The School System in the UK [2]

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE UK In the UK, children start [blank_start]primary[blank_end] school [Am. elementary school] when they are five. Before that, many go to nursery school [Am. preschool], between the ages of two and four, but this is not [blank_start]compulsory[blank_end]. From 11 to 18, children go to secondary school [Am. middle school and [blank_start]high[blank_end] school]. The majority of schools in the UK (about 90%) are [blank_start]state[blank_end] schools [Am. public schools], which means that they are run by the [blank_start]government[blank_end], and education is free. The other 10% are private or [blank_start]public[blank_end] schools, where parents have to pay. A few of these are [blank_start]boarding[blank_end] schools, where children study, eat, and sleep. There are also some religious schools, where the teachers may be priests or nuns. In both primary and secondary schools, children and teenagers tend to wear uniforms. While children at primary school are called [blank_start]pupils[blank_end], those at secondary or [blank_start]vocational[blank_end] school or university are referred to as students. If you want to go to university, you have to take exams in your last year of secondary school, and if your results are good enough, you obtain a place. A person who is studying at university is known as an [blank_start]undergraduate[blank_end] and, when you get a degree, you become a [blank_start]graduate[blank_end].