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APPENDIX STRUCTURE OF SCHOOLING


CURRENT GRADE STRUCTURE OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLING

1 The structure of primary and secondary schooling in Australia varies between states and territories. With Qld moving to introduce a Pre-year 1 grade in 2007 (with an initial half cohort), there are now two basic patterns evident in formal schooling in Australia, as illustrated below:

• In NSW, Vic., Tas. and the ACT primary education comprises a Pre-Year 1 grade followed by Years 1 to 6. In NSW and the ACT, Pre-Year 1 is called Kindergarten, and in Vic. and Tas. it is called Preparatory. Secondary education comprises Years 7 to 12.
• In Qld, SA, WA and the NT primary education comprises a Pre-Year 1 grade followed by Years 1 to 7. In Qld Pre-year 1 is called Preparatory, in SA it is called Reception, in WA it is called Pre-Primary and in the NT it is called Transition. Secondary education comprises Years 8 to 12.

3 Variations to the structure of schooling also occur over time. See Explanatory Notes, paragraphs 7 to 9, for examples of changes to schooling structures.

AGE OF SCHOOLING

4 The age at which children may attend school is the subject of separate legislation within each jurisidiction. In 2007, the age at which a child's attendance at school becomes compulsory was 6 years for all states and territories except Tasmania, where it was 5 years. In practice, the majority of children start earlier, with minimum starting ages restricting enrolment to children aged between four and a half to five years at the beginning of the (Pre-year 1) school year.

5 In 2007, children were required to be at school (or undertaking the school curriculum in the case of home schooling) until:

• reaching 15 years of age (NSW, Vic., NT and ACT) or
• reaching 16 years of age (SA and Tas.) or
• reaching 16 years of age or completing year 10 (Qld) or
• the end of the year in which students turn 16 (WA).