Education in the Australian Capital Territory
Encyclopedia
Almost all educational institutions in the Australian Capital Territory
are located within Canberra
. The ACT public education system schooling is normally split up into Pre-School, Primary School (K-6), High School (7–10) and College (11–12) followed by studies at university or TAFE. Many private schools include years 11 and 12 and sometimes primary school as well.
The first school in what is now the ACT operated at Ginninderra from 1844 to 1848. A second school was opened in the 1840s at St John the Baptist Church
located on the Duntroon Estate
within the modern day suburb of Reid
. It was the only school in the Canberra region, after the closure of the Ginninderra school until the opening of a state run school at Acton
in 1880. Mulligan's Flat School opened in 1896 and operated until 1931 when it was demolished. The remains can still be seen near Gungahlin
.
The oldest operating school in the Australian Capital Territory was Tharwa Primary School, open in 1899 in the small town of Tharwa
south of present day Canberra. Hall Primary School claimed to be the oldest continuously run school in the Australian Capital Territory. It opened in 1911 in the town of Hall
on the northern border of the ACT. Both of these schools closed at the end of the 2006 academic year as a result of sweeping school closures introduced by the Stanhope
Labor
government.
The Royal Military College
was opened in 1911 at Robert Campbell's estate Duntroon
. This was followed in 1986 with the opening of the nearby Australian Defence Force Academy
(ADFA). The academic side of ADFA is run by the University of New South Wales
.
The first modern school opened in Canberra proper was Telopea Park School
opened in 1923 in what was then called Eastlake
. Another early school in Canberra is the Ainslie School, it was opened in 1927 in the inner north
suburb of Braddon
.
Canberra University College was opened in 1930 operating as an arm of Melbourne University to provide undergraduate degrees to Canberra. The Australian National University was opened nearby in 1946 as Australia's only research only university. In 1960 the ANU and Canberra University College amalgamated, with the Canberra University College campus becoming the ANU's school of general studies.
In February 2004 there were 139 public and non-governmental schools in Canberra; 96 were operated by the Government and 43 were non-Government. Most suburbs are planned to include a primary school and schools are usually located near open areas for play and sports. Children begin formal schooling at primary school in February when they are five or six. Primary school consists of seven grades: kindergarten and years 1 to 6. From years 7 to 10 children attend high school, generally a different institution to their primary education.
Students in years 11 to 12 attend college (except for private schools where most students stay on at school for year 11 and 12 some choose to go to state colleges) and normally study five to six courses over two years. Certificates are awarded on the basis of continuous assessment of students' progress at the end of years 10 and 12 by the ACT Department of Education and Training. Year 12 students wishing to pursue tertiary study must sit the ACT Scaling Test (AST) as part of a required Tertiary Entrance Statement. The ACT Scaling Test is used to scale the results of schools relative to each other rather than affecting the marks of individuals directly. It is based on students' general knowledge, critical and analytical skills. Traditionally students intending to pursue a trade
have ended their schooling at the end of high school in order to take up an apprenticeship
. In recent years it has become common for students with no tertiary education plans to continue through year 11 and 12 in an accredited scheme.
In 2005 there were 60,275 students in the ACT school system. 59.3% of the students were enrolled in government schools with the remaining 40.7% in non-government schools. There were 30,995 students in primary school, 19,211 in high school, 9,429 in College and a further 340 in special schools.
The ACT has the highest retention rate in Australia with 89% of the number of students who were enrolled in year 7 in 1999 were enrolled full-time in year 12 in 2004. This retention rate has declined from a peak in 1994 when the rate was nearly 5% more, probably because of poor job prospects for young people at that time compared with 2004.
During 2006 the ACT Government announced closures of up to 39 schools, to take effect from the end of the school year. After a series of consultations the Government announced its "Towards 2020: Renewing Our Schools" plan that closed ten schools at the end of 2006 with more in 2007 and 2008, while consolidating school campuses and opening other schools through to 2010. The Government paid $750 ‘transitional funding’ to students whose schools have closed, provided they attended another government school, to facilitate provision of new school uniforms.
