Australian  education system

The Australian education system provides primary, secondary and tertiary education.

School education (Primary and Secondary)

School education is similar across all of Australia with only minor variations between states and territories. School education (primary and secondary) is compulsory between the ages of six and sixteen (Year 1 to Year 9 or 10). School education is 13 years and divided into:

·                     Primary school - Runs for seven or eight years, starting at Kindergarten/Preparatory through to Year 6 or 7.

·                     Secondary school - Runs for three or four years, from Years 7 to 10

·                     Senior secondary school - Runs for two years, Years 11 and 12.

Primary School

Primary education of Australia is seven years of preliminary courses, where children commence their education at the age of 5 years (Year-1) and will be completing at the age of 12 (Year-7). This level of education provides general education for the students and gets them ready for a role in society and for the next level of education.

Secondary School

Students move to secondary school (Year-8) at the age of 12 and it is mandatory to complete their two years of ‘junior high school’ till the Year-10, after which they have the option to discontinue their education or can pursue their further course of study. Students have to accomplish another 2 years of ‘high school diploma’ (Year-12). Students leaving their school after ‘junior high school’ can also go for vocational education course or for apprenticeship training to enter the work force.

Tertiary Education

Tertiary education in Australia is different to many other countries in that it is divided into two sectors; Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education.

Vocational Education and Training

All countries have a higher education sector which people usually associate with universities, but Australia is one of just a few countries that have a vocational education sector where a trainee is assessed by his or her acquisition of competencies, and focuses on the development of skills relevant to a trade or field of skilled specialization. In fact, Australia's VET sector is internationally recognized as providing world's best practice in vocational training, and qualifications from Australian VET institutions are recognized worldwide.The VET sector is comprised of public and private training institutions, referred to collectively as Registered Training Organizations (RTOs). Government-funded or public training institutions are known as colleges or institutes of Technical and Further Education, or TAFE for short. All TAFE institutes offer a range of training courses from Certificate level through to Advanced Diploma, and an increasing number now also offer undergraduate degree (Bachelor) courses. While all TAFEs offer a fairly standard range of core training subjects, many also provide training in more specialized fields, often relative to the particular skills requirements of the workforce in their surrounding area.Australia's VET sector is characterized by a large number and variety of private training organizations. Like TAFE, most private colleges offer standard core subjects such as Business and Information Technology, but many also offer specializations both in specific areas of the core subjects and in a wide variety of other courses. Students wishing to do training in areas such as audio engineering for the music industry or computer graphics for digital animation and gaming, and many of the natural or alternative therapies and even pilot training, are well served by private colleges specializing in these fields. Independent education providers also offer courses from Certificate through to Advanced Diploma levels, and an increasing number also offer undergraduate degree (Bachelor) programs. A very small number are even accredited to offer Masters programs.

Higher Education

 Australia's higher education sector is world class and all Australia's universities have highly active and comprehensive international programs. Universities in Australia have been welcoming international students for more than a century, and today most campuses boast an ethnic mix in the student body of 50 or more nationalities. Cultural sensitivity, tolerance of religious observance and freedom of expression are proudly promoted and encouraged by all Australian universities. Although every Australian university is autonomous and sets its own standards and course offerings, each belongs to a unified national system which ensures that at undergraduate level, all Australian university degrees are nominally of equal quality. Australian universities are not officially ranked, as in some countries, but instead are characterized by the types of courses they offer. While some are more traditional and place great emphasis on research, others are more actively engaged in practical teaching, producing workforce-ready, skilled graduates. Some universities also specialize in course and research programs according to their location. For example, regional or country universities might offer programs in Agriculture, Ecology and Animal Husbandry, while universities with campuses in tropical regions might have developed courses in Tropical Medicine, Marine Biology and the like. Taken collectively, the variety of programs available at Australian universities is as comprehensive as anywhere in the world.The structure of Australian higher education follows a common 3+2+3 international model. That is to say, the first (undergraduate) degree - usually Bachelor - is normally of 3 years duration. This might be followed by a Masters degree, usually 2 years, and finally candidates may aspire to a doctoral qualification, (e.g. PhD), usually 3 years in duration. There are variations, with some professional undergraduate degrees requiring 4 or more years and some Masters degrees, (by course work), available in a single year of study. "Honours" years are available as extensions to some Bachelor degrees, and a student with "First Class Honours", i.e. very good grades, may fast-track to a doctoral degree.