Public sphere in Australia today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Public sphere in Australia today - Essay Example Lower secondary starts at the 7th or 8th year and continue throughout the 10th year of education. The 7th during 9th years of education are known as "preparatory years." Towards the end of the 9th year, students may choose to abandon school or to continue to the 10th year. During the 10th year of education, students may abandon school with a School Leaving Certificate (SLC), in many situations provided by the individual school. Upper secondary consists of the 11th and 12th years of education. Instead of leaving school upon conclusion of the 10th grade, students may carry on for two extra years of education, upon conclusion of which students also get a SLC, provided by the school or by an external examining authority. Once attended almost exclusively by students going to university study, an increasing number of Australian students, irrespective of their plans for advanced study, are attaining the whole 12-year term. While some time ago, professional and scholastic secondary schools were mostly distinct institutes, the majority public secondary schools in Australia at present are "comprehensive high schools" Such schools offer programs both for university-bound students and for students who intend to do different jobs after leaving school or who will take up postsecondary technical or professional education. A number of public schools, on the other hand, maintain to offer only educational, college-introductory programs for students who are registered to the optional programs. Some advanced secondary schools offer agricultural or other education. Nearly all the students in Australia accomplish the 10th year of schooling and get a SLC. The number of students who carry on to the 12th year of education is about 71 % of all students all over the country in 1991. The majority of young students in Australia are registered in some kind of kindergarten program, although attendance is not obligatory. Nearly all states offer a "pre-Year 1" program, and both the government and private agencies offer other pre-school activities for the two years before the commencement of Year 1. School Governance & Finance In each Australian state, the education system is extremely centralized. The Education Ministry and a Director-General of Education administer the educational system. Of late, nevertheless, there has been a growing tendency to decentralize several organizational functions from the state level towards the local level. Governance The ministry of education exercises extensive power over schools all over the state. The states develop policies in the fields of schooling and teacher enrollment, teacher service, student registration, program content, course authorization and student appraisal. The education ministry hires and employs the teachers in government schools, construct buildings, equipment and materials, and grant subsidy for utilization by schools. Hence almost all