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tertiary education; tertiary college

English translation: Some colleges are for education up to age 18 (secondary) ...

17:10 Apr 5, 2007
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Education / Pedagogy
English term or phrase: tertiary education; tertiary college
I understand that it's related to higher education. Why some colleges are called tertiary and other aren't?
Galina Labinko Rodriguez
Local time: 17:11
Selected answer:Some colleges are for education up to age 18 (secondary) ...
Explanation:
... and others are for education over the age of 18 (tertiary). Tertiary education is considered broadly equivalent to university education.

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Note added at 23 mins (2007-04-05 17:34:04 GMT)
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Here is a somewhat cynical view: (http://www.ardue.org.uk/world/educ.html)
It has for some years been a political "target" that fifty per cent of all scholars should go on to "tertiary" education and obtain "degrees". The number of "universities" has been artificially inflated by granting university status to former technical colleges and colleges of "higher education", thereby diluting the quality and range of teaching and trivialising the status of many "university" degrees.
Selected response from:

David Knowles
Local time: 17:11
Grading comment
thank you
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +5Some colleges are for education up to age 18 (secondary) ...
David Knowles
5higher, professional and adult education
Els Spin


  

Answers


21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Some colleges are for education up to age 18 (secondary) ...


Explanation:
... and others are for education over the age of 18 (tertiary). Tertiary education is considered broadly equivalent to university education.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2007-04-05 17:34:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here is a somewhat cynical view: (http://www.ardue.org.uk/world/educ.html)
It has for some years been a political "target" that fifty per cent of all scholars should go on to "tertiary" education and obtain "degrees". The number of "universities" has been artificially inflated by granting university status to former technical colleges and colleges of "higher education", thereby diluting the quality and range of teaching and trivialising the status of many "university" degrees.

David Knowles
Local time: 17:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
thank you

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Richard Benham: The cnical view is pretty right, except it's not just the left that's in on it. That being said, all those institutions, even before they became "universities", were tertiary institutions, in that you went to them after high school....
39 mins
  -> It's really the language: in my distant youth, there were primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities. Then there were "sixth-form colleges" and the like, and "tertiary" came in. Good job I learnt some Latin!
agree  Jack Doughty
1 hr
  -> Thanks Jack!
agree  Pham Huu Phuoc
1 day 9 hrs
agree  Lubosh Hanuska
2 days 19 hrs
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
4 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 days 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
higher, professional and adult education


Explanation:
I actually did Tertiary Education Studies. It refers to higher, professional and adult education. In short: to the education of adults.

In many cases, it does follow secondary education (and by then, you usually are 18+).
However, a great many people in this world never went to primary and/or secondary school. To them, adult education is a 'second chance'. This is also included in the term 'tertiary'. Even if they are being trained at primary or secondary school level.
In third countries learning to write and read or acquiring basic skills for employment is referred to as tertiary education also.
Tertiary education also includes the work-related (commercial) courses your boss sends you to.

So, tertiary does not so much refer to education level, as to the age group: the way adults learn greatly differs from how children learn, and they should be taught accordingly.

Els Spin
Netherlands
Local time: 18:11
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Dutch
PRO pts in category: 4
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