Guide to education and schools in Melbourne

Melbourne is home to many of Australia’s best schools. Under Australian law, children between the ages of 6-16 must go to school. There are three types of schools available in Melbourne:

Melbourne primary and secondary schools

·       Public or state schools

Comprehensive publicly funded schools with small or voluntary fees for Australian citizens and permanent residents. Some visa categories are exempt from paying school fees – although be aware that you do have to pay for uniforms, books, and other extras like excursions or extra-curricular music or sports lessons.

Based on your home address, you will be in the catchment area for your local public school. There are academically selective public secondary schools in Melbourne that require prospective students to pass an entrance examination.

·       Catholic schools

There are many small Catholic schools in Melbourne known as ‘systemic’ schools. They charge a small tuition fee and are open to Catholic students. The Catholic system offers both secondary and primary schools in Melbourne.

·       Independent or private schools

There are many private schools in Melbourne that levy much higher fees (in many cases over $20,000/year, not including extras). The majority are religious, but there are also non-religious or non-denominational schools. Private schools in Melbourne do not require students to live within a catchment area. While most of the private schools in Melbourne are day schools, there are a few boarding schools too. Many also offer the International Baccalaureate.

There are four terms in the school year, with holidays taking place during April, July, and September for 2-3 weeks each, and summer holidays in December and January for six weeks. Private schools generally have slightly longer holidays than public schools. School days in Victoria are Monday to Friday, generally between 9am and 3pm.

To find out the best schools in Melbourne for your family, visit www.education.vic.gov.au, the Victorian government’s schools page, which has all the necessary information about Melbourne public schools. To research private schools in Melbourne, see privateschoolsguide.com. In addition, www.myschool.edu.au offers profiles of over 9,500 schools with statistics and other information to help you make your decision.

Enrolment

To enrol your child, contact your school of choice by telephone or in person. You will need to show your visa documents and other ID, their birth certificate or passport, and any papers relating to their educational history.

Tertiary education

Further education can be completed through TAFE (Technical and Further Education) or universities. For more information: TAFE www.skills.vic.gov.au or for University Admissions, see www.uac.edu.au

Universities in Melbourne

Melbourne has a number of highly ranked universities with world-class facilities and reputations – Melbourne University is ranked equal 7th in the world. Universities in Melbourne include:

·       The University of Melbourne

·       RMIT

·       Deakin

·       Monash

·       La Trobe

·       Swinburne University of Technology

·       Victoria University, Australia

School-leavers who want to study at a university will need an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) from an Australian high school or an equivalent such as the International Baccalaureate. Students who aren’t permanent residents must take fee-paying places (permanent residents are eligible for government assistance). Fees can be $20,000-$40,000 per year.