Education in Belgium is regulated and for the larger part financed by one of the three communities: Flemish, French and German-speaking. All three communities have a unified school system with small differences from one community to another. Education in Belgium is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 18 or until one graduates from secondary school. Pre-school Free pre-primary schooling (Dutch: kleuteronderwijs; French: enseignement maternel; German: Kindergarten) is provided to every child from the age of 2 years 6 months. In most schools the child can start in school as soon as they reach this age, so class size for the youngest children grows during the year. Primary school Primary school (Dutch: lager onderwijs; French: enseignement primaire; German: Grundschule) consists of six years and the subjects given are generally the same at all schools. Primary schooling is free and age is the only entrance requirement. Primary education is divided into three cycles: First cycle (year 1 and 2) Second cycle (year 3 and 4) Third cycle (year 5 and 6) School usually starts about 8:30 and finishes around 15:30. A lunch time break is usually provided from 12:00 to 13:30. Secondary education When graduating from primary school around the age of 12, students enter secondary education. Here they have to choose a course that they want to follow, depending on their skill level and interests. Secondary education consists of three cycles: First cycle (year 1 and 2) Second cycle (year 3 and 4) Third cycle (year 5 and 6) Secondary school is divided into four general types. Each type consists of a set of different directions that may vary from school to school. The general types are as follows: General Secondary Education A very broad, general education, preparing for higher education. Technical Secondary Education Vocational Secondary Education Very practical and very job specific education. Art Secondary Education These schools link general and broad secondary education development with active art practice, ranging from performance arts to display arts. Higher education In Belgium anybody with a qualifying diploma of secondary education is free to enroll at any institute of higher education of their choosing. The 4 major exceptions to this rule are those wanting to pursue a degree in: Medicine/Dentistry Arts Engineering Sciences Management Sciences THE STRUCTURE The structure of the educational system in Bulgaria comprises the following levels Pre-school education School education BasicSecondary education Higher education According to the type of instruction and the educational level, schools are: Primary: grade 1 through grade 4; Lower secondary: grade 5 through grade 8; Basic: grade 1 through grade 8; Upper secondary schools, also called high schools: grade 9 through grade 12; Specialized upper secondary schools/Specialized high schools; Secondary general schools, grade 1 through grade 12; Vocational upper secondary schools - grade 8 or 9 through grade 12 or grade 13; Vocational schools: from grade 7 or grade 9 with a three-year training course; from grade 9 with a four-year training course; and profesionalni kolezhi (vocational colleges) with a course of study of up to two years; Sports schools; Arts schools; Special schools. According to the way of funding, schools are: State - State schools, which are of national importance and are funded by the national budget Municipal - Municipal schools are of local importance and are funded by the municipal budget Private - Private schools are not funded by the state or municipal budget and pupils pay fees for their education. Pre-primary education embraces children between 3 and 6/7 years old. Optional kindergarten education is provided for children between three and six years old. However, prior to starting school, children must attend a one-year pre-school program. Basic education (1-8 grades) in Bulgaria comprises: primary school (grades 1-4) pre-secondary school (grades 5-8). Within the framework of the same educational level additional vocational qualification could be obtained by running vocational-technical programmes upon completion of grades 6, 7 or 8. Learning resources /text books/ are free and are provided by the school. After successful completion of grade 4, a Certificate of Primary Education is issued. A Certificate of Basic Education is issued after successful completion of grade 8. Secondary education in Bulgaria can be divided into secondary general /comprehensive and profile-oriented/ and vocational. GRADING SYSTEM Usual grading system in the school Full Description: 2-6; 6 : otlichen ( excellent ); 5 : mnogo dobur ( very good ); 4 : dobur ( good ); 3 : sreden ( sufficient ); 2 : slab ( poor ). Highest on scale: 6 Pass/fail level: 3/2 Lowest on scale: 2 The types of higher education institutions are Universities, Colleges and Specialized Higher Schools.The university type of higher education is provided at the universities and the specialized higher schools academies, institutes. It includes the followings stages: First stage a course of study of at least 4 years, leading to a Bachelors degree upon graduation; Second stage a course of study of at least 5 years, or 1 year following a Bachelors degree, leading a Masters degree upon graduation; Third stage a three-year course of study upon obtaining a masters degree, leading to a Doctors degree. nursery school (scuola