In France, secondary education is in two stages: * collèges (French pronunciation: ​[kɔlɛʒ]) cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15 * lycées ([lise]) provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between the ages of 15 and 18. Pupils are prepared for the baccalauréat ([bakalorea]) (baccalaureate, colloquially known as le bac). The baccalauréat can lead to higher education studies or directly to professional life.