Eighth grade is a year of primary education in the United States and Canada (in Canada it's often referred to as Grade 8). Students in the eighth grade are in their ninth year (with the exception of Ontario where it's the 10th) of formal schooling, having first completed kindergarten followed by seven consecutive grade years. Students are usually 13–14 years old, but sometimes as old as 17. A kindergarten classroom in Afghanistan. ... Grade retention is the practice of having a student (usually a general education student, rather than a special education student) repeat a grade level of schooling. ...

The eighth grade is significant in the United States and Canada because it used to be the last year of elementary school. For many students, it marked the end of formal education. This is still the case in some Amish communities. Today in the United States the old elementary school-high school division is less used; eighth grade students generally make up the last year at a middle school, which includes the sixth or seventh through eighth grades. Some school boards, however, declare the eighth grade to be the first year of high school, still using the old elementary-high school method. Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... The Amish (IPA: ), are an Anabaptist Christian denomination in the United States and Ontario, Canada that are known for their plain dress and limited use of modern devices such as automobiles and electricity. ... Middle school (also known as intermediate school or junior high school) covers a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education, serving as a bridge between the two. ...

The eighth grade mathematics curriculum in the United States as well as Canada includes either pre-algebra or algebra I. Occasionally geometry is also taught. Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, known today as the father of geometry; shown here in a detail of The School of Athens by Raphael. ... Pre-algebra is a common name for a course in elementary mathematics. ... In the United States Algebra I is a common title for the first course in elementary algebra. ... Table of Geometry, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ...

International equivalents

Many other countries use numerical levels for primary schooling. The U.S. eighth grade is equivalent to Canadian Grade 8 and German Klasse 8. In the Netherlands Groep 8 is the final year of primary school at about 12 in age. The school is entered in group 1 at the age of four. Formal education continues until at least 16 dependent on the type of secondary school; which start counting anew at class-level 1. Grade 8 is not equivalent to Year 8 in the United Kingdom school system, which is for students 12–13 years old and is the second year of secondary school. Eighth grade is actually equivalent to Year 9. Secondary school is the term used to describe an institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. ...