Primary school

The primary stage of education is the first stage of education for a child. It is compulsory for children to attend primary school in most countries. In most European countries, this education begins at the age of 7 or 8 and finishes when the child moves on to secondary school at the age of 11 or 12. In the UK and many other countries with an English tradition, education may begin at age 4, almost always by 5. In such cases, primary schools are often subdivided into infant schools (age 4 to 7 or 8) and junior schools (age 7 or 8 to 11 or 12). In the USA, primary education is usually called elementary education.