Australian education system you can study at all levels of Education from primary and secondary school to vocational education and training from English language courses to higher education including universities regardless of what you are studying or how long you are studying for Australia's laws promote quality education and protection for international students as an international student on a student visa you must study with an institution and in a course that is registered on the Commonwealth register of Institutions and courses for overseas students cricos trico's registration guarantees that the course and the institution at which you study meet the high standards expected by International students along with the esos act and National code there are also Regulatory and quality assurance organizations for higher education and vet institutions these government organizations are responsible for registration or re-registration of Institutions and accreditation or reaccreditation of courses these organizations are higher education tertiary education quality and standards agency teqsa [Music] Australian skills quality Authority a sqa primary secondary and post-secondary education are all part of the Australian educational system in Australia school education refers to Elementary and secondary education whereas tertiary education often known as post-secondary education encompasses vet and further education generally universities school education only small differences exist across States and territories when it comes to school education between the ages of 6 and 16 compulsory schooling primary and secondary year one to year 9 or 10 is required there are three types of schooling Primary School lasts seven or eight years from kindergarten or Preparatory until year six or seven Secondary School lasts three or four years from year 7 to 10 or years 8 to 10 respectively senior secondary school years 11 and 12. is a two-year program government-funded Public Schools as well as private schools such as Catholic and Independent Schools provide primary secondary and Senior secondary education nearly two-thirds of Australian children attend public schools which are free to Australian citizens and permanent residents and attended by nearly two-thirds of the children in Australia vocational education vocational education and training vet is a sort of post-secondary Education aimed at students who wish to enter the workforce right away and work in jobs that do not need a University diploma vets offer courses and training for semi-skilled skilled trade and paraprofessional vocations providing a more Hands-On alternative to University education the vet sector in Australia is regulated on a national level and is built on a collaboration between governments and business government colleges known as Technical and further education Tafe institutes as well as private colleges provide vet credentials vet courses are also offered as part of the curriculum at some senior secondary schools these organizations are referred to as registered training organizations collectively rtos vet qualifications include certificates from levels one to four diplomas and advanced diplomas which may be completed on their own or in combination with on-the-job training with an employer graduate certificates graduate diplomas and Bachelors can also be earned at some vet's Technical and further education institutions government-funded institutions for vocational education are known as Technical and further education Tafe Institutes tafe's may be big schools with a wide range of degree offerings and they regularly enroll more students than many universities the Tafe industry is in reality Australia's largest Education and Training sector some tafes are associated with universities and can provide bachelor's degrees through the institution higher education higher education is a type of post-secondary education that leads to degrees such as Bachelors Masters and doctoral degrees all Australian universities and a few of vet institutes provide higher education courses note that course refers to the course of study and a student decides to pursue in Australia universities are Australia's principal institutions for higher education Institutes heis in Australia there are 41 universities except for one private and two overseas institutions all Australian universities are government funded in all fields of study universities provide a wide range of undergraduate bachelors and postgraduate Masters and doctoral degree programs some universities have dual accreditation allowing them to provide both vet and higher education programs universities have a more academic focus with heavy emphasis on essay writing and exams students get much deeper knowledge of the field or subject matter they are specializing in referred to as their chosen major or area of specialization they also strengthen their personal attributes developing professional and transferable skills rather than focusing only on industry-specific occupational skills due to the in-depth curriculum undergraduate university courses are typically three or four years long resulting in Bachelor and honors Bachelor degrees some universities also offer two-year associate bachelor degree courses or programs a bachelor degree is typically required for acceptance into professional programs such as medicine or law as well as for academic jobs research-based careers and professional roles like engineering or teaching a bachelor degree is also required to pursue any postgraduate degrees which can be a study based or research-based Master followed by a doctorate degree which is the highest level of academic standing students can achieve the tertiary education quality and standards agency teq so regulates and provides quality assurance for Australia's higher education institutions to ensure students get the same High Caliber of Education regardless of where they study schools length 13 years in total kindergarten or Preparatory to year 12. semesters four usually called terms starts late January or early February English length from five weeks to one year semesters the year is split into weeks starts throughout the year Foundation length one year some may be longer semesters the semester breaks will depend on your course starts February but can vary by course and institutions vocational education and training length one to four years semesters two starts February but can vary by course and institutions undergraduate length typically three years four years for honors degree investors two although some institutions offer three semesters trimesters starts typically March but can vary by course and Institution postgraduate length one to two years semesters two although some institutions offer three semesters trimesters starts typically March but can vary by course and Institution doctoral length three years plus one year for review semesters as most doctoral candidates do not attend class there are usually no formal semesters starts start dates are negotiated with PhD supervisor there are 10 levels of qualifications that students can earn in Australia after completing their school education the levels and the specific educational standards for each qualification are specified in and frequently referred to as the Australian qualification framework hqf levels of qualifications there are 10 levels of age UF level 1 is the very first level of tertiary education qualifications level 10 is the highest level of aqf matched to the highest level of Education a student can achieve a doctorate degree types of qualifications the various different qualifications that a student can achieve in Australia can be grouped into certificates diplomas and degrees certificates certificate courses are offered in schools and vets ranging from six months to two years in duration these courses provide introductory skills and training delivering industry-specific Knowledge and Skills and communication literacy and numeracy and teamwork there are four distinct certificates certificate 1 2 3 and or four which a student can earn each certificate marks the specific level of Occupational skills and competencies gained through these causes certificate one is the lowest level of vet training meeting the level one criteria of a qf while certificate 4 satisfies the level 4 requirements diplomas can be earned in vocational education and training and in some higher education Institutes diplomas fall into three subcategories diploma or regular diploma courses pair students for industry Enterprise and paraprofessional careers diplomas typically require 18 months to two years of full-time study Advanced diploma courses provide a high level of practical skills for advanced skilled or paraprofessional work in areas such as accounting building design and engineering students can complete some Advanced diploma courses at University level Advanced diplomas vary in length from two to three years of full-time study graduate certificate and diploma courses provide high-level employment related skills and knowledge The Graduate certificate usually requires six months to a year of full-time study and The Graduate diploma usually requires one to two years of full-time study degrees are typically granted by higher education institutes after the completion of an academic course and include Bachelor degrees typically earned after three years of full-time study apply for an associate Bachelor a two-year degree or get specialized on as Bachelor degrees after four years of full-time study The Bachelor degrees satisfy level six associate seven Bachelor and eight honors of a2f Master degrees aqf level 9. available after a bachelor degree for further specialization in chosen subjects a master degree typically requires one to two years of full-time study they could be calls-based such as an MBA or research or thesis based doctorate or PhD aqf level 10. courses are typically research based and often require students to have found a research supervisor at the University they are applying to an honors Bachelor or a master degree is a prerequisite for admission into a doctorate course