Australian Education System

Australian Education System

By Alice Way

primary school

Australia's education system

secondary school

tertiary education

Primary School / Secondary School

• This is for students who wish to study at primary or high school and approved secondary school exchange programs. The students can be enrolled at Private or Public schools starting from year 1 to year 12. One parent or guardian can accompany the student or a guardian will be assigned to them by the school.

Tertiary Education

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Higher Education

Vocational Education and Training

• 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.

Higher Education

• Australia's higher education sector is world class and all Australia's universities have highly active and comprehensive international programs. Cultural sensitivity, tolerance of religious observance and freedom of expression are proudly promoted and encouraged by all Australian universities. Australian university degrees are nominally of equal quality.

• Another option for international students wishing to attend an Australian university is through a Foundation Studies program. These programs are designed specifically for overseas students and aim to ease the transition from a student's school education in their home country to university study in Australia. Most Foundation Studies programs last 1 year, but may be fast-tracked to 9 months for high-ability students, or those who already satisfy other requirements for their chosen university course. Most Foundation Studies programs feature subject specialization or streaming where, in addition to core subjects, the program provides an introduction to the subjects a student will take as part of their degree course.

English Language Teaching

• The language of instruction in Australia is, of course, English. Students wishing to study vocational or degree courses in Australia will need to demonstrate proficiency in English as prescribed by the entry criteria for the chosen course. Most Registered Training Organizations will accept students with an IELTS score of 5 or 5.5. Direct entry to university normally requires an IELTS score of 6, sometimes higher.Virtually all English colleges offer programs in General English, some with specializations such as "Business English' or 'English for Tourism'. Most colleges also offer English for Academic Purposes (EAP) - courses designed especially to prepare students for further study.