Education in Northern Ireland

Education in Northern Ireland differs from education systems elsewhere in the United Kingdom, although it is relatively similar to Wales, and the Republic of Ireland in sharing in the development of the national school system and serving a similar society with a relatively rural population. A child's age on 1 July determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education in the region, compared to 1 September in England and Wales. Northern Ireland's results at GCSE and A-Level are consistently higher than those in England and Wales; Scotland uses a different examination system.[2][3]