Fairview70 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 How does the education system work in Australia? My daughter is at high school in the UK, we are hoping to move to Queensland next year. Do Aussie students do exams at 16 or just at 18? Do they get certificates in individual subjects or simply a high school certificate and would a certificate list subjects and level of attainment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob1 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I suggest you google Queensland Education system, Australia Education system, high subjects QLD, curriculum QLD, exams QLD and look at past posts on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Basically, it is the same, leave school at 16, or carry on till 18 to - hopefully - get HSC and qualify for university Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Basically, it is the same, leave school at 16, or carry on till 18 to - hopefully - get HSC and qualify for university As of this year the leaving age in the UK is 18. In Australia I think it is 17 and is also increasing to 18 soon, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 As of this year the leaving age in the UK is 18. In Australia I think it is 17 and is also increasing to 18 soon, I think. I assumed that, like Pommie kids, Aussie kids went through a succession of years at different levels, from 'Year One' to Year Twelve' and depending upon their age when they started school could mean they were 17 as opposed to 18, but 18 is the normal age to go to uni, as it is in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tina0101 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Students don't sit exams at 16 like the UK. It's all about the last two years. In Queensland they will generally choose 6 subjects for Years 11 and 12 and work towards an OP. Exams are sat in all subjects but they also sit the QCS tests in September, which also helps towards the OP. All kids do English and at least one Maths and then select the other four. It's quite a complicated system the way the OP is calculated. Some uni courses do request a certain level of subject (e.g. if they want to go into Biomed Science you need at least Maths B). If they look at university courses online they will specify an OP that they need to achieve to join that course (although there are other pathways, if getting an OP isn't right for them). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie 2 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I assumed that, like Pommie kids, Aussie kids went through a succession of years at different levels, from 'Year One' to Year Twelve' and depending upon their age when they started school could mean they were 17 as opposed to 18, but 18 is the normal age to go to uni, as it is in the UK. You are quite right MR except that in NSW the first year is Kindergarten then years 1 to 12, so they spend 13 years at school and are 17 or 18, usually, when they finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Best thing is not to expect it to be like UK - foreign country, different system(s)! The last 2 yrs are the most important but each state is different as to how those last 2 years are assessed. Some states have exams, some have continuous assessment and some a mixture of the two. The end result is a score that will either get you into Uni or it won't There's one less year in school compared with UK but one more year in Uni to get honours so it all evens out by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Very few kids leave school at 16 these days. Not sure about WA but the curriculum in Victoria tends to be very broad- less depth than the UK but more and broader knowledge. The depth tends to kick in at uni. more ( not always though- unis vary a lot). Everyone who studies reasonably hard and puts in the work will get a pass but not everyone will get a high enough grade to get into a good uni. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairview70 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 Many thanks to you all for replying, you have been very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Each state is different. In QLD you were usually turning 17 in Year 12 versus 18 in states like NSW. Schooling ran from Year 1..12 and you had to be turning 6 during the year you started Year 1. I think a current 16 year old would still fall under this system so normal finish of school would be 17. Children in similar year levels in Qld were usually younger than other states in Australia (eg NSW) and started formal schooling 1 year later and were at different stages in curriculum. This affected their results in the country wide NAPLAN tests. They changed the system in Qld in 2007/2008 so now you start formal primary schooling at Prep then Year 1...Year 12. So now 13 years rather than 12 at primary and high school. Entry is split on July 31st. A child who turns 5 by July 31st (was Jun 30 until last year) can enter primary school and start Prep. A child turning 5 after July 31st must wait until the next year to enter Prep. So each Year 12 class will now have (roughly) half the class turning 17 and the other half 18. FYI, the other major change in Qld is that primary schools used to be Year 1 to Year 7 and high schools were Year 8 to Year 12. i.e. Primary spanning ages 6-12 (Years 1 - 7) and high school spanning ages 13-17 (Years 8-12). Primary schools have now changed to be Prep to Year 6 and high schools are Year 7 to Year 12. i.e. Primary spanning ages 5/6-11/12 (Years Prep to 6) and high school spanning ages 12/13-17/18 (Years 7-12) Couldn't be simpler really Edited June 7, 2015 by fish.01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariaC Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Hi everyone this is the perfect thread for me. My family and I are moving to Sunshine Coast mid August with 4 kids. My youngest will be 10 but turn 11 on the 10th October. What year will he be put in if he starts school in September and also what year will he move upto in January? I know year 7 has just been changed to secondary school but not sure on the age especially because of him turning 11 soon. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Very few kids leave school at 16 these days. Not sure about WA but the curriculum in Victoria tends to be very broad- less depth than the UK but more and broader knowledge. The depth tends to kick in at uni. more ( not always though- unis vary a lot). Everyone who studies reasonably hard and puts in the work will get a pass but not everyone will get a high enough grade to get into a good uni. My son is in year 10 and looking at year 11/12 options - his school offers English, Econmics, Drama, Japanese, Music, Design Technical Graphics, Physics, Maths (essentials, method, specialist and applications, English Lit, Geography, Children family Community, Design photo, Careers and enterprise, biology, Physical Education studies, French, Politics and Law, Accounting and finance, Materials Design/woodwork, Human Biology, Food Science, Automotive Engineering, Modern History, Pschology, Design Photography, Health Studies, Visaul Art, Media Production and Analysis, Chemistry and Business Management. They also offer Cert II in Sports coaching, creative industries, automotive, engineering, information technology, dance outdoor recreation and community services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Hi everyone this is the perfect thread for me. My family and I are moving to Sunshine Coast mid August with 4 kids. My youngest will be 10 but turn 11 on the 10th October. What year will he be put in if he starts school in September and also what year will he move upto in January? I know year 7 has just been changed to secondary school but not sure on the age especially because of him turning 11 soon. Thanks in advance. He will be in yr 5 if you come this Sept then yr 6 in jan 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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