Class (education)

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A class in education has a variety of related meanings.

It can be the group of students which attends a specific course or lesson at a university, school, or other educational institution, see Form (education).

It can refer to a course itself, for example, a class in Shakespearean drama.

It can be the group of students at the same level in an institution: the freshman class; or the group of students which matriculates to or graduates from the institution at the same time: the Class of 2005. The term can be used in a slightly more general context, such as "the graduating class." Some schools have class reunions, where members of a certain graduating class have the opportunity to meet again, and socialize with each other.

It can also refer to the classroom, in the building or venue where such a lesson is conducted.

In some countries' educational systems (such as Taiwan's), it can refer to a subdivision of the students in an academic department, consisting of a cohort of students of the same academic level. For example, a department's sophomores may be divided into three classes.

In countries such as the Republic of Ireland, India, Poland, Germany, Russia, and in the past, Sweden, the word can mean a grade: 1st class is ages 4–5, 2nd class is ages 6–7, 3rd class is ages 8–9, 4th class is ages 9–10, 5th class is ages 10–11, 6th class is ages 11–12,^[1] and 9th class is ages 14–15, class 10 is ages 15–16 and class 12th is ages 17–18.