Education is free and compulsory up to the age of 16, and children usually attend the school nearest to their home, although there are also fee-paying schools, which are sometimes residential. There are three stages of education: primary (including nursery), secondary, and tertiary. Children start school at the age of five and must continue, at least, until the age of 16. There is a national curriculum and two levels of national examinations - when students are 16 and 18 years old. If they are successful in their examinations students can go to university, or a college of higher education. Cambridge and Oxford are the oldest universities in the country - they were founded in the 12th century.

Most schools teach in English, but some schools in Wales have reintroduced lessons in Welsh to ensure the survival of the language and culture.

In Northern Ireland, primary and secondary schools are often segregated along religious grounds, although Catholic and Protestant students mix at the two universities.

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