Certificate of Education

A school leaving qualification is an academic qualification awarded for the completion of high school. Depending on the country or region, it may alternatively be known as a high school diploma, school certificate, senior certificate, or certificate of education, amongst other names.

Institutional requirements differ for obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent. For example, some schools require that all students study a foreign language, and others do not. The number of years that students are required to attend school before earning a high school diploma, the difficulty level of the classes, and the types of classes vary significantly from place to place.

In the United States, the qualification is known as the High School Diploma. The same name is given to the equivalent qualification awarded in Canada.

In England and Wales, the school-leaving qualifications awarded are either General Certificate of Education (GCE), A-Level or Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) depending on the students choice; this is after doing General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSEs) at the ages of 14-16 (year 10 and 11). In Scotland, the qualification is known as the Advanced Higher, which is preceded by the Scottish Higher. In Ireland, the qualification is the Irish Leaving Certificate.

In Italy, Switzerland, Albania, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and several other countries in Europe, the qualification is known as the Matura. In Italy it is defined as "Diploma di maturità." In Germany, the qualification is the Abitur. In France, the qualification is Le Baccalauréat. In Romania, the qualification is the Romanian Baccalaureate. In Israel, the equivalent qualification is known as the Bagrut, which means "maturity" in Hebrew.

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