Australian Education System

The Australian education system offers primary, secondary and tertiary

education linked across the country and across the world.

State High Schools (“state schools” or “public schools”) cost very little for
Australians, and so students come from a broad spectrum of the Australian
community. State schools are not as formal as private schools regarding school
uniforms for example. Apart from the basic subjects, state schools have great
flexibility when it comes to the subjects they make available to their students.
Individual schools offer a total of more than 50 different subjects, of which
students must choose six (some are compulsory).
Private schools in Australia can be compared with British private schools. The
education level is demanding, and in a certain way more “academic” than at
state schools. Many Australian parents will take the opportunity to send their
children to a private school if they can.

School education:.
Schooling is compulsory from age 6 to 15 in all States except Tasmania, where
it extends to 16. However, in most States, children start primary school at the
age of 5 when they enrol in preparatory or kindergarten year, after which
primary education continues for either six or seven years, depending on the
State.
Secondary education is available for either five or six years, depending on the
State and the length of primary education. Students usually commence their
secondary schooling when aged 12 or 13, reaching year 12 at 17 or 18.Links
between the education and training sectors have been strengthened, partially
through the introduction of the Australian Qualifications Framework which is a
unified system of twelve national qualifications in schools, vocational education
and training (Technical And Further Education Colleges and private providers)
and the higher education sector (mainly universities). The Framework links
together all these qualifications and is a highly visible, quality-assured national
system of educational recognition, which promotes lifelong learning and a
seamless and diverse education and training system.

Preschool
Preschools are generally not regulated by the government. Also, it is not
compulsory to attend preschools. The first exposure that many kids have to
learning is day-care or preschool. Although, this activity is not considered as
schooling. This is because preschool education is separate from primary
school. Preschools approach varies with different states . Some preschools
operating separately and some within the primary school.
In Australia, preschool is different from primary school. However, in Western
Australia and Victoria this is not the case. Preschool is offered to three to five
years old.
At preschool, children engaged in different activities. These include painting and
pasting, blocks and construction, puzzles and games, etc. These activities help
children to learn through play. They also help children to develop socializing
skills.
The role of preschools is to prepare students for school. Also, preschool
provides care and supervisions of children. Preschool is the foundation to
formal learning. Primary school
Primary school can be referred to as the first stage of formal education. It is
compulsory for children to start their school at the age of six years. However,
many children start schooling at four or five years of age. Children attend
primary school until the age of eleven or twelve. Programs offered by primary
schools is the foundation to Year 6 to 7.
Since 2010, it has been made compulsory for every student to complete year
10. After that, they are to participate full time in education or employment, until
they are at least 17 years of age.
In primary schools, children start to learn core subjects. The primary focus is on
providing fundamental knowledge about the world around them. Children are
taught essential numeracy and literacy.
In some states, middle schools have been introduced. It mainly offers programs
for students in Years 7 to 10. But, this could be different from school to school.
After completing middle school, students enroll in high or secondary schools to
complete year 10, 11 and 12.
Secondary school
Children attend secondary school after completing six years of primary
education. Some states have only primary and secondary schools. Children
residing in such states and between 13 and 18 years of age attend secondary
schools (or high schools.) As you move from primary school to secondary
school, they are introduced to the more in-depth knowledge of a subject.
Students learn about different subjects such as English, math, social science,
citizenship, and economics. The curriculum is set to enhance their knowledge
about various topics.
In year 11 and 12, students have freedom of choice about which subject they
want to pursue. Students are awarded a Senior Secondary Certificate of
Education once they complete Year 12.
After secondary school, students either pursue vocational and higher education
courses or start work.
Universities and Higher Education (SOFI’S PART)
Australian universities provide international students with choices and
opportunities across all study disciplines. This country offers a diverse range of
study options for international students, with more than 1,100 institutions and
over 22,000 courses.

Higher education courses can be taken to earn an advanced degree and

continue your studies in Australia. There are three main types of higher
education which lead to Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Degrees.

In Australia it is quite common for students to enrol in a double or combined

Bachelor Degree program which leads to the award of two Bachelor Degrees.
This is most common in the fields of arts, commerce, law and science.*
(OPTIONAL AT THE MOMENT)*

Australian institutions offer a wide range of courses – from science to

management and commerce, humanities to engineering, and law to health
sciences. Australian institutions rank among the world’s best by discipline,
particularly in engineering and technology, medicine, environmental science,
and accounting and finance.

There are 43 universities in Australia (40 Australian universities, two

international universities, and one private specialty university). Along with these
universities, many other institutions offer higher education courses. You can
search for institutions and courses using the Institution and Course Search on
this website.
Information taken from: https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/English/Australian-
Education/Universities-Higher-Education/universities-and-higher-education.

