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The Australian education system is split into four different stages, which includes pre-school, primary, high school, and tertiary education such as university and TAFE.
Pre-school or early education is for children five and under. Early education helps with childhood development and readiness for ‘big school’.
Highlights
- Examinations during primary and high school are just warm-ups to the real exam for Years 11, 12, and higher education.
- Public schools are free for children to attend. Private schools have more fees for parents to pay as high as $50,000 per year.
- The Australian education system focuses not only on academics but uses a holistic approach to nurture the students' future. A student loan is also offered to students in higher education.
Marianne Santos, a former pre-school teacher and a teacher in one of the public high schools in Melton, Victoria says children in this stage should be able to recognise the letters from the alphabet and be familiarised with its sounds.
"Here in Australia, children first learn to recognise the letters, followed by familiarisation of the sounds of the letters in the alphabet."
Homework is not always an option for young kids. However, as a tutor, Ms Santos believes that providing after-school learning to her students helps develop personal and social skills that will benefit them later in their life.
Ms Santos says, doing regular homework helps children develop core skills such as discipline and time management.
Helene Refuerzo, Assistant Principal Werribee Secondary College, Victoria Source: Helene Refuerzo
“As educators, we don't only focus on academics or getting good grades. We also want to support the students' wellbeing."
Sometimes, we don't give homework. Instead, we advise our students to go out with family and neighbours or walk with their dogs - that's good for their mental health."
Primary school starts around the age of 5, going from kindergarten to Year 1, all the way up to Year 6.
High school students learning inside their classroom Source: Getty Images/Daniel de la Hoz
Children in this stage should learn the basic skills in literacy and numeracy.
High school starts in Year 7, around the age of 12 or 13, and goes to Year 12 when students are around the age of 18.
Assistant Principal Helene Refuerzo says students in this stage should have acquired adeptness in core literacy and numeracy skills and some specialist subjects such as science.
“Students should acquire expertise in literacy and numeracy for them to be able to manage complex topics that are being taught in high schools. Secondary school is more of preparatory for the pathways to post-secondary schooling."
Then, there is tertiary education, like university and TAFE. Students choose their area of study based on their future career plans. They can study at a Certificate or Bachelor's level, followed by a Master's or PhD if they want to do further study as post-graduates. This means adults can also study, especially if they want to change careers.
Dennis Alonzo, Lecturer, Assessment, Evaluation and Teacher Education & Development, School of Education, UNSW Sydney Source: Dennis Alonzo
“After finishing high school, students need to determine what pathway they should take. They can choose to do vocational before going to university. There are several pathways here. Unlike in the Philippines, where TESDA courses aren't accredited in universities. Here in Australia, students can apply for credit transfer."
Students in universities and TAFE have the opportunity to work while studying as they are mostly required to be in school for only six hours.
“The courses are highly integrated and selected in a way that only subjects or courses that are relevant to their degree are taken.
For instance, when students take an engineering course in their first year, they have to take the foundation of the courses for engineering. Students don't need to take English subjects or other subjects that are not related to their courses."
The Australian education system has a holistic approach to nurturing the young generation.
Students learning during computer class Source: Getty Images/davidf
Public schools are free for children to attend. However, private and independent schools have more fees for parents to pay.
"When you look at school performance between public and private schools, there isn't much difference. It depends on the parent's beliefs about which school is suitable for their children's aspirations. If parents prefer to send their children to a Catholic school, go for it.
I'm a product of public education and it played a vital role in shaping the person I am today. And as a parent, I want my children to learn how to be resilient, how to socialise with people from all walks of life and just be a good human being," explains Ms Refuerzo.
The government has also launched more programs in schools across the country to address the needs of the students, especially during the pandemic.
Many schools also encourage extracurricular activities. These are activities that are often facilitated by the school but take place outside of school hours. These activities include solo and team sports, music lessons and groups, dance, spelling competitions, debating, and many more.
In higher education, students can apply for student loans offered by the government to support their studies.
Educators are encouraging the parents to enquire about the government's initiative in schools and support their children for a better future.
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Australia Explained was originally created by Maram Ismail for SBS Arabic24.
