Overview
Australia has one of the highest standards of education in the world, with about 80% of school students going on to higher education. Forty-two percent of the working-age population has a university degree, diploma or trade qualification. Generally children start school at about five years old and, by law, have to remain in education until 15 years old. Primary education usually lasts six or seven years, and secondary education begins in “Year 7” and ends in “Year 12” with a Senior Certificate of Secondary Education (the precise name varies between states.) Roughly equivalent to A levels, this covers a broad base of subjects and is a mix of classroom studies, written assessments and exams.

Other Service Providers
New South Wales Department of Education & Training
TAFE New South Wales

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The Australian School system
The Australian education system is divided broadly into five areas: preschool, primary school, high school, career and vocational training, and university level-institutions.

You may find the system of teaching and school discipline very different in Australia. Less importance is placed on outward discipline and memorising than is done in many countries. Instead, emphasis is put on self discipline, on learning by finding out and by questioning, and encouraging a child's interest and enthusiasm for learning.

Schools encourage parent involvement and wish to help newcomers. Most schools have parent and teacher associations which play an active part in school life, raising funds for many school needs but also helping to decide what is taught and done at the school. Parent skills are valued and your involvement is welcome.

Schooling is compulsory for students in most states and territories until the age of fifteen. Although students are able to leave at that time, most students do not leave until they complete their Year 10 qualification, with many students continuing on to complete their Year 12 studies.

Public and private schools
You can choose to have your children educated in public (state government) or private (independent) schools throughout the country. Education at public schools is free in most states, although most schools do have a small voluntary annual fee to cover extra activities. Parents may also have to purchase such items as books and uniforms and pay for outings, camps etc. Most public schools are attended by both boys and girls.

Most Private schools fall into one of two categories, schools administered by the Catholic Education Office, and independent schools of other religious persuasions administered by their own boards. Private or independent schools have their own fee structure and receive a subsidy from both Federal and State governments. Many private schools are either exclusively all boy or all girl schools.

Colleges
There are numerous colleges in Australia as they are used both as vocational education institutions and also as bridging institutions between grade schools and universities. For a list of Australian TAFE colleges please click here. An idea of how the college system works can be seen in the following qualifications details.

Qualification: Certificate I Duration: 4-6 Months
Career Path: Competent Operator
Qualification: Certificate II Duration: 6-8 Months
Career Path: Advanced Operator
Qualification: Certificate III Duration: 12 Months
Career Path: Qualified Tradesperson or Technician
Qualification: Certificate IV Duration: 12-18 Months
Career Path: Supervisor
Qualification: Diploma Duration: 18-24 Months
Career Path: Para-Professional
Qualification: Advanced Diploma Duration: 24-36 Months
Career Path: Junior Manager

Colleges in Australia as they are used both as vocational education institutions and also as bridging institutions between grade schools and universities. For a list of Australian TAFE colleges please click here. An idea of how the college system works can be seen in the following qualifications table.

Universities

Australia offers many wonderful choices for international students.

Universities in Australia

New South Wales
Australian Graduate School of Management [AGSM]
Charles Sturt University [CSU]
Macquarie University [MACQUARIE]
Southern Cross University [SCU]
University of New England [UNE]
University of New South Wales [UNSW]
University of Newcastle [NEWCASTLE]
University of Sydney [SYDNEY]
University of Technology Sydney [UTS]
University of Western Sydney [UWS]
University of Wollongong [UOW]
Australian Catholic University [ACU]

Victoria
Deakin University [Deakin]
Monash University [MONASH]
RMIT University [RMIT]
Swinburne University of Technology [SWINBURNE]
University of Ballarat [BALLARAT]
University of Melbourne [MELBOURNE]
Victoria University [VU]
Australian Catholic University [ACU]

Queensland
Bond University [Bond]
Central Queensland University [CQU]
Griffith University [GRIFFITH]
James Cook University [JCU]
Queensland University of Technology [QUT]
Southern Cross University [SCU]
University of Queensland [QUEENSLAND]
University of Southern Queensland [USQ]
University of the Sunshine Coast [USC]
Australian Catholic University [ACU]

Western Australia
Curtin University of Technology [CURTIN]
Edith Cowan University [ECU]
Murdoch University [MURDOCH]
University of Notre Dame Australia - The [UNDA]
University of Western Australia [UWA]

South Australia
Flinders University [FLINDERS]
University of Adelaide [ADELAIDE]
University of South Australia [UniSA]

ACT
University of Canberra [CANBERRA]
Australian Defence Force Academy [ADFA]

Tasmania
University of Tasmania [TASMANIA]

Northern Territory
Charles Darwin University [CDU]