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Government and non-government education in Australia

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Education in Australia can be classified according to sources of funding and administrative structures. There are two broad categories of school in Australia: Government schools (also known as public or state schools) and non-government schools, which can be further subdivided into Catholic schools and independent schools.

Primary and secondary

There are 10,584 registered schools operating in Australia in 2019 of which 7092 were government schools.[1] As of 2019, government schools have 65.4% of all students.[2] Of the non-government schools, nearly two-thirds were Catholic.[3] The major part of government run schools' costs are met by the relevant state or territory government.[4] The Australian Government provides the majority of public funding for non-government schools, which is supplemented by states and territories.[5]

Non-government schools, both religious or secular typically charge compulsory tuition and other fees. Government schools provide 'free' education, although many government schools ask for payment of 'voluntary' fees to defray particular expenses.[6]

Regardless of whether a school is government or non-government, it is regulated by the same curriculum standards framework. The framework is administered by the the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.[7]

Most schools, government and non-government, apply a uniform or dress code, although there are variations in the requirements and enforcement.

Government

Government (or state) schools are run by the respective state government. They offer free education; however, many schools ask parents to pay a contribution fee and a materials and services charge. They can be divided into two categories: open and selective school. Open schools accept all students from their government-defined catchment area, and teach using the approved curriculum. Many open government schools have selective classes in which better-performing students are offered extended and accelerated work. Selective government schools are considered more prestigious than open government schools. They have high minimum entrance requirements and cater to larger catchment areas. Entrance to selective schools is often highly competitive.

Access to government selective schools in New South Wales is not available for people on a temporary resident visa.[8]

Non-government

Chapel at Scotch College, Melbourne, a well known private Australian P-Y12 college

Non-government schools can be divided into two groups. Religion-based schools are operated by the Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic denominations as well as a number of other church or parachurch organisations. By far the most numerous are Catholic schools, which are run by diocese-based educational institutions within the Catholic Church called the Catholic Education/Schools Offices,[9] although some more prestigious Catholic schools are independent. The rest are known as independent schools, which are largely Protestant grammar schools.

The International Baccalaureate programmes are taught at over 150 schools, across both government and non-government.

Non-government school fees can vary from under $100 per month[10] to $2000 and upwards,[11] depending on the student's year level and the school's size. Non-government school uniforms tend to be more expensive than those for government schools, and more strictly enforced.

The most expensive non-government schools in each city (such as the APS Schools and the AGSV Schools in Melbourne, the GPS Schools and the QGSSSA Schools in Brisbane and the AAGPS Schools in Sydney) charge high fees (up to $30,000 per year) and are therefore able to afford facilities that government schools and church-run Catholic schools cannot.

It is sometimes assumed, by parents or other observers, that attending a non-government school will guarantee achievement in later life, because of a perceived superiority, real or imagined.[12]

Tertiary

Both Government and non-government universities can be found in Australia. As of 2006, there are 36 government, two Catholic and one non-profit private universities in Australia. Admissions by Australian citizens to public and Catholic universities in Australia are based on the prospective student's academic achievement. Admission to the other non-government university, Bond University, is dependent on a student's ability to pay tuition fees as well as academic achievement and "one on one" interviews with admission officers (the only university in Australasia to do this for all students). Melbourne University Private was a whole university developed and owned by a public university to operate under this model.

Domestic students are not usually subject to upfront fees at a public university if enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). As well as receiving government subsidies to the cost of tertiary education, students in CSPs have the option of deferring the whole of their financial contributions to their education cost, via the Commonwealth Supported Students scheme. Students may also enrol in a non-Commonwealth Supported Place, known as a FULL-FEE place, and must pay all upfront fees, which are typically greater than a standard Commonwealth Supported Students debt; which is usually undertaken to reduce academic entrance requirements. The national government provides funding for all universities in Australia.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Australian Schools List". acara.edu.au. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  2. ^ "How Are Schools Funded in Australia?". www.education.gov.au. Commonwealth Department of Education and Training. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  3. ^ "1301.0 Year Book Australia 2012". abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  4. ^ a b "What is the Australian education system?". Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  5. ^ "School Funding". www.education.gov.au. Commonwealth Department of Education and Training. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Private Funding of Schools" (PDF). aph.gov.au. Parliament House Australia. p. 22-24. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Australian Curriculum". www.education.gov.au. Commonwealth Department of Education and Training. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Temporary Residents Program Information Sheet" (PDF). 20 March 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 6 April 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Catholic Education Office Melbourne".
  10. ^ Rhiannon Koch (2010-02-17). "Private Schools fee rise". Yorke Peninsula Country Times. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)[dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Private School Fees and Costs". Exfin International Pty LTD. Retrieved 2016-06-07.[better source needed]
  12. ^ Anthony Potts. "Public and Private Schooling in Australia - Historical and Contemporary Considerations". Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)[dead link‍]
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