h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Couldn't we just all be added to the list of writers?

Anyhoo, mine's about half-done.

excellent!

Well staff types arent around for a while now, so maybe we'll have to wait...

But still, itll work

Yes indeed!!

Thought I would post the Australian system (it changes from state to state here but this is close):

Kindegaten aka Prep: age 4-5

Primary School: start between 5 and 6, runs for 7 years. In most states the are called "year 1" to "year 7" but in New South Wales and Victoria "year 1" is called "prep" and the remaining grades are named "year 1" to "year 6".

High School/Secondary School: runs for 5 years in most states. The grades are called "year 8" to "year 12". In NSW and Vic it runs for 6 years and the grades are called "year 7" to "year 12".

Final exams are held at the end of Year 12 in all states for university entry. If a student wants to take 2 years to prepare for them, they can do a "year 13". All schooling in a Secondary School is free no matter how old you are (some schools cater for people who want to do the year 12 exams years after they initially left school).

In most states is is compulsory to stay at school until your 15th birthday, but some states have lifted the minimum leaving age to 16.

Students start Uni when they are turning 17 or 18. Uni is mostly free but there is now a substantial (and growing) higher education contribution scheme called HECS (I wonder if the bureaucrat who came up with that acronym is still working for the government!).

still haven't done mine yet.