System of education in Australia

Advantages:
the education system of Australia corresponds the English, and therefore its school and universities highly are quoted around the world;
year of study in Australia costs at least for 15-20% cheaper, than at schools of England or America, the cost of accommodation is also small;
high standard of living almost total absence of crime (according to a rating of safety of RBC Australia is recognized as the country, the 2nd for safety level, in the world after Switzerland);
the safe ecological situation favorable climate Australia in the last decades was among leaders of the international educational market.
Training at “the green continent” has many pluses: English as a state language, a high standard of living, an opportunity all the year round to enjoy all delights of warm climate. Therefore to this country annually more than 160 thousand students come from abroad.
The education system of Australia differs in rigid state regulation. All educational institutions which want to accept foreign students have to have the state accreditation – so-called Cricos Code. It is a guarantee that the school or university conforms to all standards which are established by the Ministry of Education of Australia.
Education system in Australia
training level program age certificate / degree
Elementary school
Primary School
6-12 years
Younger high school
Junior Secondary
12-16 years
High high school
Senior Secondary
16-17 years
Certificate on the termination of secondary education (Higher School Certificate)
Secondary vocational education / initial highest Certificate/Diploma / Advanced Diploma of 16-18 years the Certificate / Diploma / the Highest diplomvysshy formation of Bachelor’s programme 18-22 years Bakalavrvtory highest Master’s programme since 21 the Master
SCHOOLS
For today in Australia there are about 10 thousand schools, more than 300 state colleges and 40 universities, two of which private. Public schools make 71% of total number, the others – private. In the country a set of the Catholic private schools run by the Catholic educational commission.
Private schools are considered as more prestigious, at them children of more wealthy people study; there are slightly best material resources, than at public schools, and more attention is paid to each child. However teaching is at equally high level, both in the state educational institutions, and in private.
The most essential distinction is an absence at public schools of boards. If in “independent schools” children can live in the cozy school hostel under supervision of tutors, then the children studying in the public educational institutions are settled in the accepting Australian families.
As well as in Great Britain, exist both schools of coeducation, and separate – only for boys or only for girls.
At the Australian schools there is not a lot of pupils foreigners as, say, in English – they make only about 5% (about 15 thousand).
Academic year at the Australian schools is divided into quarters (everyone lasting 12 weeks), begins at the end of January and comes to an end at the beginning of December.
Depending on staff the education system sometimes has some distinctions. In states New South Wales, Victoria, in the Australian Capital Territory and on Tasmania training at high school is necessary on 7-10 classes, in the Western and South Australia, Queensland and in Northern Territories – on 8-10 classes. After the tenth classes pupils are considered as seniors. On average the Australian children go to school since six years. To 12 years they study on first (Primary school), till 16 years – as second (Junior secondary), till 18 years – on the third (Senior secondary, 11-12 classes) to a step of secondary education. In general it is calculated on 12 years for this reason the Russian certificate about secondary education does not admit an equivalent Australian.
The main objects are: English, mathematics social and natural sciences, foreign language and sport. Besides, in the senior classes there is a large number of objects of the choice which school students begin to study, being guided by that higher education institution where they intend to continue training. In graduation classes the circle of the studied objects is narrowed to several, and the choice of the direction depends on the pupil. Schools pay much attention to sports activities and education of the personality. It is also worth noting that the Australian high schools offer ample opportunities for studying of both the European, and Asian languages.
At schools of the country much attention is paid to specific features of pupils, their talents and interests. The school program is constructed as much as possible to develop the intellectual, public, creative and career potential of each pupil.
It is here too paid much attention to sport in which it is possible to be engaged in the open air practically all year here. “The gentleman’s set” of sports in which the child can be engaged at school includes tennis, track and field athletics, softball, basketball, swimming, soccer, a netball, cricket and volleyball. At separate schools it is possible to be engaged in windsurfing (which actually deserved the name of national sport of Australia) and other sports.
In the same way as in Great Britain, various clubs and circles are widespread here: chess, oratory, theatrical, dancing. At many schools children participate in management: their council resolves the issues connected with the organization of holidays, trips and official actions; lobbies interests of students in board of directors of school.
The Australian educational institutions differ in more flexible program, than English, and the child can arrive here practically at any age. At many schools there are language centers which help foreign students “to tighten” language and to be prepared for training. As a rule, even if children from other countries at once start training, with them in addition 2-3 times a week during the first semester study English.
It is possible to study here according to the program of the Australian high school or for the prestigious International Baccalaureate program which opens the road practically to any universities of the world.