dellinfanzia) Age 3-5 primary school (scuola primaria o elementare) Age 6-11 lower secondary school (scuola secondaria di primo grado o media) Age upper secondary school (scuola secondaria di secondo grado o superiore) Age university (universit) The scuola dell'infanzia is the first stage of the education (children from three to five years ) and training system and it is not compulsory. Pre-primary education is offered free of charge. Families are asked to pay a sum for transport and canteen services. Families with low incomes are exempted. Primary school, begins at age six and continues for five years. Class sizes generally run about twenty five children per class with a minimum of ten students. In villages with not many people there are pluriclassi, or mixed- level classes, that have between six and twelve students. Schooling and textbooks are free. Students with special needs are integrated into mainstream education and specialist support is provided. Starting from the first grades of primary schools, families choose among the following models of weekly timetables: 24 hours a week; 27 hours a week; up to 30 hours a week, including teaching activities additional to the 27-hour timetable 40 hours a week, the time devoted to canteen included, corresponding to the so called 'full time timetable'. The timetable is chosen by parents at enrolment. Lower secondary school is attended by students from eleven to fourteen years old. Formerly at age fourteen, compulsory education was considered complete. Nowadays compulsory education last until sixteen years. While the schooling is free, books must be purchased at the secondary level. Class size is about 20 students per class but in large cities there are eve students per class. Together with compulsory primary school, lower secondary school makes up the first cycle of education which lasts eight years In the lower secondary school curriculum includes: religion, italian language, english language, a second foreign language, history, geography, science, math, technology, information technology, art and drawing,music and physical education. Students must take and pass an exam before moving up to upper secondary school Upper schools are currently divided in the following way: Classical upper secondary school Liceo Classico Scientific upper secondary school Liceo Scientifico Linguistic upper secondary school Liceo Linguistico Upper secondary school with a sociological and pedagogical orientation Liceo Psico-pedagogico Art school Liceo Artistico Technical school Istituti Tecnici Vocational school Istituti Professionali Technical school prepare students to work in agriculture, industry, commerce, administration and marketing Vocational school offers vocational training for various jobs. (enology,gastronomy, tourist promotion, social health Education system in Poland COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN POLAND LASTS 12 YEARS; FROM AGE 6 TO 18 The Polish education system is based on three stages: primary, secondary and higher education Structure of educational system 1 Pre-school educationPre-school education 2 Primary schoolPrimary school 3 GymnasiumGymnasium 4 Secondary schoolsSecondary schools 5 Post secondary and higher education The school year (ten months) is divided into two semesters. One lesson lasts 45 minutes Grades: 1 niedostateczny, insufficient 2 dopuszczajcy, passing 3 dostateczny, sufficient 4 dobry, good 5 bardzo dobry, very good 6 celujcy, excellent Primary School Primary School Length of program in years: 6 Age level from: 7 to: 13 Certificate/diploma awarded: wiadectwo ukoczenia szkoy podstawowej - Certificate of Completion of Primary School Education Primary School ends one exam from science and arts objects. the first cycle at which beginning learning is offered, In the lower grades one teacher teaches all subjects grades 1-3 the second cycle at which systematic learning is provided. In the higher grades each subject has a different teacher grades 4-6 Two cycles of primary education The main components taught at the lower level of the primary school are: -Polish language, -social and natural environment, -mathematics, -crafts and technology, -art and music, -physical education. Gymnasium (Lower Secondary School / Junior High School) Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 13 to: 16 Certificate/diploma awarded: wiadectwo ukoczenia gimnazjum (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Gymnasium) They must write in third class three examinations (Polish and History, Maths and Science and Foreign Language). After gymnasium After completing elementary school pupils can choose different secondary education, which is free of charge. General secondary schools provide graduation certificate of general education. Those who have passed the final examination called matura (maturity exam) may apply to universities. Those who do not want to study at university and those who have not taken the matura examination may continue their education in post-secondary vocational schools. Basic Vocational School Length of program in years: 2 Age level from: 16 to: 18 Certificate/diploma awarded: wiadectwo ukoczenia szkoy zasadniczej (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Basic Vocational School) Technical Secondary School Length of program in years: 4 Age level from: 16 to: 20 Certificate/diploma awarded: wiadectwo dojrzaloci technikum (Maturity