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Education is the process of developing knowledge, skills, and character. Education can be divided into Primary (or elementary), Secondary and Higher education. Primary education consists of the first years of formal, structured education. It can be six or seven years of schooling starting at the age of 5 or 6, although this varies between countries. Secondary education consists of the second years of formal education. Depending on the system, schools for this period can be called secondary or high schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, middle schools, colleges, or vocational schools. Higher education, third stage or post secondary education, is the non-compulsory educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, or gymnasium. Colleges and universities are the main institutions that provide higher education. Higher education is very important to national economies, both as a significant industry in its own right, and as a source of trained and educated personnel for the rest of the economy.