Government plays a key role in providing a free education for the vast majority of children and young people in the UK. Education in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter, and there are separate education systems in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Government also sets and monitors targets for education and promotes adult education throughout the population. Fostering high standards of education is the Government's greatest responsibility.

1. In England this responsibility lies with the Departments for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)





2. In Scotland, with the Scottish Executive Education Department





3. In Wales, with the National Assembly of Wales and





4. In Northern Ireland, with the Department of Education Northern Ireland (DENI)

The school education system in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is divided into three stages:

1. Primary education, up to age eleven





2. Secondary education, up to age sixteen





3. Tertiary education, for those over the age of sixteen

The education system in the UK is also split into "key stages" which breaks down as follows:

Generally key stages 1 and 2 will be undertaken at primary school and at 11 years old a student will move onto secondary school and finish key stages 3 and 4. Student are assessed at the end of each stage and the most important being the assessment at the age of 16 which are called GCSE's or General Certificate of Secondary Education. Once students complete their GCSE's they have the choice to go onto further education and then potential higher education, or finish school and go into the working world.

Primary Education:

1. Primary education may take the form of combined junior and infant schools and therefore lasts for six years or a first stage covering infant schools (two years) and a second stage covering junior schools (four years).





2. Compulsory education begins at five in England, Wales and Scotland and four in Northern Ireland.





3. The usual age for transfer to secondary schools is eleven in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and twelve in Scotland.

1. Compulsory education ends at age sixteen, though many pupils stay on beyond the minimum leaving age.





2. Pupils follow a common curriculum leading to the GCSE which has replaced the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level.





3. About 90% of state secondary school pupils in England, Wales and Scotland go to comprehensive schools, which provide a wide range of secondary education for most children of all abilities from a district in the eleven to eighteen age range (twelve to eighteen in Scotland).





4. At age sixteen pupils in England and Wales may transfer to sixth form colleges or tertiary colleges.





5. In Northern Ireland and a few other areas of the UK, secondary education is selective with grammar and secondary modern schools.

Higher Education:

Higher education is provided by three main types of institutions: Universities, Colleges and Institutions of higher education and art and music colleges.