In Australia

Educational policy at the early, primary and secondary stages of education in Australia is the responsibility of the six states and two territories in which the Australian Commonwealth is organized. Preschool and school education have a similar structure across Australia, with slight variations across states or territories. The structure of the school system tends to present 6 primary and 6 secondary education courses (subdivided into two stages: 7th to 10th grades and 11th and 12th grades), with a total of 12 grades. Schooling is compulsory until the age of 17, except in the two federal territories, which is until the age of 15.

The Australian Federal Government coordinates the teaching and gives the guidelines of the Australian Curriculum. The states and territories are the ones who implement the real educational competencies, both in the arrangement of the public system and of the independent and private centres.

In addition, the independent and private centres are administered by their respective organizations, under the supervision of the educational authorities of the states and territories. In the case of Catholic denominational centres, the competent body is the National Commission for Catholic Educationthat has delegations in each state and territory. Other Christian denominational centres are regulated by the Australian Christian Schoolsof the Australian Association of Christian Schoolsand Australian Lutheran Education. Private centres are also associated through the Australian Independent Schools Association. There are also centres not associated with any specific organization.

At the tertiary level of education, Universities Australiaorganize teaching in a completely autonomous way, although the Australian Federal Department of Educationthrough an agency, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency(TEQSA), performs coordination, accreditation and evaluation work, which supplements that developed by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA).

For the validation and homologation of studies and qualifications in Australia go to: International Education