Certificate of the Technical Secondary School) or wiadectwo ukoczenia technikum (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Technical Secondary School) General Lyceum General Lyceum (Upper Secondary school / Grammar School / High School) Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 16 to: 19 Certificate/diploma awarded: wiadectwo dojrzaloci liceum oglnoksztaccego (Maturity Cetificate of the General Lyceum) or wiadectwo ukoczenia liceum oglnoksztaccego (Certificate of Completion of Education in the General Lyceum) Specialized Lyceum Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 16 to: 19 Certificate/diploma awarded: wiadectwo dojrzaoci liceum profilowanego (Maturity Certificate of the Specialized Lyceum) or wiadectwo ukoczenia liceum profilowanego (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Specialized Lyceum After secondary school students can take higher education. There are various types of higher education institutions in Poland: -universities, -polytechnics, -economic academies, -agricultural academies, -others. Day studies in state higher schools are free of charge. Higher education The structure of studies Since 2007/2008 academic year Polish higher education system has been divided to three stages: This system applies to all fields of education except Law, Pharmacy, Psychology, Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry, which are still based on two-stage system (Master and Doctor). Bachelor (Licencjat, Inynier) Master (Magister) Doctor (Doktor) Financing of public schools National government (Ministry of Finances) Local government (Municipalities, Poviat, Voivodship) Schools Education in Portugal The Portuguese educational system is structured in four levels Pre-school - not compulsory and for children from the age of 2 to 5 Basic - organized in three cycles 1st Cycle - 4 years of schooling 2nd Cycle - 2 years of schooling 3rd Cycle - 3 years of schooling Secondary - 3 years of schooling Higher Children start school at the age of six years old Minimum schooling of 12 years - leaving at 17 years old Schooling is universal, compulsory and free Portuguese Educational System Pre School Education from 3 to 5 years old children can attend : public, private or co-operative schools the attendance is optional BASICEDUCATION 1st Cycle 6 to 9 years old 1st2nd3rd 4th 4thgrades Providing a rounded education, with students taught by a single teacher (who may be assisted by others in specialist areas). Marks are given in the form of written report (25 hours a week) SUBJECTS * Portuguese Language * (Physical and Social) Environment Study * Mathematics * English (compulsory starting from ) * Other Subjects like Physical Education, Musical Education, Catholic Moral and Religious Education, (or other confessions) are taught too, but are non- compulsory and according to school resources BASICEDUCATION 2nd Cycle 10 to 12 years old 5th6th grades The learning process is organised into interdisciplinary areas (basic level), mostly with one teacher for each subject or group of subjects. Marks are given on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 the worst * 5 the best) (31 hours a week) SUBJECTS * Portuguese Language * Mathematics * History and Geography of Portugal * Foreign Language I / English or French (levels 1 and 2) * Natural Sciences * Visual and Technological Education (Arts and Crafts) * Physical Education, * Musical Education * Personal and Social Development or Catholic Moral and Religious Education (or other confessions) facultative * Project Work, Guided Study, Civic Education BASICEDUCATION 3rd Cycle 13 to 15 years old 7th8th9th grades Organised around a unified curriculum, including a variety of vocational areas, with one teacher for each subject or group of subjects. Marks are given on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 the worst * 5 the best) SUBJECTS * Portuguese Language * Mathematics * Foreign Language I / English or French (levels 3 and 4) * Foreign Language II / French, Spanish, German or English (levels 1 and 2) * Natural Sciences * History * Geography * Physics and Chemistry * Arts * Another artistic subject ( Music, Theatre, Dance...) * Technological Education (Crafts) * Physical Education Personal and Social Development or Catholic (or other confessions) Moral and Religious Education - Facultative Project Work * Guided Study * Civic Education 9th Year -same subjects, plus: Information and Communication Technologies. Option between Arts, Music/Theatre or Dance and Technological Education. When a student is in danger of having to repeat the year students must have a recovery plan and extra lessons ( facultative) Students fail the school year if they obtain a mark less than 3 in more than three subjects ( final of each Cycle). Through Basic Education They fail (in the final of each year ) if they get less than 3 in Portuguese and Maths 10th grade SECONDARY EDUCATION 11th grade 12th grade education-oriented - general secondary courses higher education-oriented - general secondary courses - technological secondary courses work-oriented - technological secondary courses Both courses share the following subjects known as General Formation * Portuguese Language * Philosophy * Physical Education (compulsory only in Portugal and the UK) * Foreign Language I or II (10th and 11th grades) * Information and Communication Technologies (10th year) * Personal