Education in the Australian Capital Territory

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Education in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) includes early learning (pre-Kindergarten), primary school (Kindergarten to Year 6), secondary school (Years 7–10), college or senior secondary (Years 11–12), and then adult study at university or TAFE. It covers government schools as well as Catholic and other non‑government schools. Most ACT schools are in Canberra and nearby suburbs.

Key historical notes:
The first schools in the area appeared in the mid-1800s, with early schools at Ginninderra and near Duntroon. Over the years, other long-running schools opened, such as Tharwa Primary and Hall Primary. Major national institutions began in the 20th century, including the Royal Military College at Duntroon and the Australian Defence Force Academy. The University of Canberra’s precursor opened in 1930 and the Australian National University (ANU) opened in 1946, later joining with Canberra University College. Canberra’s university system evolved into today’s ANU and UC.

Today’s system:
As of 2004 there were 139 schools in the ACT, about 96 government and 43 non-government. Schools usually follow a four-term year running from late January to December. Primary covers Kindergarten to Year 6; secondary runs from Years 7 to 10 at one school, then Years 11–12 at colleges or senior secondary institutions. Year 12 certificates are awarded by the Board of Senior Secondary Studies, and students sit a tertiary entrance test (ACT Scaling Test) for university admission. There is also a pathway for vocations through Australian Skills Based Apprenticeships (ASBAs) while studying.

Education levels and special options:
In the ACT, most children start formal schooling around age five or six. Home education is supported under ACT rules. By the early 2000s, a large share of residents held bachelor degrees, higher than the national average at the time.

Tertiary and vocational education:
The ACT’s main tertiary institutions are the Australian National University (ANU) in Acton and the University of Canberra (UC) in Bruce. There are also religious university campuses (Signadou for the Australian Catholic University and St Mark’s for Charles Sturt University), the Royal Military College at Duntroon, and Australian Defence Force Education through the ADFA, run with the University of New South Wales. Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) provides vocational education, and other training bodies offer tech and creative courses like the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE). In 2020 the ACT announced a plan for UNSW to develop the CIT Reid campus into a new university campus, with a major redevelopment over many years.

Other education providers:
There are also private colleges such as Alliance College of Australia and Unity College offering religious or specialty programs.

In short, ACT education covers a full spectrum from early learning through to university and vocational training, with a mix of government and non-government schools and a number of major universities and training institutions located mainly in Canberra.