A school is an educational establishment designed to offer various learning environments and learning spaces for the teaching of children under the guidance of qualified teachers. Generally, most developed countries have centralized systems of public education, which can be compulsory or not. In such systems, children progress through a relatively long list of primary schools, intermediate schools and secondary schools. A child may continue his/her education at any of these stages as desired by the parent(s).
In other countries, children are sent to nursery and primary schools, while private (or home) schools are found in most of the developing countries. In the United States, public schooling is the norm, while private schools are also present in many states. In some areas, home schooling is a choice, in others, it is not. Private schools offer instruction in all subjects through the means of a correspondence or telephonic teaching method, with both teachers and students having full access to the Internet.
In some states of the United States, home schooling is allowed as a recognized educational option for children age 6 to 13, inclusive of their parents. Home schooling is regulated by state law in all states, with local curriculums varying considerably from one area to the next. Primary school building is generally the first school a child attends, and this may begin with a simple one-room schoolhouse with a single classroom. Over the years, the primary school building undergoes several transformations, including additions of additional classrooms, and the extension of study areas such as halls and gymnasiums.