Australia is one of the most popular destinations for students who dream of studying abroad. The country is among the best when it comes to the education system, as it houses the most renowned institutions and universities.Education in Australia gains even more attention from international students, as the place values people who are from outside and want to improve their student life.
Australia has, in all, more than 22,000 courses for students to choose from, as well as more than 1200 excellent choice of institutions. One of the great educational highlights in the country is for offering quality study to all people, regardless of social class. This fact favors the country’s egalitarian growth.
Based on this, today’s post will point out the main differences on education in Australia and Brazil.If you were curious to discover them, read this content and stay inside!
The differences in education in Australia and Brazil
Brazil and Australia have many similarities when it comes to climate and lush natural landscapes. But when the topic is basic education, there are very significant differences. Thus, some points that are worth mentioning will be listed below. Read and check it out!
Mandatory age to attend school
Brazil frequently changes the legislation that defines the age at which a child must enter school.Currently, enrollment is mandatory from 4 to 17 years old, and those who turn 4 by March 31 of the school year must start pre-school (early childhood education), and children who turn 6 by 31 March of the respective school year must be properly enrolled in the first year of elementary school.
In Australia, enrollment is essential from 6 to approximately 17 years of age. That makes a total of, more or less, 12 years of mandatory study. As a rule, this is what happens, but it is noteworthy that in some states and territories the determinations may undergo minor changes.
Duration of each teaching cycle
The length of the Brazilian student cycle has already undergone some changes, but today it works as follows:
Kindergarten: preschool;
1st cycle of elementary school: represents the first five years of study that goes from the 1st to the 5th year;
2nd cycle of elementary school: equivalent to enrollment in the 6th to 9th grade;
3rd cycle of education: is part of admission to secondary education that goes from the 1st to the 3rd year.
In Australia, there is also a division of the basic series, as in Brazil. Check it out:
Primary School: lasts about seven years. This stage goes from Kindergarten to 6th or 7th, as it will depend on each region;
Secondary School: with a duration of three to four years, this cycle encompasses the 7th or 8th grade up to the 10th. It also changes according to location;
Senior Secondary School: lasts for two years. Represents the 11th and 12th grades.
Pedagogical curriculum and basic subjects
A curriculum with mandatory subjects aims to make all students have access to essential content for the student’s basic education. In Brazil, subjects vary according to the cycles seen above.
Kindergarten: the curriculum is geared towards playful activities, which make the child understand their role in the environment in which they live;
1st cycle of elementary school: covers Portuguese, mathematics, environmental studies, English, artistic and physical-motor expressions and moral and religious education;
2nd cycle of elementary school: languages, Portuguese, mathematics, science, history and geography, English, artistic and technological education, physical education and moral and religious education;
3rd cycle of education: with the recent reform, the compulsory subjects will be Portuguese and Mathematics. The remainder of the workload will be for academic improvement courses.
In Australia, however, it does not have this division. Australian Educational institutions place great value on learning foreign languages such as French, German, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese, among others.
But that country also has some mandatory learning areas in all study cycles. Thus, it is possible to mention:
- Tongue;
- Math;
- Sciences;
- Social Sciences and Environment;
- Foreign languages;
- Health and Physical Education;
- Artistic education;
School bus
Free school transport is ensured in Brazil for students who live in more distant locations, which, as a rule, only happens to those who live in rural areas.In this regard, Australia is not very different, as the federal government also provides transport just in case. But it is little used, as there is almost always an educational institution close to the neighborhood where the student lives.
Public and private schools
In Brazil, there are still many differences in relation to public and private schools with regard to the quality of education. The mandatory subjects must be the same, since the Ministry of Education (MEC) requires this similarity to authorize the functioning of the private institution.
However, Australian schools do not show discrepancies between public and private teaching, as both prepare students for the same purpose. But private institutions that are mostly related to religion focus more on teaching sports and music.
School holidays
In Brazil, the calendar of educational institutions varies according to the scope in which the school is located (federal, state or municipal), as each entity has the freedom to discipline the subject. However, as a rule, the school year starts in February and ends in December.Brazilian students have two vacation periods: the first takes place in July and the second takes place in December, when the school year ends.
In Australia, it’s a little different. The academic year runs from January to December and students have four vacation periods during their studies. The first three terms take place every 10 to 12 weeks of class (varies by region). In this sense, the last period is the summer vacation that occurs at the end of each school year.
These are just some of the differences between education in Australia and Brazil. There are, indeed, many contrasts between the education systems of these countries, as they have different habits and cultures. So, this makes both have their positive and negative points.
