Education is compulsory from the ages of 6 to 18 in the Flemish Community of Belgium and most young people complete this in primary and secondary schools. Schooling is organised in four main stages, with the first streaming of children into different types of education at the end of primary school. The principle of Freedom of education means that schools enjoy a high degree of autonomy. Schools develop their own educational policies, including pedagogical plans, teaching methods, curriculum and timetables, and appoint their own staff. At the same time, parents are free to choose a school for their child(ren) which lays the foundation for potentially strong competition among schools. All student assessment and related certification at key stages of schooling is designed and conducted at the school level, but schools may seek external support.