The communities associated with Cook Primary School and Flynn Primary School lodged appeals through the ACT Supreme Court. While Cook withdrew its appeal within a week, Flynn's appeal is still ongoing, with the community having raised $50,000 for security of costs.
As of May 2004, 30% of people in the ACT aged 15–64 had a level of educational attainment equal to at least an bachelor's degree
, significantly higher that the national average of 19%.
The two main tertiary institutions are the Australian National University
(ANU) in Acton
and the University of Canberra
(UC) in Bruce
. The ANU was established as a research university in 1946, although expanded to include undergraduate teaching in 1960 it continues to have a strong research focus. The THES - QS World University Rankings
in 2006, 2007 and 2008 ranked the ANU as being the 16th best university in the world. Both ANU and UC also have campuses interstate and overseas. There are also two religious university campuses in Canberra: Signadou in the North Canberra suburb of Watson
is a campus of the Australian Catholic University
; St Mark's Theological College adjacent to the Parliament House is a campus of Charles Sturt University
.
The Royal Military College, Duntroon
(RMC) is in the suburb of Campbell
in Canberra's inner northeast. Duntroon provides Australian Army
Officer
training
. The Australian Defence Force
also runs the Australian Defence College
with two campuses, the Australian Defence Force Academy
(ADFA) in Campbell and the other near Weston
which provides education for senior members of the forces. ADFA teaches military undergraduates and postgraduates and is officially a campus of the University of New South Wales
.
Tertiary level vocational education is also available through the multi-campus Canberra Institute of Technology
. The Academy of Interactive Entertainment
(AIE) in Watson is a registered training organisation that offers tertiary courses in computer game development and 3D animation.
Alliance College of Australia
is a bible college of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Unity College teaches Christian worship and ministry.
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
are located within Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. The ACT public education system schooling is normally split up into Pre-School, Primary School (K-6), High School (7–10) and College (11–12) followed by studies at university or TAFE. Many private schools include years 11 and 12 and sometimes primary school as well.
History
St John the Baptist Church, Reid
St John the Baptist Church is the oldest church in Canberra, Australia, and also the oldest building within Canberra's city precinct. It is sited at the corner of ANZAC Parade and Constitution Avenue in the suburb of Reid.-Construction:...
located on the Duntroon Estate
Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory
Duntroon is a suburb of the city of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.-History:Robert Campbell's property Duntroon was situated on the limestone plains of New South Wales in the area that is now covered by the ACT....
within the modern day suburb of Reid
Reid, Australian Capital Territory
Reid is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Located directly next to Canberra City, Reid is one of the oldest suburbs in Canberra....
. It was the only school in the Canberra region, after the closure of the Ginninderra school until the opening of a state run school at Acton
Acton, Australian Capital Territory
Acton is a suburb of Canberra, Australia. Acton covers an area west of the CBD, bordered by Black Mountain to the west and Lake Burley Griffin in the south...
in 1880. Mulligan's Flat School opened in 1896 and operated until 1931 when it was demolished. The remains can still be seen near Gungahlin
Gungahlin
Gungahlin is a name of a district and the northernmost town centre of Canberra, Australia. Gungahlin is situated 10 km north of Canberra's city centre and is one of five satellites of Canberra including Woden, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and Belconnen. Currently Gungahlin comprises 11 suburbs,...
.
The oldest operating school in the Australian Capital Territory was Tharwa Primary School, open in 1899 in the small town of Tharwa
Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory
Tharwa is a small village within the Australian Capital Territory, south of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. At the 2006 census, Tharwa had a population of 109....
south of present day Canberra. Hall Primary School claimed to be the oldest continuously run school in the Australian Capital Territory. It opened in 1911 in the town of Hall
Hall, Australian Capital Territory
Hall is a small town in the north of the Australian Capital Territory , Australia. It was founded in 1882, named after the first landholder in the area, Henry Hall. In 1911 Hall was included within the boundary of the land allocated for the Australian Capital Territory, close to the north western...
on the northern border of the ACT. Both of these schools closed at the end of the 2006 academic year as a result of sweeping school closures introduced by the Stanhope
Jon Stanhope
Jonathan Ronald Stanhope is a former Australian politician who was Labor Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2001 to 2011. Stanhope represented the Ginninderra electorate in the ACT Legislative Assembly from 1998 until 2011. He resigned as Chief Minister on 12 May 2011 and as...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government.
