of age. They spend seven years in primary school before progressing to secondary education, like other states. Secondary education Similarly to other states, years 11 and 12 students can obtain the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) or can complete Vocational Education Training. Yet unlike other states, Tasmania has separate schools, called colleges, for the final two years. Years 7-10 are undertaken at high schools, although district schools and many nongovernment schools combine primary, high school, and college education together, depending on the needs of the school. There has been much of criticism of this system of education as only half of Year 10 students will go on to college and complete their secondary education. Furthermore, 50% of the state is classified as functionally illiterate, and more than half of the state's teenagers fall below the national baseline for maths. Students who do not live near a college, which are all located in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, are frequently required to board to obtain their TCE, forcing many 16 year-olds to leave home. However, recent changes by the Tasmanian government has led to a push to make regional high schools offer TCE subjects. Public high schools Public high schools are predominantly co-educational and teach students from Years 7 to 10 or more recently Year 12. A list of these schools is located at the list of high schools in Tasmania. Colleges In Tasmania, colleges only cater for Year 11 and 12 students. There are eight government colleges in Tasmania, and one independent college. A list of these schools is located at the list of college schools in Tasmania. Non-government schools The non-government schools in Tasmania generally have a religious affiliation, although the involvement of the sponsoring organisation varies between schools. The schools differ in the format of public schools and offer a range of year levels. A list of these schools is located at the list of non-government schools in Tasmania. District schools In Tasmania there are 26 district schools or district high schools. These schools are located in rural areas where primary and secondary education are taught on a single campus, usually ranging from kindergarten to Year 12 (K-12). A list of these schools is located at the list of district schools in Tasmania. Homeschool education Tasmania has an active Homeschooling community. Homeschool families in Tasmania must be registered with the Tasmanian Home Education Advisory Council (THEAC), which is