United Kingdom
In England and Wales, "Year 12" (or "Lower Sixth") is the first year of A-Level certifications, which are completed at the end of "Year 13" (or "Upper Sixth"). Students are usually 16-17 in Year 12 and 17-18 in Year 13. In Northern Ireland this takes place in Years 13 and 14. In both cases, these two years are entirely optional, but generally required for entry into higher education. In Scotland, this is 6th year. Sufficiently good marks in 5th year may be adequate for entry into higher education (Highers are the entry qualifications to university, of which can be sat in S5, S6 and college, with Advanced Highers being the equivalent to year one of university which can be sat following higher exams). There exist specific sixth form colleges dedicated to these years of education, sometimes known as "further education" to distinguish it from both secondary education, which is compulsory, and higher education, which implies university studies.
Read more about this topic: Twelfth Grade
Famous quotes containing the words united and/or kingdom:
“I thought it altogether proper that I should take a brief furlough from official duties at Washington to mingle with you here to-day as a comrade, because every President of the United States must realize that the strength of the Government, its defence in war, the army that is to muster under its banner when our Nation is assailed, is to be found here in the masses of our people.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“Illness is the night-side of life, a more onerous citizenship. Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick. Although we all prefer to use only the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)