Teaching Cartographical Skills in Different Educational Systems of EU - Maps for the Future Children Education and Internet - page 46

Hungary 13 years). It is between the ages of 6-16. In Luxembourg, Ireland and the
Netherlands compulsory education starts at the age of 4, while in Bulgaria, Estonia,
Finland, Lithuania, Denmark and Sweden only at the age of 7. Usually the start of
the compulsory education coincides with the start of the primary education. In case
of earlier start, the pre-school program is part of the primary education. Primary
education is generally completed at the age of 12, but it is linked up to lower
secondary education in some countries and it can take to the age of 15-16 and the
upper secondary education to the age of 18-19.
In most countries the school pathways for pupils are generally identical up to the
end of the lower secondary level (14 or 15 of age). Malta, Poland and the United
Kingdom have core curriculum up to the age of 16. In some countries, pupils can
choose a specific type of school at the beginning of lower secondary education
(Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). In other countries compul-
sory general education is organized in single-structure schools up to the age of 14 or
15 without a transition between primary level and lower secondary levels. But from
the age of 10 or 11, pupils in some countries can attend another school—Czech
Republic, Latvia, Hungary and Slovakia (Herodot 2007 ).
Different levels have developed differently in the countries of the European
Union, but structural similarities can be recognized (Figs. 4.2 , 4.3 ). We can
distinguish three models where different levels—elementary, lower and upper
secondary—are connected or separated (Lannert and M´rtonfi 2003 ):

• The model with three cycles (elementary + lower secondary + upper second-
ary) can be 5 + 4 + 3 (e.g. in Italy) or 6 + 3 + 3 (e.g. in France).
• The model with two cycles (elementary and lower secondary + upper second-
ary) where the first period is longer and the second one is shorter. It can be 8 + 4,
9 + 3, 9 + 4. The countries are e.g. Portugal, Scandinavian countries and
countries in East-Europe.
• The model with two cycles (elementary + lower and upper secondary) has a
4-6 year first period and a 6-9 year second period (4 + 8, 6 + 6, 4 + 9) e.g. in
Austria, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Ireland etc.

Fig. 4.2 Types of school systems in the European Union (with ISCED levels)