Education in Australia encompasses the sectors of early childhood education [ 8] (preschool) and primary education (primary schools), followed by secondary education (high schools), and finally tertiary education , which includes higher education (universities and other higher education providers) and vocational education (registered training organisations ).[ 9] Regulation and funding of education is primarily the responsibility of the States and territories ;[ 2] however, the Australian Government also plays a funding role.[ 10] [ 11]
Education in Australia is compulsory between the ages of four, five, or six[ 12] and fifteen, sixteen or seventeen, depending on the state or territory and the date of birth.[ 13]
For primary and secondary education, government schools educate approximately 65 per cent of Australian students, with approximately 35 per cent in non-government schools.[ 5] At the tertiary level, the majority of Australia's universities are public, and student fees are subsidised through a student loan program where payment becomes due when debtors reach a certain income level.
Underpinned by the Australian Qualifications Framework , implemented in 1995, Australia has adopted a national system of qualifications, encompassing higher education, vocational education and training (VET), and school-based education.[ 14] For primary and secondary schools, a national Australian Curriculum has been progressively developed and implemented since 2010.[ 15] [ 16]
Australia is a leading global provider of education to international students, and in 2012 was ranked as the third-largest provider of international education after the United States and the United Kingdom.[ 17] Australia has the highest ratio of international students per head of population in the world by a large margin, with 812,000 international students enrolled in the nation's universities and vocational institutions in 2019.[ 18] [ 19]
However, Australian students placed 16th in the world in reading, 29th in maths and 17th in science in the 2018 PISA study by the OCED . This continues a sharp decline in educational standards.[ 20] [ 21] [ 22] [ 23]
The Education Index , published with the UN 's Human Development Index in 2018, based on data from 2017, listed Australia as 0.929, the second-highest in the world.[ 24]
^ Edwards, Daniel; Rice, James Mahmud; McMillan, Julie (24 July 2019). "Three charts on: how much Australia spends on all levels of education" . The Conversation . Retrieved 5 September 2019 .
^ a b "Overview of Part 1" . National Report on Schooling in Australia 2017 . Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority . 2018. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019 .
^ a b McCreadie, Marion. "The Evolution of Education in Australia" . historyaustralia.org.au . Internet Family History Association of Australia. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2010 .
^ a b c "Australia" . The World Factbook . Central Intelligence Agency . 27 May 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010 .
^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference absyear
was invoked but never defined (see the help page ).
^ "December Key Figures" . Australian Demographic Statistics . Australian Bureau of Statistics . December 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010 .
^ "Higher Education" . Year Book Australia . Australian Bureau of Statistics . 2008. Archived from the original on 30 March 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2010 .
^ "Early learning and schools support" . Annual Report 2015 . Australian Government. Department of Education. 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2017 .[dead link ]
^ "About the skills sector" , Department of Education, Skills and Employment , Australian Government, retrieved 7 December 2020
^ Rice, James; Edwards, Daniel; McMillan, Julie (24 July 2019). "Education Expenditure in Australia" . Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation .
^ Beazley, Jordyn; Cassidy, Caitlin (17 July 2023). "The parents fleeing Australia's public school system – and those choosing to stay" . The Guardian . ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 12 April 2024 .
^ Agency, Digital Transformation. "School education – australia.gov.au" . www.australia.gov.au . Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2018 .
^ "Education" , Department of Immigration and Citizenship , Australian Government, archived from the original on 18 February 2014, retrieved 14 January 2012
^ "What is the AQF" . Australian Qualifications Framework . Australian Government . n.d. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019 .
^ "Curriculum version history" , The Australian Curriculum , Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority , n.d., archived from the original on 4 July 2017, retrieved 4 June 2017
^ "Australian school year begins amid unprecedented crisis of public education system" . World Socialist Web Site . 5 February 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024 .
^ "Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2012" (PDF) . www.oecd.org . OECD. 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2019 .
^ "Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps" .
^ "Australian universities double down on international students - MacroBusiness" .
^ Gullaci, Danielle (7 December 2019). "Australia drops in PISA rankings: Should we be worried? - Education Matters" . Education Matters Magazine . Retrieved 24 November 2023 .
^ Baker, Jordan (3 December 2019). " 'Alarm bells': Australian students record worst result in global tests" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 24 November 2023 .
^ "Schools crisis: why a revolution might be under way" . Australian Financial Review . 14 July 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023 .
^ Cassidy, Caitlin (26 November 2023). "Australian education in long-term decline due to poor curriculum, report says" . The Guardian . ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 26 November 2023 .
^ "Human Development Data (1990–2017)" , Human Development Reports , United National Development Program, 14 September 2018, retrieved 6 August 2019