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, e.g., 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 graduates from the institution at the same time: the Class of 2005 (cf. alumnus/a). The term can be used in a slightly more general context, such as “the graduating class.” 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, Germany, and in the past Sweden, the word can mean a grade: 1st class is ages 4 and 5, 2nd class is ages 6 and 7, 3rd class is ages 8 and 9, 4th class is ages 9 and 10, 5th class is ages 10 and 11, 6th class is ages 11 and 12, and 9th class is ages 14 – 15.
