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EDUCATION |
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Schooling is free and compulsory between the ages of five
and sixteen. Children may be enrolled for an optional year at age
four. Primary education ends at age twelve. Students may go to a
Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, or “non-religious” school, but the basic
curriculum is the same. Secondary school begins with two years of “basic
education”; all students study the same 15 subjects that emphasize practical
applications of knowledge. After that, they can choose between
different types of high school, ranging from pre-vocational to
pre-university. The number of years varies with the program.
Vocational schools train students in such professions as accounting, nursing,
or teaching. Graduates of vocational and general high schools often
enter apprenticeships. Higher education is subsidized by the
government. There are 13 universities, the oldest of which, |
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