学校 (xuéxiào)  refers to a school or educational institution where teaching and learning take place. 学 (xué) means "to study" or "to learn." It refers to the act of acquiring knowledge or skills through education or self-directed learning. 学 (xué) can also mean "school, college", however, when it's used in this meaning, it's never used alone. Instead, it's used to form other nouns, for example - 中学 (middle school ) , 大学 (university).