School education is 13 years, from Foundation Year to senior secondary education. It covers:

• preschool
• Foundation Year (or kindergarten, pre-primary, preparatory, transition or  reception)
• primary school
• secondary school (high school)
• senior secondary school (or college).

Schooling is compulsory for all students aged 6 and over, and most children will commence their Foundation Year when they are four or five years old. While preschool is not compulsory, it has become a social norm for Australian children. Preschool or kindergarten is available to most children from around age 4, with some variation on the starting criteria between states and territories.

Schooling is compulsory until at least Year 10, with the school leaving age determined by states and territories, but this is typically until the age of 17.

All states and territories offer primary school from Foundation Year to Year 6, and secondary school (including senior secondary school) from Year 7 to Year 12.

Vocational education and training (VET) can also be delivered through schools and as part of school education.

Australia has a national curriculum for all primary and secondary schools which has been progressively developed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). The Australian Curriculum provides schools, teachers, parents and students with a clear understanding of what students are learning (see also School curriculum and assessment (page 49) of the Australia Country Education Profile (CEP)).

 

Primary school education

Foundation Year is known across Australia as kindergarten, preparatory, reception, pre-primary or transition. The focus of the Foundation Year is on the overall development of the child in preparation for Year 1.

The primary school curriculum focuses on:

• English language and literacy skills
• mathematics and numeracy skills
• science
• technology
• history
• geography
• health, and
• creative arts.

Languages other than English (LOTE), sports, music and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture are also commonly taught.

Although assessments take place, there are no standard exam requirements for progression through primary school and no formal qualifications are awarded. Students progress to secondary school after completing the final year of primary school.

 

Secondary school education

The first one or two years of secondary school comprise general studies undertaken by all students. In later years, students take a core group of subjects and electives. Core subjects usually include:

• English
• mathematics
• science
• society and environment
• languages other than English (LOTE)
• information and communications technology (ICT)
• creative arts, and
• personal development, health and physical education.

Many subjects are offered at advanced levels, such as English, mathematics, science and ICT.

At most secondary schools, students take elective classes. These are classes separate to the core subjects that students get to choose, allowing the study of topics that interest students. Students may find elective classes in subjects such as art, business, computer programming, journalism and music.

 

Senior secondary school education

Senior secondary education covers Years 11 and 12. Senior secondary education offers several types of courses which prepare students for tertiary study, employment, and adult life. The final school-leaving qualification is known generically as the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (Year 12 award), which is an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification (but not allocated to an AQF level).

The Senior Secondary Certificate of Education is a multi-purpose award that serves as both a school-leaving certificate, and as a qualification to access tertiary education in the higher education and VET sectors. Students study multiple courses, or subjects, that have substantial academic breadth and depth. Subjects that prepare students for admission to higher education are academically oriented, which equips school-leavers with the knowledge and skills for higher education study.

Different names are used for the senior secondary qualification in each state and territory. The qualifications are awarded by the relevant state or territory senior secondary authority. More information can be found in the Australia CEP (page 46).