What Is Secondary Education In Australia

Australian secondary or high schools have strong standards, a comprehensive curriculum, and highly qualified teachers for every child to have during their learning stage.

Australia is one of the best countries in terms of education. Therefore, most schools in the country offer superior quality faculty, facilities, and curricula. The government of Australia has continuously been making efforts to improve the country’s education system.

If you wish to enroll in any Australian secondary school and you want to find out how the system and how promising it is for your child whether or not you are in the country of Australia, well, every question will be addressed here in this post.

What Is Secondary Education In Australia

Secondary schools in Australia are also called high schools[note b] and colleges (or junior, intermediate, or senior colleges).

Secondary schools vary across each Australian state and territory, but they generally cover Year 7 to Year 10 (compulsory period of education) and beyond to Year 12.

For a country with a relatively small number of universities, Australia offers a truly world-class education and regularly features in global rankings

Secondary School System In Australia

The secondary or high school system in Australia is divided into two section, and they include;

• First Stage – After receiving 6 years of primary education, Australian students will enter secondary schools. The first secondary school stage is junior high school, which is a four-year system, including Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, and Year 10.

However, in some places, the length of junior high school education is five years. After finishing the ninth or tenth school year, students must participate in the school assessment, and those who pass the test will receive a junior high school graduation certificate.

• Second Stage –  of secondary school is senior high school. Only students who have graduated from junior high school can apply to and study in senior high school. Australia’s senior high school is a two-year system, including Year 11 and Year 12.

After finishing the 11th or 12th academic year, students must pass the internal or external exams and obtain a high school graduation certificate.

Highlight On The High School System

The information below will give an insight into the age requirement, the grade, and the class to be in the Australian high school starting from the last grade at primary.

Intermediate / Middle School (Secondary School)

High School / Senior College

Types of schools In Australia

In Australia, apart from its promising educational features, it also helps financially to meet the demands of children being enrolled in high schools. Therefore, see below for yourself the types of Australian schools;

1. Government Schools

The Australian government school makes about 7,092 out of 10,584 schools and that demonstrates that all these government schools are fully funded to help reduce expenses and still give the best teaching. Speaking of these government high schools, they have strong standards and highly-qualified staff and focus on students’ overall development to learn self-discipline and develop better communication skills.

2. Non-Government Schools

The non-government schools are the private schools in Australia that are independently operated by private institutions; however, the tuition fees of these schools are expensive, and the competition is fierce.

Under this category, we have the  faith-based schools such as Catholic, Anglican, Uniting Church, Jewish schools, or Islamic schools but only few will be highlighted below;

• The catholic school is also a kind of private school and the cost of this kind of school is relatively low because 80% of the cost is paid by the church some examples of catholic schools include St Edmund’s College, Canberra (ACT), St John’s College, Darwin (NT), St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill (NSW), Loreto College Coorparoo (QLD), Sacred Heart College, Adelaide (SA), St Mary’s College, Hobart (TAS), Xavier College (VIC), and Trinity College, Perth (WA) and so much more.

• The Islamic school is also a private school, and the cost is relatively paid by the religious association anyways some of the schools in Australia include; Malek Fahd Islamic School (NSW), Islamic College of Brisbane (QLD), Islamic College of South Australia (SA), The Islamic Schools of Victoria (VIC), and Australian Islamic College (WA) e.tc.

• Montessori schools are private schools based on educational philosophies and they Sydney Montessori School (NSW), Queensland Independent College (QLD), Melbourne Montessori School (VIC), Perth Montessori School (WA)

• Steiner school is also a private school, and it includes  Orana Steiner School (ACT), Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School (NSW), Mount Barker Waldorf School (SA), Tarremah Steiner School (TAS), Sophia Mundi Steiner School (VIC)

The Australian Curriculum

The Australian curriculum is divided into three and is summarized below for you;

1. Eight key learning areas—English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, Languages, Technologies, and the Arts
2. Seven general capabilities—literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology capability, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, Intercultural understanding, and ethical understanding
3. Three cross-curriculum priorities—sustainability, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Lists Of Australian Secondary Schools

This is a compilation of all the High schools’ list in the Australian territory

Entry Requirement Into An Australian Secondary School

The entry requirement for secondary education in Australia varies, depending on the schools and the state or territory you’ll be studying in.

The application process considers your academic performance, extracurricular achievements, sporting abilities, etc.

The following are the requirement for you to be enrolled in an Australian high school.

• Grade requirements: average domestic score, 70%-85% or more.
• Applicants who plan to enter the 10th grade must not exceed 18 years old; applicants who plan to enter the 11th grade must not exceed 19 years old.
• Without an IELTS score or IELTS score of less than 5.0 or 5.5, you apply for high school and could start the main course of the middle school only after completing the English language course.
•  With an IELTS score of 5.0 or above, you can directly read the main course of the high school.
• You need to prepare materials for high school admissions application as follows:

1. Schooling certificate or junior high school diploma.

2. School transcript.

3. Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, AEAS, or TOEFL score).

4. Letter of recommendation (generally from the class counselor and class teacher who will understand the student’s personal literacy and learning ability).

5. Personal statement (stating growth experience, hobbies, the direction of personal development, and expectations for future school study).

6. Background material for qualification certificates, award certificates, etc.

7. Parent’s bank deposit certificate (economic guarantee).

8. Application fees.

How To Apply As  An International Student Into An Australian Secondary School

Children who aren’t Australian citizens can still enrol in a school in Australia. However, it’s worth noting that every student must provide evidence that they hold an eligible visa and fulfil to the visa’s conditions.

Here are some compulsory documents that you need to show educational institutions before a student gets enrolled into any of the Australian schools:

• Personal details
• A certified copy of your birth certificate or your passport
• Visa details
• Your accommodation and welfare documentation
• Overseas student health cover (OSHC) details
• Your method of payment
• If English is not the student’s first language, they can enroll in an Intensive English Program for 12 months.
• Certified copies of school reports for the last two years
• Evidence of your proficiency in English such as:

– evidence that you have been studying for a minimum of two years in a school where all subjects (except languages) are taught in English, or English language test results (IELTS, TOEFL, AEAS or STEP Eiken)

– Certified translations of all supporting documents that are not in English

Supply all this required information on the secondary school website and follow all due processes carefully.

Fees For Australian Secondary Schools

School fees for international students vary based on the school and state. Depending on what state your child will be studying in, fees can range from $17,000–$30,000 per year in an Australian private school.

Conclusion On What is Secondary Education in Australia

You will enjoy plenty of benefits as a student in Australia, such as gaining recognized qualifications, the opportunity for career advancement, and an excellent educational study.

You, therefore, have no limitation regarding whether you are an international student or domestic student from applying for the Australian secondary school. The above article gives crucial information related to the What is Secondary Education in Australia for candidates to start applying now.