Definition

1. Noun:
   • An educational institution: A "secondary school" is a school that provides education for students who have completed elementary or primary school but have not yet entered college or university. It typically covers the later years of compulsory education.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She teaches mathematics at the local secondary school.
  • After finishing primary school, all children in this district attend the same secondary school.
  • The new policy will affect the curriculum in every secondary school in the state.

Advanced Usage

• "Secondary school education": Refers to the stage or system of learning at this level.

  • He completed his secondary school education before joining the military.

• "Secondary school level": Denotes the academic standard or phase.

  • These concepts are usually introduced at the secondary school level.

Variants and Related Words

• High school (n): A common synonym in American English for a secondary school, often covering grades 9-12.

  • He was the captain of the football team in high school.

• Middle school / Junior high school (n): Schools that often cover grades between elementary and secondary school (e.g., grades 6-8). These are distinct from, but feed into, secondary schools.

Synonyms

• High school: (Common in US English)
• Academy: (Can sometimes refer to a private secondary school)
• Grammar school: (In some systems, a type of selective secondary school)

Related Phrases

• "To attend secondary school": To be a student at a secondary school.

  • All citizens have the right to attend secondary school.

• "Secondary school teacher": A person who teaches at this level.

  • Becoming a secondary school teacher requires specialized training.

Related Idioms

• "School of hard knocks": This idiom refers to learning from difficult life experiences, not formal education. It is conceptually opposite to the structured learning of a "secondary school."
  • He didn't go to college; he was educated in the school of hard knocks.

Noun

1. a school for students intermediate between elementary school and college; usually grades 9 to 12