High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking
world to describe institutions which provide all or part of
secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the
name of such institutions. The term "high school" originated in
Scotland with the world's oldest being Edinburgh's Royal High
School in 1505. The Royal High School was used as a model for
the first public high school in the United States, the English
High School founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1821. The
precise stage of schooling provided by a high school differs
from country to country, and may vary within the same
jurisdiction. In all of New Zealand and Malaysia along with
parts of Australia, Bangladesh and Canada, high school is
synonymous with secondary school, and encompasses the entire
secondary stage of education. In Australia, the term "high
school" refers to secondary school, from Year 7 or Year 8
through to Year 12, varying from state to state. High school
immediately follows primary (elementary) school; therefore, a