Schule & Ausbildung in D/A/CH

School systems differ between Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but the core words are shared. Children start at a primary school and then move on to a secondary school; after that comes an apprenticeship or a degree:

• die Grundschule, -n — primary school (in Austria: die Volksschule)
• das Gymnasium, die Gymnasien — academic secondary school
• die Ausbildung, -en — vocational training, apprenticeship
• das Studium, die Studien — university studies
• der Abschluss, die Abschlüsse — the qualification, the degree

Trap: das Gymnasium is a school, not a gym. A gym is das Fitnessstudio.