The Royal Military College
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
was opened in 1911 at Robert Campbell's estate Duntroon
Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory
Duntroon is a suburb of the city of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.-History:Robert Campbell's property Duntroon was situated on the limestone plains of New South Wales in the area that is now covered by the ACT....
. This was followed in 1986 with the opening of the nearby Australian Defence Force Academy
Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...
(ADFA). The academic side of ADFA is run by the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
The first modern school opened in Canberra proper was Telopea Park School
Telopea Park School
Telopea Park School is a public school in Canberra, Australia. It is named after the adjacent Telopea Park. It was founded in 1923, making it the oldest operating school in Canberra...
opened in 1923 in what was then called Eastlake
Kingston, Australian Capital Territory
Kingston is the oldest and most densely populated suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The suburb is named after Charles Cameron Kingston, the former Premier of South Australia and minister in the first Australian Commonwealth Government. It is adjacent to the suburbs of...
. Another early school in Canberra is the Ainslie School, it was opened in 1927 in the inner north
North Canberra
North Canberra, also known as the Inner North, is a district of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, comprising 14 suburbs with 19,115 dwellings housing 42,113 people of the 324,034 people in the Australian Capital Territory...
suburb of Braddon
Braddon, Australian Capital Territory
Braddon is an inner north suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Located north of the Canberra CBD, Braddon contains a commercial area centred on Mort and Lonsdale streets, which run parallel to Northbourne Avenue...
.
Canberra University College was opened in 1930 operating as an arm of Melbourne University to provide undergraduate degrees to Canberra. The Australian National University was opened nearby in 1946 as Australia's only research only university. In 1960 the ANU and Canberra University College amalgamated, with the Canberra University College campus becoming the ANU's school of general studies.
Schools
Students in years 11 to 12 attend college (except for private schools where most students stay on at school for year 11 and 12 some choose to go to state colleges) and normally study five to six courses over two years. Certificates are awarded on the basis of continuous assessment of students' progress at the end of years 10 and 12 by the ACT Department of Education and Training. Year 12 students wishing to pursue tertiary study must sit the ACT Scaling Test (AST) as part of a required Tertiary Entrance Statement. The ACT Scaling Test is used to scale the results of schools relative to each other rather than affecting the marks of individuals directly. It is based on students' general knowledge, critical and analytical skills. Traditionally students intending to pursue a trade
Tradesman
This article is about the skilled manual worker meaning of the term; for other uses see Tradesperson .A tradesman is a skilled manual worker in a particular trade or craft. Economically and socially, a tradesman's status is considered between a laborer and a professional, with a high degree of both...
have ended their schooling at the end of high school in order to take up an apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
. In recent years it has become common for students with no tertiary education plans to continue through year 11 and 12 in an accredited scheme.
In 2005 there were 60,275 students in the ACT school system. 59.3% of the students were enrolled in government schools with the remaining 40.7% in non-government schools. There were 30,995 students in primary school, 19,211 in high school, 9,429 in College and a further 340 in special schools.
The ACT has the highest retention rate in Australia with 89% of the number of students who were enrolled in year 7 in 1999 were enrolled full-time in year 12 in 2004. This retention rate has declined from a peak in 1994 when the rate was nearly 5% more, probably because of poor job prospects for young people at that time compared with 2004.
During 2006 the ACT Government announced closures of up to 39 schools, to take effect from the end of the school year. After a series of consultations the Government announced its "Towards 2020: Renewing Our Schools" plan that closed ten schools at the end of 2006 with more in 2007 and 2008, while consolidating school campuses and opening other schools through to 2010. The Government paid $750 ‘transitional funding’ to students whose schools have closed, provided they attended another government school, to facilitate provision of new school uniforms.
