Education in Georgia is free of charge and compulsory for eight years, from the age of 6 until the age of 14. Children in Georgia are legally required to have a basic primary education. Even though education is not compulsory for children who are older than 14, most adolescents in the country are expected to stay in school for a total of 12 years, until they are 17 or 18 years old, primarily so that they can complete their education. In 1996, the gross primary enrollment rate was 88.2%, and the net primary enrollment rate was 87%; 48.8% are girls and 51.8% are boys. The constitution mandates that education is free. Related expenses that include textbooks and laptops are provided by the state free of charge; in 2001, there were 47,837 children not attending primary school.