School leaving qualification
A school leaving qualification is an academic qualification awarded for the completion of
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.
Names and equivalents
In the United States, the qualification is known as a high school diploma. The same name is used for the equivalent qualification awarded in Canada.
In England and Wales, the school-leaving qualifications awarded are either
In
In
The
Past diploma styles
Diplomas were originally made of
Diplomas used to be quite large, but it has become common to print diplomas on standard letter or A4 size paper. Another difference is the method with which diplomas are handed out. Older diplomas were often rolled and tied with ribbon, but diplomas may also be presented in leather binders or framed with wood and glass. In some cases, blank papers are handed out in graduation ceremonies, and the official diploma is delivered at a later date.
Requirements for receiving a diploma
Most countries around the world award high school diplomas on the basis of completing appropriate coursework and passing one or more standardized tests. Every country has different requirements for receiving a diploma, and in some cases, individual schools set their own requirements. Requirements also change over time. There is no single, universal set of requirements for receiving a high school diploma. Every time and place has different requirements.
A person who qualifies for a diploma, but has not yet received it, is called a graduand; after receiving it, the person is called a graduate.
Education systems based on the British model have independently marked national examinations for each subject instead of a High School Diploma —
European schools use the Baccalaureate system. The International Baccalaureate (IB) is becoming increasingly popular worldwide.
In the United States, most states require students to take and pass a
Australia has six state-based systems and two territory-based systems, which have different curricula, standards and pathways, but all of which (except for Queensland) produce a common Australian Tertiary Admission Rank which is recognised nationally. Several Australian private schools, and a number of public schools in the state of South Australia, offer the IB as an alternative.
Graduation
In some countries, the high school diploma is the symbol of having successfully completed the basic education required by law for youths. Because of this, the presentation of the high-school diploma has become a
Types of diplomas
Some categories of high school diploma programs include:
- Honors diploma, for student with strong academic achievements. This may include the Latin honors system used by some universities for undergraduate degrees.
- College preparation, for students whose coursework and grades meet the minimum entrance requirements for public universities in that area.
- Technical or vocational, for students who have completed a technical training program, such as an automobile repair, cosmetology, or information technologyprogram.
- Minimal, for students who complete the bare minimum requirements for graduation. This is accepted as a true high school diploma, but may not be sufficient for direct entry into certain universities in the United States.
- Certificate of Attendance, for students who meet the attendance requirements for secondary school but do not complete the requirements for graduation. This is not generally considered a true high school diploma.
- Certificate of Completion, for students with disabilities who have completed their individual Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals but did not meet requirements for high school diploma. This, like the certificate of attendance, is not generally considered a true high school diploma.
At most American schools, these are the same
However, in other countries, this is not the case. In some countries, high schools have specialized in certain areas and issue diplomas relevant to their specialty, and a particular type of diploma is normally required for certain purposes, such as attending university. For example, in Germany, three types of diplomas are common:
- German Gymnasium schools, which are equivalent to sixth formor college preparation schools. Students who earn an abitur are qualified to attend university.
- General Certificate of Secondary Educationin the UK.
- Hauptschulabschluss, issued by Hauptschule schools. Students with these usually start an apprenticeship, enroll in a vocational school, or transfer to another school to earn one of the higher level diplomas. Earning the Mittlere Reife or Hauptschulabschluss does not permit the graduate to attend university.
Diplomas may also be available for students who complete special programs, which may be awarded instead of or in addition to the standard high school diploma of a region's schools; these include:
- International Baccalaureate, for students who completed the International Baccalaureate program.
- Advanced Placement International Diploma (APID), for students who complete the Advanced Placement International Diploma program. This is not recognized as a true high school diploma, but may be preferred or required for entry into colleges and universities, especially for students from the United States and Canada studying abroad.
- Access to Higher Education Diploma, for students which lacks qualifications due to an unconventional educational background and want to gain entry into university. The qualification is equivalent to A Levels, although some consider it to be more academically rigorous.
- Cambridge IGCSE, for international schools following the British system of education. This is accepted as equivalent to a US high school diploma, but is insufficient for university entry in the UK.
- Cambridge AICE, for international schools following the British system of education. This is an academic qualification that is accepted for university entry in the UK.
The names of diplomas vary by country and even from region to region within the same country.
See also
- List of school leaving qualifications
- Transcript (education), the list of courses taken and other academic information
- grade book
- Report card
References
- ^ "Digital India". 4 August 2018.
External links
- List of equivalents to US high school diplomas from University of California–Los Angeles