Procedures of removal of final estimates in different states are various and are based or on the academic results shown during all term of training or represent a combination of the current school estimates and results of final examinations. The question of receipt in the highest or special educational institution is solved on the basis of progress at school.
UNIVERSITY IN AUSTRALIA
The best quality proof and efficiency of the Australian education is more than 150 000 students from around the world who annually come here to study. Education became one of the main articles of export of Australia long ago, and on a turn it takes 3-4 place in the list of the branches making the main sources of the income of this country.
Choosing university, it is necessary to remember that in Australia there is no official system of ratings. Moreover – it is not approved by the Ministry of Education of Australia. But in Australia universities as hotels, receive “stars” – from one to five. In principle, calculation of stars is similar to rating system. Indicators are among: the academic progress of students, the number of teachers with scientific degrees, allocations for scientific researches and for updating of a campus, both a set of other factors, and, of course, employment of graduates in the first three months after the termination of university. However in world ratings the Australian universities hold enviable position. So, the Australian National University (ANU) takes the 16th place in the world (!) in Times rating, and Melbourne University – 22. And the Australian Graduate School of Management business school was included into 30 best Financial Times according to a rating.
Australia – the country of emigrants therefore foreigners are not perceived as people of “the second grade” there. For example, people of 140 nationalities live only in one Sydney. The attitude towards all visitors equal and friendly, regardless from what country they arrived. According to many, goodwill and openness of Australians has no equal.
COLLEGES
Australia differs in branched system of colleges which train students for entering a university or give them secondary technical education after which students can begin to work in the specialty.
Colleges share on state and private. State, united in the TAFE system (Technical and Further Education), are considered as more prestigious.
State TAFE system (Technical and Further Education) – Technical and additional education
The Australian system of Technical and additional education – public sector of national system of professional education and preparation. In 1998 more than one million students were accepted in 250 TAFE institutes over all country, from them 37 328 students came to study from abroad.
The TAFE programs give the chance to receive professional qualification of different levels. The majority of institutes offer also courses of the senior classes of high school, doing this sector of the Australian educational industry to the biggest on a variety of the offered programs.
The TAFE programs are developed in cooperation with industrial and public circles and conform to modern requirements. The certificates and diplomas issued to TAFE admit in all territory of Australia, and graduates can enter the university including one or two years of training. Such way of receiving the higher education becomes more and more widespread and popular among students who besides degree of the bachelor would like to receive qualification in practical area or who, having passed practical training, would like to pass to the program of higher level. Many institutes TAFE for such cases have the relevant agreements with universities.
The circle of specialties which offer TAFE colleges is very wide – it is programs for business, management, marketing, accounting, information technologies, secretarial business, design, tourist and hotel management, a ship navigation. Training has the expressed practical focus. On a number of specialties it is possible to do practical training (most often paid).
Training programs can be calculated on different terms: from several hours to three years.
Academic year in the TAFE system begins in February and comes to an end in December, English language courses can begin also in other time.
The number of pupils in classes averages 15 people and never exceeds 30 students. In the course of training it is paid to practice and occupations in classes much attention though also the university technique which is based on a combination of lecture and seminar occupations somewhere can be applied. Progress is, as a rule, estimated by results of written examinations, on the basis of performances in a class, results of practice and short tests.
Depending on training duration you receive the certificate (I, II, Sh or the IV degrees) or the diploma – usual or the advanced level (advanced). Training term for obtaining the certificate makes 12-52 weeks. During this time listeners receive the necessary preparation allowing to be engaged in professional activity at younger positions. The diploma is issued on average after 1,5-2 years of training, advanced diploma – after 2,5-3 years of training. The programs corresponding to the diploma of TAFE prepare qualified personnel for work on average technical and administrative links in such areas as electronics, the industry, construction and architecture, business. Training can borrow from one to two years. Advanced Diploma allows to look for work on management positions of an average link.
Advantages of the Australian colleges is that their students have an opportunity without examinations to pass from one program to another. For example, you can arrive on a language course of college, then be transferred to the professional program leading to obtaining the certificate of the II degree. Then – to receive certificates of II, III, IV degrees. Those who want to study further are waited by the program leading to obtaining the diploma and then – the bachelor’s degrees. At the same time there is an opportunity to be transferred to the second or even a third year of partner university. Thus, professional programs in colleges are one of ways to university.
Separate kind of colleges are specialized schools of tourist and hotel management. Here purposeful training for hotels, restaurants, travel agencies is carried out. Schools offer the training which is accurately aimed at acquisition of professional skills and providing the considerable volume of a practical training. Students do practical training, working in hotels, and earn a reward for the work.
