The education system in Australia

The education system in Australia is governed by each state, individually. Australia consists of 6 states (New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria), 2 mainland territories (Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory) and other minor territories.

In general, the system of education in Australia is a 3-tier model of Primary education (Primary schools), Secondary education (Secondary schools) and Tertiary education (Universities, RTOs and TAFEs).

RTOs stand for Registered Training Organisations while TAFEs stand for Technical and Further Education colleges. The tertiary education system is further classified into three sub categories:

(a) Universities

Any reference to universities in Australia usually begins with a discussion about the 'Group of Eight' or 'G8'. These are eight Australian tertiary universities that have grouped themselves together, in recognition of their perceived status and / or history. The entire Australian University System consists of both public and private universities.

(b) State and territory accredited higher education institutions

These are primarily the TAFEs or Technical and Further Education colleges in Australia. These institutions form an integral part of the Australian higher education system and provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses in Australia. The courses covered include subjects such as hospitality, tourism, construction, etc.

 (c) Other Self accrediting higher education institutions

In addition to this there are other institutions which cannot be deemed as universities or colleges because their academic focus is narrow. These are usually referred to as Vocational Education and Training colleges (VETs) or Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).

The VETs usually provide training for those students who are interested in gaining qualifications for a career that does not require any university degree. These institutions award different levels of Certificates (ranging from I to IV) to the students.

These self-accredited higher education institutions are usually privately operated and include a number of commercial training providers, group training companies and community learning centers.