In Estonia, all children under the age of 17 get secondary education. The preschool level is optional, but the government is trying to make it available for every family: from 50% to 100% of kindergarten, costs are paid by the state.
Basic school begins at the age of 7. It is not formally divided into middle and high school - compulsory studies are from the 1 to 9 grade and consist of 3 periods, each period introduces new subjects:
- 1st period: 1-3 grade;
- 2nd period: 4-6 grade;
- 3rd period: 7-9 grade.
- Academic: grades 10-12 at the gymnasium, and then admission to the university;
- Vocational: secondary vocational education at a school or a technical school.
Also in Estonia, there are several private schools with international programs: British or American. Studies are conducted in English and cost from 3,625 USD to 12,085 USD per year.