What Is a Grammar School?

The term "grammar school" originated in medieval times when schools were set up to teach Latin grammar to students. Nowadays, the explanation of what a grammar school is depends on where it is located. In the United States, grammar schools typically educate children from first grade through fifth or sixth grade, depending on the school system. Some grammar schools educate children through the eighth grade. A grammar school is often called by a more popular term such as "elementary school" or "grade school" and can be a public school or private school.

In Great Britain, a grammar school is a secondary school that educates young people from ages 11 to 18 and follows primary school. The grammar school system excludes Scotland, which has its own system. Other countries that use the name grammar school in their systems include Australia, Canada and Northern Ireland.

Grammar schools were introduced to the United States by the British during colonial times. The colonial grammar schools originally prepared young men to attend universities and were later broadened in scope and curriculum. Eventually, in the United States, the term came to refer to schools teaching children in earlier grades, and it still is used regionally that way. Grammar school curriculum is the same as that of elementary schools and is overseen by each state's department of education. Some private elementary schools call themselves grammar schools, as do some private college prep schools in the northeastern United States.

In Great Britain, the state grammar school system originally was based on academic selection; generally the top 25 percent of students were admitted. Much of this changed in the latter part of the 20th century with the move to comprehensive schools, although some grammar schools remain selective or partially selective. Comprehensive schools accept all students regardless of academic achievements. The grammar school name also lives on in Great Britain at some of the comprehensive schools, which retained the title in their names. Other grammar schools privatized and continue calling themselves grammar schools.

In Northern Ireland, the selective grammar school system still remains. In Australia, grammar schools generally are private schools. Some private schools in Canada are called grammar schools, and the term sometimes is used there, as in the U.S., to describe elementary schools as well.