Education in Ukraine

Since I've entered the teaching field, I've been learning quite a bit about the education system in Ukraine. And it's quite different from the US, so I thought it would be an interesting entry.
The structure is as follows:

Nursery accepts children from 3 months to 3 years of age.
Kindergarten accepts enrollment from 3 years of age to 6. It's what we consider 'pre-school.'
Elementary is from ages 6 to 10.
Lower Secondary is from ages 10 to 15.

There are no 'districts' here. You are free to send your children to any school- but of course, convenience plays a large factor in the school one chooses.

The next phase of schooling is Upper Secondary from ages 15-18. This is a 'general academic' route. And one obtains a "matriculation certificate" upon completion. One can also choose a Vocational Secondary School or a Specialized School option from ages 15-20.

Higher Education is after age 18- which is rather similar to the States in that you can choose to go to college after finishing high school. To enter higher secondary schools, there are two factors taken into consideration- one's performance in secondary school (like a gpa) and the scores from an entrance exam (like the SATs.) It is heavily weighted towards the entrance exams.

Other interesting facts:

• The school year begins in March in Ukraine
• There is a numerical grading system from 1-12 in secondary schools and 1-5 in higher secondary schools
• There are two 'mediums' of study- all subjects being taught in either 'Russian-Medium' or 'Ukrainian Medium'
• From elementary levels- Russian, English and Ukrainian languages are mandatory
  In Higher-Secondary, an additional language is introduced- French, German etc.
• Ukraine has 100% literacy, 15% of the population complete higher secondary
• Education is free of cost (unless one wishes to attend a private higher secondary school)
• There is no such thing as 'recess.' Breaks are generally 10 minutes and kids must stay indoors.
• The education system falls under the Ministry of Education
• 70% of children attend Ukrainian-medium schools
• Singing the National Anthem is mandatory twice a day in school- at the start and at closure
• Students stand when a teacher enters the classroom, and stand to address the teacher
• Most parents fork over money for after-school education - tuition for english, is THE most common.