and Social Development or Catholic Moral and Religious Education (or other confessions)-facultative Both courses share the following subjects known as General Formation * Portuguese Language * Philosophy * Physical Education (compulsory only in Portugal and the UK) * Foreign Language I or II (10th and 11th grades) * Information and Communication Technologies (10th year) * Personal and Social Development or Catholic Moral and Religious Education (or other confessions)-facultative higher education-oriented - general secondary courses higher education-oriented - general secondary courses work-oriented - technological secondary courses 5 areas * Sciences and Technologies * Social and Human sciences * Socio-Economic Sciences * Languages and Literature * Visual Arts. 5 areas * Sciences and Technologies * Social and Human sciences * Socio-Economic Sciences * Languages and Literature * Visual Arts. * Civil Construction * Electronics * Computing * Equipment Design * Multimedia * Marketing * Administration * Environment and Territory Order * Social action * Sport * Civil Construction * Electronics * Computing * Equipment Design * Multimedia * Marketing * Administration * Environment and Territory Order * Social action * Sport * Post Graduation Courses * Masters Degrees * Doctorate * Post Graduation Courses * Masters Degrees * Doctorate University Education Polytechnic Education University Education Polytechnic Education HIGHER EDUCATION The new system of has been implemented on 12 April 2012 5 years-old: Primary School (ilkokul) begins. School attendance compulsory. 9 years-old: Secondary School (orta okul) begins. Students asked to make pathway choices. School attendance compulsory. Religious high school an option. 12 years-old: Tertiary School (lise) begins. Distance education, religious high school an option. Pre-Primary education includes the optional education of children between month who are under the age of compulsory primary education. Pre-Primary education institutions, independent nurseries are opened as nursery classes and practical classes within formal and non-formal education institutions with suitable physical capacity. The purpose of Pre-Primary education is to ensure physical, mental and sensory development of children and the acquisition of good habits, to prepare children for primary education, to create a common atmosphere of growth for those living in inconvenient circumstances and to ensure that Turkish is spoken correct and well. When students start studying the 6th grade, they start preparing themselves for the national level placement test. At the end of 6th,7th and 8th grade, each student take this exam and at the end of 3rd year, according to the total marks of their SBS exams, students choose which high school they would like to study at. After primary education, students have a lot of different choices about the high school that they can go. After the SBS exam, according to their wish and of course the total marks of their exam results, they may choose to study at; General High scools Vocational High Schools Anatolian High schools Science High schools. PRIMARY SCHOOL GRADE 9 (COMMON) GRADE 10 GRADE 12 GRADE 11 DIPLOMA HIGHER EDUCATION GRADE 9 (COMMON) GRADE 10 GRADE 12 GRADE 11 GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION LABORMARKET LABORMARKET CERTIFICATE ADULTS CERTIFICATE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION Opportunit y of changing field Make-up Training EDUCATION SYSTEM AND TRANSITIONS The purpose of secondary education is to give students a minimum common culture, to identify individual and social problems, to search for solutions, to raise awareness socio-economic in order to contribute to the and cultural development of the country and to prepare the students for higher education, for profession, for life and for business in line with their interests and skills. In these schools, the system of one teacher for each class changes to a specialist teacher for each subject. Students can choose one foreign language from English, French or German. Religious Education lessons, depending on the present governments policy, is often optional, and is actually a comparative study of religions rather than only of Islam. They have a 4-year curriculum and prepare children for future higher education. These were established for the purpose of teaching students at least one foreign language, which they can utilize to further their education in the best possible manner. The educational period inclusive of secondary schooling covers 5 years with a one year preparatory course. (preparatory is up to students level of foreign language) Aside from foreign language lessons the normal lycee programme is implemented with science and mathematics lessons given in English They give 4- year education on the fields of Science and Mathematics. Students who got the top points from SBS exam, can be placed in these schools. The tuition period is five years including a one- year preparatory course. Students are taught a minimum of one foreign language in addition to the lessons included in the Science Lycees. The professional industrial training prepares them for higher education and their future work. The programmes in these lycees include training in computers, electricity courses, journalism, construction, mechanics, remote control methods, electronics in medicine, aircraft engines and architecture