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Overview
Australia has more than 9,000 schools serving a population
of almost 19 million people. International students can choose
to undertake secondary studies in either the private school or
the government (public) school system. The education department
of each state selects the government schools best suited to
serving the needs of international students. These schools are
well resourced and have a reputation for quality education.
Government schools are non-denominational (no religious
affiliation) and the majority are co-educational (mixed boys and
girls). Although local students may have their studies
subsidised by the government, international students are
required to pay fees.
Nearly 1 million attend non-government schools. These
private or independent schools are funded by the fees paid by
students, in addition to some government support. These schools
offer parents various choices such as a religious education, a
single sex environment (e.g. boys’ only or girls’ only
schools), boarding facilities (i.e. dormitories), or specialist
pursuits (e.g. sport, the arts, sciences or agriculture).
Essentially the same syllabus is taught in both public and
private schools in Australia. All students work towards the same
goal: a public, external examination indicating satisfactory
completion of secondary education at the end of Year 12.
Australia’s national school curriculum varies slightly
from state to state. All schools have “core” subjects
including English, Mathematics, Science and, often, Physical
Education. The range of “elective” subjects, however, will
vary from school to school. “Electives” may include
humanities, languages (other than English), art, drama, music,
graphic design and business studies. Students in Years 11 and 12
are encouraged to think critically and to use a variety of
resources (libraries, Internet, media, field work) to complete
assignments. All schools adopt various forms of continuous,
internal assessment (assignments, essays, class participation)
and grades are given each term. Homework is also an important
component of the curriculum.
All secondary school certificates or final year
qualifications are recognised nationally.
Successful completion of any of these awards can qualify a
student for Australian university or vocational college entry,
although it does not guarantee a place. These awards are also
recognised by employers throughout Australia, and often form the
basis for employment.
Students are admitted to university according to their
Tertiary Entrance Ranking (TER). This score is based on school
assessment and the final external exam grade. University
disciplines with heavy demand, such as medicine and law, require
high TER scores to gain a place.
The
Australian school year is divided into 4 terms each of which
last 10 weeks. The school calendar begins at the end of January
and finishes in mid-December. The main holiday break of 6 weeks
is in summer, and in Australia from late December until the end
of January. Other holidays include 2 weeks in autumn at Easter
time, 2 weeks winter holidays (in July) and 2 weeks in spring
(in September). Australian
schools operate Monday to Friday. The school day normally
commences between 8 and 9am and continues until 3.30pm. |
