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Australian Primary / Secondary Schools

SCHOOL LIFE

Australian children start school in late January or early February and finish in mid-December. There are four terms of about 10 weeks each. School children get 2-week vacations between each term in autumn (April), winter (July) and spring (October). Their summer vacation is usually six weeks, starting just before Christmas. Private schools generally have slightly longer vacations than public schools.

There are two levels of schooling. Students go to elementary school from kingergarten to 6th or 7th grade. They are at high school from 7th or 8th to 12th grades. In some states, the last two years of high school are separate, to give students better preparation for university study. In elementary school, students have one classroom teacher most of the time. In high school, they move from class to class and have different teachers for each subject.

Subjects

Australian elementary school children study many of the same subjects as American students. They learn about reading, writing, spelling, math, science and social studies. Social studies classes study the history, geography and culture of Australia and the world, particularly Asia. Many students learn another language. There are also lessons in physical education, music and art each week.

Fun Fact: All Aboard

School buses are not yellow in Australia. Children take regular busses that drive along special routes before and after school.

School Day

A typical school day for elementary school students starts at 9:00am. Halfway through the morning, there is a 15 minute recess, where children have a snack and go outside to play.

Lunch starts around 12:30pm, and usually lasts for an hour. Students eat their lunch either in their classrooms or on the playground, and then play for the rest of the hour. Many schools have a canteen where students can buy hot items and snacks, but most children bring their lunches from home. A typical lunch bag might have a sandwich, some fruit and a popper (juice box). There are no sit-down cafeterias in Australian schools.

After the afternoon school session, children go home around 3:15pm. Then they do their homework or other activities. They might practice sports or a musical instrument, play with friends or watch television. Many elementary school children with working parents go to an afterschool center, either at school or nearby.

Common Education Phrases:

Australian word / expression	American equivalent
Biro	Pen
Canteen / Tuck Shop	Cafeteria
Corrido	Hallway
Deputy Principal	Vice-Principal
Drawing Pins	Thumb Tacks
Duster	Blackboard Eraser
Go to the Loo	Go to the Bathroom
Maths	Math
Pinboard / Notice Board	Bulletin Board
Posterboard	Construction paper
Primary School	Elementary School
Queue Up	Line Up
Rubber	Pencil Eraser
Sticky tape	Scotch Tape
Texta	Magic Marker
Year 7	7th Grade

Uniforms

Most children in Australia wear school uniforms. In general, private school students must wear their uniforms, and public school students are encouraged to wear them. Each school has its own colors and styles.

The uniform for girls may be a blouse with a skirt or jumper, or a light dress. In summer they are made of cotton or other lightweight fabric. Winter uniforms are made of heavier material and worn with a sweater or blazer.

Boys wear shorts in summer and trousers in winter, both with a shirt. They also wear sweaters or blazers in cooler weather. Many schools these days try to make the uniform more appealing to students.

Teeshirts are common in summer, and sweatsuits in winter. These often have the school logo or badge printed on them.

As the sun's rays are very strong in Australia, school children must wear hats when they go outside. Some hats look like baseball caps with a flap around the sides and back to protect ears and necks from sunburn.

Scouts and Girl Guides

Scouting groups are popular for young people in Australia. Boy Scouts and Girl Guides are similar to scouting organizations in the United States. The Boy Scouts were renamed Scouts and opened to girls in 1988.