The communities associated with Cook Primary School and Flynn Primary School lodged appeals through the ACT Supreme Court. While Cook withdrew its appeal within a week, Flynn's appeal is still ongoing, with the community having raised $50,000 for security of costs.
Home Education
The ACT government supports home education under the ACT Education Act 2004. In 2000 there were 100 registered home schooled students in the ACT, though there may have been up to another 400 students being home schooled but not registered with the government.Tertiary institutions
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, significantly higher that the national average of 19%.
The two main tertiary institutions are the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
(ANU) in Acton
Acton, Australian Capital Territory
Acton is a suburb of Canberra, Australia. Acton covers an area west of the CBD, bordered by Black Mountain to the west and Lake Burley Griffin in the south...
and the University of Canberra
University of Canberra
Over the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
(UC) in Bruce
Bruce, Australian Capital Territory
Bruce is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Bruce was gazetted as a division on 6 June 1968 in recognition of Viscount Stanley Melbourne Bruce, the first Chancellor of the Australian National University and eighth Prime Minister of Australia. S. M. Bruce served as...
. The ANU was established as a research university in 1946, although expanded to include undergraduate teaching in 1960 it continues to have a strong research focus. The THES - QS World University Rankings
THES - QS World University Rankings
The term Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings refers to rankings published jointly between 2004 and 2009 by Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds . After QS and Times Higher Education had ended their collaboration, the methodology for these rankings continues to be used by...
in 2006, 2007 and 2008 ranked the ANU as being the 16th best university in the world. Both ANU and UC also have campuses interstate and overseas. There are also two religious university campuses in Canberra: Signadou in the North Canberra suburb of Watson
Watson, Australian Capital Territory
Watson is a suburb of Canberra, Australia in the North Canberra district. Watson is named after the third Prime Minister of Australia, John Christian Watson. The suburb name was gazetted on 7 April 1960. Streets in Watson are named after Australian judges and other legal professionals...
is a campus of the Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University is a national public university. It has six campuses and offers programs in five faculties throughout Australia.-History:...
; St Mark's Theological College adjacent to the Parliament House is a campus of Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university located in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Burlington, Ontario...
.
The Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
(RMC) is in the suburb of Campbell
Campbell, Australian Capital Territory
Campbell is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Covering an area to the South East of the central business district, Campbell sits at the base of Mount Ainslie. On Census night 2006, Campbell had a population of 4,797 people...
in Canberra's inner northeast. Duntroon provides Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
Officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
. The Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
also runs the Australian Defence College
Australian Defence College
The Australian Defence College comprises three tri-service educational organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory:* the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies ,...
with two campuses, the Australian Defence Force Academy
Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...
(ADFA) in Campbell and the other near Weston
Weston, Australian Capital Territory
Weston is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. On Census night 2006, Weston had a population of 3,176 people....
which provides education for senior members of the forces. ADFA teaches military undergraduates and postgraduates and is officially a campus of the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Tertiary level vocational education is also available through the multi-campus Canberra Institute of Technology
Canberra Institute of Technology
The Canberra Institute of Technology is a vocational education provider in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, and is one of a system of TAFEs. Qualifications offered by CIT range from certificate to degree level. CIT has four campuses across Canberra, located in Bruce, Reid, Phillip and...
. The Academy of Interactive Entertainment
Academy of Interactive Entertainment
The Academy of Interactive Entertainment is an Australian video games and 3D animation school. Founded in 1996, it was one of the world's first institutions to offer qualifications in these industries. The AIE provides courses covering CGI, animation, video game asset creation and games programming...
(AIE) in Watson is a registered training organisation that offers tertiary courses in computer game development and 3D animation.
Alliance College of Australia
Alliance College of Australia
Alliance College of Australia, formerly known as Canberra College of Theology, is a bible college in Canberra, Australia.-External links:*...
is a bible college of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Unity College teaches Christian worship and ministry.