The VET can be referred to as education and training. More precisely, training
that focuses on providing essential skills for work. Thousands of courses are
available through VET.
VET provides the essential skills to help students to:
Join workforce for the first time
Re-join the workforce after the break
Upgrade skills in their chosen field
Move into a different career
Who offers VET?
Courses affiliated to VET are offered by Registered Training Organizations
(RTOs). Technical and further education (TAFE) institutes and private colleges
are also included in RTOs. Some universities provide VET courses in addition
to higher education courses. Each Australian state or territories register these
organizations.
Overseas students can also register themselves in VET courses. RTOs that
wish to enroll overseas students must also register with the Australian’s
government commonwealth register of institutions and courses for overseas
students (CRICOS). Through this, government monitors the education offered
to overseas students in Australia.
How do VET courses differ to higher education courses?
VET courses are more focused on providing job-oriented skills and practical
training. While higher education is known for focusing on delivering theory-
based knowledge. Usually, VET courses help students to acquire jobs skills
without having higher education.
Entry Requirements
Entry into VET requires a student to complete a certain level of study. In
Australia, study level equivalent to year 10, 11 and 12 suffices to pursue VET
courses. But some subjects require earlier work experience. Entry into courses
like arts and design may also need a portfolio. Though there are common entry
requirements for VET courses, each institute has different criteria.
Australian Qualifications framework
AQF is a national policy that decides the standard for educational qualifications.
It is governed nationally by the Australian government. The Australian
government designed the AQF. The aim behind AQF was to ensure that
educational titles across the country are consistent.
There are ten levels under AQF. I am going to discuss AQF levels briefly in the
following paragraphs:
1. Level 1
Graduates at Level 1 will be able to do initial work. With knowledge and skills,
they will be ready for community involvement and further learning.
Skills
Graduates at this level will have foundation technical and cognitive skills to:
Undertake coherent actions
Identify simple issues and problems
Qualification
Those who complete this level are awarded Certificate I.
Time
This level usually requires 0.5 to 1 year to study.
2. Level 2
Graduates at this level will have basic factual, technical and procedural
knowledge of a specific area.
Skills
Graduates at this level will have necessary technical and communication skills
to apply the knowledge. The knowledge of appropriate methods and tools have
them to:
Undertake defined activities
Provide solutions to predictable problems
Qualification
Those who complete this level are awarded Certificate II.
Time
This level usually requires 0.5 to 1 year to study.
3. Level 3
Students after Graduating at this level will have the practical and theoretical
knowledge. They instill important skills for work or further learning.
Skills
Those who are graduates from this level will have a range of skills. These skills
include cognitive, technical and communication. This level graduates select and
apply a variety of information and tools to:
Complete routine activities
Provide solutions to predictable and sometimes unpredictable problems.
Qualification
Those who complete this level are awarded Certificate III.
Time
This level usually requires 1 to 2 years to study.
4. Level 4
Graduates at this level will have the practical and theoretical knowledge and
skills for specialized or skilled work.
Skills
Graduates at this level will have a broad level of cognitive, technical and
communication skills. They apply their knowledge and skills to:
Complete routine and non-routine activities
Provide solutions to predictable and unpredictable problems.
Qualification
Those who complete this level are awarded Certificate IV.
Time
This level usually requires 0.5 to 2 years of study.
5. Level 5
Specialized knowledge and skills acquired by the graduates help them to do
paraprofessional work.
Skills
They have broad range of skills which include cognitive, technical and
communication skills. The skills help them to select and apply knowledge to:
Analyze information
Ability to provide solutions to complex problems
Ability to transmit information to others
Qualifications
Those who complete this level are awarded Diploma.
Time
This level usually requires 1 to 2 years of study.
6. Level 6
Broad knowledge and skills acquired by the graduates this level help them to do
highly skilled work
Skills
Again, like previous level, students at this level have cognitive, technical and
communications skills. Graduates at this level use these skills to:
Analyze complete information and make sense out of it
Interpret and transmit solutions to complex problems
Transmit skills to others
Qualification
Those who complete this level are awarded Associate degree and Advance
diploma.
Time
Associate degree – This level usually requires 2 years of study.
Advanced degree – This level usually requires 1.5 to 2 years of study.
7. Level 7
Broad and coherent knowledge acquired by graduates at this level prepare
them for professional work.
Skills
Well-developed cognitive, technical and communication skills are some of the
traits of graduates at this level. They apply these skills to:
Evaluate and analyze information
Generate, analyze and transmit solutions to complex problems
Share knowledge, skills, and ideas
Qualification
Those who complete this level are awarded Bachelor Degree.
Time
This level usually requires 3 to 4 years of study.
Conclusion:
Australian education system is one of the most reputed in the world. If you’ve
just found a new job or planning to settle, you should know about Australian
education system. Many overseas students are flying to Australia to pursue
higher education.