Twelfth grade

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Twelfth grade (called Grade 12 in some regions, also known as senior year in the U.S. and Australia) is the final year of secondary education in the United States and many other nations.

Outside of the United States, the final secondary school year takes different terms. It is simply referred to as the twelfth grade (or grade 12 in English Canada), in the Republic of Ireland, it is known as 6th year, in Singapore it is known as "JC1" i.e. Junior College 1 and in Australia it is known as Year 12. In India it is known as XII standard or twelfth standard and in some undergraduate colleges which offer XII standard also as Second year junior College (SYJC). In New Zealand, it is also known as Year 13, while in Northern Ireland pupils of this age enter Year 14, or Upper Sixth.

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[edit] United States

The twelfth grade is the twelfth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 17 to 18 years old. Twelfth grade is the last year of compulsory secondary education, or "high school" in the U.S.

Members of this grade level are commonly struck by "senioritis".

In most American schools, Seniors graduate several weeks before the end of the traditional school year. Often after the Twelfth grade class leaves the school, the upcoming 11th grade class is then referred to as the new senior class. These "11th grade seniors" are referred to as such for the remainder of the year, and until they leave the school a year later.

[edit] Traditions associated with the senior year

At the end of this school year, there is traditionally a graduation event with the seniors who have completed all of the required work.

In some schools seniors receive their class ring at the beginning of their senior year.

In most schools seniors sit for expensive, formal senior portraits at the beginning of the school year, which are given special treatment in the yearbook. For example, the senior portraits in the yearbook are often in full color and bigger than the smaller black and white pictures typically used for lower grades.

There is customarily a formal school dance for this year's students, called senior prom. Some schools hold a prom for both juniors and seniors, while others segregate the two grades into separate dances.

Senior cut day (also known as senior skip day or senior ditch day) is a day students designate as a day on which the seniors fail to attend school en-masse. This event/tradition is not recognized by school administrations and teachers, and in some areas it is countered with an officially recognized senior day off or by allowing graduating seniors to skip their "finals" final exams. This more official senior day can also be used to sponsor a "senior trip" where the graduating class goes to a theme park or other vacation type activity.

[edit] United Kingdom

In England and Wales, "Year 13" (or "Upper Sixth") is the second and last year of A-Level certifications, which are completed at the end of "Year 13" (or "Upper Sixth") Students are usually 16-17 in Year 12 and 17-18 in Year 13. In Northern Ireland this takes place in Years 13 and 14. In both cases, these two years are entirely optional, but generally required for entry into higher education. In Scotland, this is 5th and 6th year. Sufficiently good marks in 5th year may be adequate for entry into higher education (Highers are the entry qualifications to university, of which can be sat in S5, S6 and college, with Advanced highers being the equivalent to year one of university which can be sat following higher exams). There exist specific sixth form colleges dedicated to these years of education, sometimes known as "further education" to distinguish it from both secondary education, which is compulsory, and higher education, which implies university studies.

[edit] Canada

Prior to 2003, Ontario schools followed with an optional "Grade 13", which comprised the Ontario Academic Credit, a prerequisite for university acceptance in the province. In a collegiate institute, the majority of students would graduate from Grade 13, rather than Grade 12. Students of the grade were known as "Grade 13's" or "13's", never as "seniors" (an American term not used in Ontario).

In Quebec, there is no formal compulsory 12th year, as secondary education completes with eleventh grade. This can be followed with optional CEGEP vocational/college preparatory program.

[edit] Latin America

In Latin America except in Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic and some Mexican regions, there is no grade 12; secondary education terminates with 11th grade. In Chile the 12th grade is called "4to (Cuarto) Medio", meaning "Fourth secondary".[1] In Brazil, the 12th grade is called "3º (Terceiro) Ano", is the third grade of the Secondary Education. In the Dominican Republic, the 12th grade is called "4to (Cuarto) de Bachillerato", in that country the high school is know how "Bachillerato".

[edit] Germany

In Germany, students wishing to take the Abitur usually had to attend a thirteenth grade, but most states are shortening the gymnasium (the university-bound secondary school system in Germany) from nine to eight years.

[edit] France

The equivalent grade in this country is the Terminale, upon completion of which students write a test, the Baccalaureate (an equivalent of the British A-level or the American S.A.T.). French-language schools that teach the French government curriculum (i.e. are part of the French Lyceum network) use the same system of grades as their counterparts in France.

[edit] India

In India, the equivalent grade is referred to as the "twelfth standard" or (in some regions "second year junior college" (SYJC). Most students who pass out of class 12 are 17-18 years old. With the introduction of separate entrance examinations for entry into medicine, engineering and law courses, many students (especially those opting for science) tend to take their 12th exams lightly. Entrance exams usually comprise of multiple-choice-questions on physics, chemistry and biology (or mathematics) and are conducted separately on national and state levels. Additionally some highly coveted institutions hold their own entrance tests. These competitive exams are among the toughest in the world and competition is intense, for example over 300,000 students appear for the IIT-JEE exam, competing for 5,500 seats at the IITs. The CBSE and ICSE boards conduct twelfth standard courses nationally, while state boards operate at the state-level.

[edit] See also

Preceded by
Eleventh grade		 Twelfth Grade
17–18		 Succeeded by
Grade 13 or Higher education