Private professional educational institutions
Private educational institutions also offer a set of educational programs and courses at the level of the diplomas and certificates giving to students practical skills for work in various areas.
Private colleges offer a wide range of objects for studying: computer and information technologies, design, training of pilots, management, hotel and restaurant business and tourism, marketing and secretarial business. Many big colleges incorporate offices of English.
Private educational institutions can strongly differ with the sizes and number of pupils (from 50 to 500 people). Classes are, as a rule, small, and no more than 20 students are the share of one teacher. Each educational institution itself establishes requirements imposed to entrants, the content and duration of courses, days of the beginning of occupations. In professional colleges, as well as in the TAFE system, offer the programs allowing to gain diplomas and certificates. Training duration for obtaining the diploma usually more than 40 weeks (1 academic year), and for obtaining the certificate – from 12 to 30 weeks. Private colleges do not give an opportunity of training in the MBA program (The master of business administration), however, some courses can be an intermediate link to the subsequent receipt in a higher educational institution including a number of objects or year of training.
UNIVERSITIES
For the country with the population about 19 million people the system of the higher education of Australia is rather developed. Here 37 state universities and two private universities with total number of students of 600 thousand people, including listeners of full-time, evening and correspondence departments. More than a half – the students of full-time departments living out of campuses.
Universities of Australia are steadily included into thirty of the best in the world according to Times ratings. And this appreciation more than is deserved. Despite rather young age (among the Australian higher education institutions there are no educational institutions whose history contains more than 150 years), universities of Australia gave to the world the whole group of Nobel laureates. And thanks to their unique geographical position, universities of Australia far bypassed the majority of the countries of the world in such areas as oceanology, shipbuilding, sea biology.
The Australian universities have the research base, best in the world, in the field of natural sciences, information technologies, shipping. For example, shares the laboratories with Macquarie university and conducts joint researches of NASA; James Cook University created unique laboratories on research of the sea on the Great Barrier Reef. And thanks to close contacts of higher education institutions with the largest world corporations by professional associations, students have an opportunity to do practical training in such companies as Coca-Cola, Quantas, Ford.
The average Australian university reminds the town, with a set of faculties (as a rule, the entrant can choose from 300-400 specialties), scientific laboratories, dormitories, cafe and Internet clubs, golf courses and soccer, gyms and pools more.
Unlike the majority of the European universities, Australian have two terms of reception of entrants – in February and September-October. The academic year in Australia begins at the end of February and comes to an end at the beginning of November and is, as a rule, divided into two semester. The private university the Bond (Bond University) represents an exception – the academic year in it is divided into three trimesters. It is possible to arrive on a number of university courses and in the middle of the year – in July.
Diplomas and degrees
On initial courses of university it is possible to gain the advanced diploma (from two to three years of training) or the diploma (from one to two years) which show qualification in practical areas, such as business, natural sciences, pedagogics, agriculture and others.
Training on the bachelor’s degree in Australia occupies three or four (honourable degree) years. Some areas – the medicine, stomatology, engineering sciences – assume longer – from 4 to 6 years – training term. Business, business administration and economy are most popular, and more than a half of foreign students arrives on these courses. Field of knowledge, the second for popularity, – natural, humanitarian and social sciences, and also art. The third – engineering and technological specialties.
Recently the great popularity was acquired by “double degrees” – for example, in the field of business and the right, information technologies and management. On these programs it is necessary to study longer – 4-5 years.
Degree of the master can be received for 1-2 years.
Degree of the master is awarded as a result of passing of the program of training or performance of research work. Training duration from one to one and a half years, performance of research work takes two years.
The postgraduate programs allowing to gain diplomas or certificates assume deeper studying of any field of knowledge, and not necessarily adjoining to in what the student specialized earlier when receiving degree of the bachelor. The diploma can be gained, having disaccustomed two semester, and the certificate – one.
Doctor’s degree (PhD) – the highest qualification awarded by university as a result of performance of research work. Duration of the program is not less than three years.
In general duration of training programs at the Australian universities is shorter, than in English for half a year-year. It is reached, as a rule, due to high intensity of training.
How to enter the Australian university?
Having long tradition of enrollment of students from abroad, the Australian educational institutions fulfilled several schemes allowing to enter with guarantee to the university interesting you long ago.
Schools of Australia give the most thorough preparation for entering a university. Having ended the senior classes (so-called Year 11 and Year 12) with good marks, you can file documents to any educational institution directly.
