The school system in the United Kingdom

Education in the United Kingdom:
 Each of the countries of the United Kingdom has separate systems under separate governments: the UK Government is responsible for education in England, the Scottish education is responsible for education in Scotland the Welsh Assembly government is responsible for education in Wales and the Northern Ireland executive is responsible for education in Ireland. Broadly speaking, the systems in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are fairly similar, with the Scottish system being completely separate.

In each country, education, though not school attendance, is mandatory and attendance at primary and secondary is nearly universal, with most pupils attending state schools. However, there are major differences between the school systems in terms of the curriculum, examinations and final qualifications, as well as differences at University level in terms of the nature of some degrees and the issue of tuition fees.

Full-time education is compulsory for all children aged between 5 and 16 (inclusive). Students may then continue their secondary studies for a further two years (sixth form) leading most typically to an A level qualification.
The leaving age for compulsory education was raised to 18 by the Education and skills Act 2008. The change will take effect in 2013 for 17 year olds and 2015 for 18 year olds. State-provided schools are free of charge to students, and there is also a tradition of independent schooling, but parents may choose to educate their children by any suitable means.