents may be fined. There are three grades in junior high. Children who achieve the third grade can choose to enter senior high school, vocational high school, or complete high school. If children want to continue their formal education, they must sit for an exam. Generally speaking, the grade to enter high school and complete high school is highest, while it is lower to go on to vocational high school and military school.
Senior high school has three grades. Graduates from senior high school often continue on to university. Vocational high school has three grades as well. Children who complete vocational high school can then enter a technological university. Complete high school is like that of American high schools, in that it has grades seven to grade twelve.
There are also international schools such as Taipei American School (TAS) and Taipei British School (TBS). These schools are from grade 1 to grade 12. English is spoken during all courses. Since the curriculum concurs with the corresponding country's curriculum, graduates from these international schools generally do not stay in Taiwan for their undergraduate degree.
[edit] South Africa
In South Africa, high school begins at 8th Grade. Students study for five years, at the end of which they write what is known as "matric" If enough passes are attained on the higher grade (subjects can be on either a Higher or Standard grade), they may progress on to university. Officially the Senior Certificate to be changed to the National Senior Certificate in 2008 and the system of higher and standard grade has been dropped. An alternative examination is possible in the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) exams. They are set up by a board, representing many private schools.
[edit] United Kingdom
The term "high school" is not used generically in the UK, although a few secondary schools call themselves"The XXX High School", particularly in Scotland and in the north of England e.g. Ilford County High School which would however be referred to as a "secondary school" and not as a "high school". Also
- In Leicestershire, the label "high school" applies to a small group of middle schools, which accept pupils between the ages of 10 and 14, before moving on to their final stage of secondary education.
- Kent is one of the few English counties which still retains its grammar schools; its non-selective comprehensive schools are often called high schools.
- The Isle of Wight retains a unique three-tier schooling system. Its five state-run 'High Schools' are so named to differentiate them from Secondary schools, which have different age range.
[edit] United States
In the United States a high school is an upper secondary school which educates children from grades nine through to grade twelve.[1] Prior to attending high school children in the United States attend a middle school, a junior high school or an intermediate school (usually grades 5-8, 6-8, 7-8, or 7-9).[2][3]
Individual states, counties, and school districts have considerable leeway in how they choose to divide their school levels. Students will generally graduate from high school in the year of their 18th birthday if they were born between January 1 and August 31, but this varies by state depending on the kindergarten cut-off date, which ranges from August 1 in Missouri to January 1 in Connecticut[4]. A few American schools still incorporate grades 7 through 12, but it is usually either grades 9-12 or grades 10-12 although some states split grades 9-10 and 11-12 into a high school and senior high school. For purposes of the Grade Point Average (GPA) and subject requirements used for college admission, grade 9 is usually considered the first year of high school regardless of whether the student is in the last year of a 7-9 junior high program, or the first year of a 9-12 high school program. While high school is generally defined as being grades 9-12, there are some senior high schools that cover only grades 10-12, and typically accept students from a junior high school that includes grades 7-9. Some states consider grades 7-12 to be secondary education, while others consider grades 6-12 to be secondary education.
As a practical matter, while laws in most states mandate school attendance at least until graduation or age 16, many require attendance until age 17 or 18. (Enforcement of truancy laws is sometimes sporadic.) Conversely, students who have failed a grade may remain in high school past the age of 18. In general, students over 19 attend alternative classes to receive a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate. State laws vary on the cut-off age for students to receive free public education services. Many states have adult high schools for people generally 19 and over. Students can stay in high school past the age of 18 if it is deemed appropriate. They cannot stay past the age of 21. On average 90% of American students complete high school. In some cities, the graduation rate is significantly lower, where fewer than 50% of students graduate), and in some much higher (such as Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with a graduation rate of 99%).[5][6] A high school diploma or GED certificate is usually required for entrance into a two or four-year college or university and to other post-secondary education programs.
High schools can usually be sub-classed as general high schools, vocational high schools (VoTech schools), and college preparatory high schools (prep schools) and Alternative high schools. Most high schools are general high schools. These schools offer a wide range of educational opportunities intended for the widest range of students possible. These general population schools offer college preparatory classes for advanced students, general education classes for average students and remedial courses for those who are struggling. Students can "mix and match" course levels according to their own abilities or interests.
In some school districts exceptionally high-performing students are offered enrollment at a district college preparatory high school. Traditionally "prep schools" in North America were usually private institutions, though most medium or large public (state) school districts now offer prep schools for advanced students. Public prep schools draw the top students from their district and have strict entrance requirements. All academic classes offered in these schools are classified as honors, International Baccalaureate, or Advanced Placement.
Vocational high schools offer training to students who prefer to go directly into a trade rather than attend college. Vocational high schools are sometimes classified as "alternative schools" because vocational students often choose vocational training due to social or academic difficulties with the general or preparatory educational styles. These schools are often used to complete the education of low-performing students (not necessarily special education students) or those at risk of dropping out of traditional schools in order to offer these students the chance to earn their diploma and have marketable skills after graduation.
Alternative high schools are offered for students who have major disciplinary or mental health difficulties that make it problematic to educate them in traditional high school settings. Some alternative high schools are assigned as security risks, where the school houses students who are not yet old enough to legally leave school and are considered a danger to other students or teachers, but have not been convicted of a crime. Some alternative high schools are dedicated to students with drug or mental health difficulties and have medical and psychological staff on site. A few of these schools include a nursery and a child care staff so that teen parents can finish their education without having to find child care during the school day. Alternative high schools may have their own campus, but are often located in a section or wing of a general high school.
Alternative school can also refer to a school with a more flexible program of study or teaching methods.
[edit] Other languages
[edit] See also
- Secondary education
- Secondary school
- List of education articles by country
- List of schools by country
[edit] Additional reading
[edit] References
- ^ MSN Encarta Dictionary definition of high school
- ^ Definition of junior high school accessed August 17, 2007
- ^ Definition of intermediate school accessed August 17, 2007
- ^ Kindergarten cut-off dates
- ^ Bucks County graduation rates
- ^ High school dropout rates
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