The second way for those who were not 17 years old yet, or those who want to receive in the first one or two years a profession – to come to TAFE college. Here it is possible to receive specialty in the field of accounts department, information technologies, web-design, hotel economy, a ship navigation etc., and then to enter the university at once on the 2nd course.
Preparatory offices (Foundation) are open for graduates of the Russian schools at universities.
Preparatory programs of universities are an intermediate step between the secondary education got in foreign educational institution and training at university in Australia. These programs give to foreign entrants of knowledge and the skills necessary for easy transition to student’s life.
Training at preparatory office of university usually lasts one year. Here prepare for revenues to the courses allowing to receive degree of the bachelor or the diploma in a number of universities. During implementation of the program and for its termination students do not take official examinations. Knowledge of students is estimated directly by their teachers.
Students of preparatory office are enlisted on the streams corresponding to their future specialization at university (business, the humanities and art, computer and information technologies, natural and engineering sciences), to the general academic preparation and knowledge of English. The system of training is similar to university. As well as at university, listeners pass a number of obligatory objects, and part – choose independently, lectures are given for big groups of students, and seminar occupations – for small subgroups. Feature of preparatory office is what the university reserves for students of the place on a basic course in advance.
Reception on preparatory office is carried out two times a year – the first time at the beginning of a year, the second – in the middle.
If your child graduated from school (16-17 years), he can go
on the Diploma program (2 years) with the subsequent transition to the 1 or 2 course of a universitetan the Preparatory course / Foundation (1 year) with the subsequent revenues to 1 course of a universitetayesla your child graduated from school and finished 1 course of the Russian higher education institution, he can enter the university on the 1st course.
Requirements at receipt in educational institutions
Knowledge of English
For university results of the IELTS tests have to be not less than 6,5, and TOEFL – 550. Requirements can be above depending on requirements of a course. For training in the TAFE system results of IELTS have to be between 5 and 6, and TOEFL – between 500 and 550. To be admitted to high school it is necessary to receive at examination of IELTS an assessment between 5 and 6, and TOEFL – between 500 and 550. Exact figures are defined by requirements of concrete educational institution, and also depend on existence of language support there. Satisfactory progress when training at the high or higher school in the English-speaking country. At many universities, colleges or institutes there are English language courses allowing to be prepared for training continuation. The students who are going to study on a language course should not report results of the English tests.
Academic requirements
Requirements to the academic qualification of entrants depend on educational institution to which they come. At an assessment of qualification of the student the attention is paid to the level and the maintenance of the previous educational programs. It is very important that the entrant submitted officially certified description of maintenance of all courses passed earlier and showed the received estimates. It would be very useful to present to the Australian educational institution and the description of system of an assessment of the academic results in the country of the entrant.
It is necessary for entering a university that the entrant had the secondary education corresponding to the twelve-year Australian. It means that the graduate or the pupil of the senior classes of the Russian high school before transfer in a higher educational institution in Australia should complete a course of preparatory office or to graduate from school. To pertinently note that at a number of faculties, such as legal and medical, there is a big competition and at reception of the student the considerable attention is paid to its previous academic progress. At receipt it is necessary to submit the documents confirming graduated to postgraduate study. Ability to independent scientific researches or the previous experience in the specialty documented will increase chances of the student to be accepted. At reception on some professional focused programs, in particular, of MBA (the master of business administration), can demand from Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) arriving examinations. TAFE institutes and private professional colleges accept entrants with the secondary education corresponding to the Australian. Pupils of 10 or 11 classes can be accepted on the courses leading to obtaining certificates and corresponding to end of secondary education in Australia. The graduates who received certificates can continue training at the same institute or private college at the courses giving higher qualification or to enter the university. Institutes of the TAFE system accept also adults with the professional and life experience corresponding to their future specialization. Success price
The average cost of training in Australia makes about 16 000 AUD (Australian dollars). Accommodation cost in the accepting family (host family) and rent of the apartment in Australia are rather low. For example, week of accommodation in a family costs 150-170 AUD. Food prices are twice lower, than in Europe.
Work
The foreign students who arrived on long programs of training are allowed to work till 20 o’clock in a week within academic year also full time during vacation. It allows to cover essential part of expenses on accommodation. As a rule, students find work in cafe, restaurants, shops and other enterprises of services industry. It is important to note that pay foreigners for work as much, how many and to Australians.
Prospects after university
Under the law the foreign students who gained the university diploma have the privilege to receiving residence permit in the country. In particular, the students studying information technologies (Information Technologies) can remain under the law for two years to do practical training in the specialty.

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