what age do scottish people go to university?
Jamie MacDonald Malcolm Tucker Robert the Bruce William Wallace Haggis McHaggis
neutral
 In 2014 , research reported by the Office for National Statistics found that Scotland was the most highly educated country in Europe and among the most well @-@ educated in the world in terms of tertiary education attainment , with roughly 40 % of people in Scotland aged 16 – 64 educated to NVQ level 4 and above . Based on the original data for EU statistical regions , all four Scottish regions ranked significantly above the European average for completion of tertiary @-@ level education by 25- to 64 @-@ year @-@ olds . 

entailment
 The Scottish education system underwent radical change and expansion in the 20th century . In 1918 Roman Catholic schools were brought into the system , but retained their distinct religious character , access to schools by priests and the requirement that school staff be acceptable to the Church . The school leaving age was raised to 14 in 1901 , and although plans to raise it to 15 in the 1940s were never ratified , increasing numbers stayed on beyond elementary education and it was eventually raised to 16 in 1973 . As a result , secondary education was the major area of growth in the inter @-@ war period , particularly for girls , who stayed on in full @-@ time education in increasing numbers throughout the century . New qualifications were developed to cope with changing aspirations and economics , with the Leaving Certificate being replaced by the Scottish Certificate of Education Ordinary Grade ( ' O @-@ Grade ' ) and Higher Grade ( ' Higher ' ) qualifications in 1962 , which became the basic entry qualification for university study . The centre of the education system also became more focused on Scotland , with the ministry of education partly moving north in 1918 and then finally having its headquarters relocated to Edinburgh in 1939 . After devolution , in 1999 the new Scottish Executive set up an Education Department and an Enterprise , Transport and Lifelong Learning Department , which together took over its functions . One of the major diversions from practice in England , possible because of devolution , was the abolition of student tuition fees in 1999 , instead retaining a system of means @-@ tested student grants . 

entailment
 Those who wished to attend university had to travel to England or the continent , and just over 1 @,@ 000 students have been identified as doing so between the twelfth century and 1410 . Major intellectual figures produced by Scotland with this system included John Duns Scotus , Walter Wardlaw , William de Tredbrum , Laurence de Lindores and John Mair . This situation was transformed by the founding of St John 's College , St Andrews ( 1418 ) . St Salvator 's College was added to St. Andrews in 1450 , followed by foundations at Glasgow in 1451 and King 's College , Aberdeen in 1495 . Initially , these institutions were designed for the training of clerics , but they would increasingly be used by laymen who began to challenge the clerical monopoly of administrative posts in government and law . They provided only basic degrees and those wanting to study for the more advanced degrees , which were common amongst European scholars , needed to go to universities in other countries . In this period , Scottish universities largely had a Latin curriculum , designed for the clergy and civil and canon lawyers . Towards the end of the fifteenth century , a humanist influence and the teaching of Greek was becoming more evident . 

contradiction
 The Scottish education system is distinct from the rest of the United Kingdom . The " Curriculum for Excellence " provides the curricular framework for children and young people from age 3 to 18 . All 3- and 4 @-@ year @-@ old children in Scotland are entitled to a free nursery place . Formal primary education begins at approximately 5 years old and lasts for 7 years ( P1 – P7 ) ; today , children in Scotland study Standard Grades , or Intermediate qualifications between the ages of 14 and 16 . These are being phased out and replaced by the National Qualifications of the Curriculum for Excellence . The school leaving age is 16 , after which students may choose to remain at school and study for Access , Intermediate or Higher Grade and Advanced Higher qualifications . A small number of students at certain private , independent schools may follow the English system and study towards GCSEs and A and AS @-@ Levels instead . 

neutral
 In England , tuition fees are capped at £ 9 @,@ 000 a year , with around 76 % of all institutions charging the full amount in 2015 @-@ 16 . The average fee for a three year course is currently £ 26 @,@ 000 in total . A loan of the same size is available for most universities , although students of private institutions are only eligible for £ 6 @,@ 000 a year loans . 
