Jasmine Directory

Education is a very important aspect in Australia, while statistics come to prove that point with an estimated 99% literacy rate around the country, aside from Tasmania where literacy has been set at only 50%. The educational system is overlooked by each state in particular, so there aren’t many national-wide rules of education, albeit the obligatory aspect of school attendance until a certain age. In most cases, Australians are required to attend schooling institutions starting at 5 years old and ending at 16, with a few exceptions where between 16 years of age and 17, they are at least required to go through apprenticeship programs or vocational training programs.

There are 37 state universities in Australia and two private ones. The most important tertiary educational institutions are summed up into what’s called the Group of Eight – public universities aimed at providing students with the knowledge base to further advance the country as a leading knowledge power in the world. The universities which comprise the Group of Eight are: Australian National University in Canberra, Monash University in Melbourne, The University of Adelaide in Adelaide, The University of Melbourne in Melbourne, The University of New South Wales in Sydney, The University of Queensland in Brisbane, The University of Sydney in Sydney and The University of Western Australia in Perth. Out of these, The University of Adelaide has provided the country with 5 distinct Nobel Laureates.

While costs for attending a university in Australia are rather high, the 49% graduation rate of higher education facilities place the country among the leading in the world. More than half of adult Australians have either finished a university or a vocational training program. Institutions which provide people with training in certain areas are also available to compensate.