School Down Under

Fun fact #1: Almost nobody in Australia calls it 'down under'. That's your nickname, so I'm using it for your benefit.

School here starts at 4, with Kindergarten (Kindy for short). This is usually only 2 days a week, and isn't compulsory. It's basically vaguely structured play time, all day. Proper actual school starts at 5, with Pre-primary, which is compulsory. This is where you start to learn to read and write, but it's still mostly play time, and I think it may also be only some days a week.

Fun fact #2: All schools in Australia have a uniform (except a few weird alternative type ones). In primary schools and public high schools, this is usually a coloured polo shirt and shorts. In private schools, it's a blazer, tie, trousers, and high socks. Girls' schools, bafflingly, will add a stupid hat or a little scarf too.

From Year 1 (5-6-year-olds) to Year 7 is Primary school. Most kids will go to a public primary school, and barring special circumstances it's your local one. Primary school covers maths up to long division and areas of circles, masses of Australian history (which everyone universally hates), very very simple essay writing, and a dumbed down version of the scientific method. I'm pretty sure a foreign language is compulsory too, though which is up to the school, the most popular being French, Indonesian, and Japanese.

Fun fact #3: In year 5, every kid is taught to play the recorder. Apart from making a truly terrifying noise, this accomplishes very little by way of musical education.

Secondary school ('high school') is where things get interesting. Year 8 to 10 (ages 12-15) you learn algebra, basic trig and geometry, start properly analysing books, learn more Australian history and finally some world history, and learn a fair whack of chemistry, biology and physics. You can choose whether or not to continue learning a language (most don't) and you can start choosing subjects, usually in the arts and technology area. (I picked media studies and French.)

Fun fact #4: It's very common at the start of high school for about a third of your friends to switch to private schools, which differ by being a) religious, b) unisex, c) much more focussed on sport, music, and other extracurriculars and d) extremely expensive.

Year 9 is the last standardised test (after year 3, 5 and 7). In year 10, everything is streamed (separated by difficulty) and year 11 and 12 you have to pick all your subjects (between 4 and 6) which you'll get examined in. English is compulsory, as is at least one maths or science class. There are exams every semester until the end of year 12, when you do a tertiary entrance exam. Your exam results are pummeled beyond belief, and you are given a percentile rank called an ATAR, which basically reflects the percentage of the state you beat.

University admission is done automatically - no letters, interviews, or essays*. You enter preferences online. Courses have a minimum score and a place limit, and get filled by the top students first. University isn't free, but it is massively discounted if you're an Australian citizen, and the government lets you defer payment on your tuition through an interest free loan which gets paid back through the tax system. It works well - since there's still a cost, not everyone goes to university, but if you want to, you can. Lots go to technical schools (TAFE), become apprentices, or just start working instead.

A bachelor's degree is the most common starting point. It usually lasts 3 years, with an optional honours year where you do a project. Then you can do a masters (1-2 years) and a PhD (I have no idea how long this takes), although most people stop with a bachelors. You do 4 units a semester, for a total of 24 over a degree, and a major is basically anything you've studied at least 8 units in (although in engineering and stuff I believe it's a bit stricter with a proper program to follow).

University is university. College refers to on-campus accomodation, usually for rural or international students. There is no such thing as a minor, except in the 'not allowed into the uni tav' sense. Postgraduate degrees are usually on the same campus or at least part of the same university, so there's also no such thing as 'grad school'.

Whew, that was a bit longer than I intended.

tl;dr, SCHOOL LOL.


*Except medicine, which has an IQ test and an interview to make sure you're not a psychopath.