Victoria State Government University

The Victorian school system has a great reputation, with high quality teachers, a diverse curriculum, students from many different backgrounds and learning spaces that bring out the best in everyone.

The information below will give you a good overview of education in Victoria, Australia, whether in regional schools or schools in Melbourne. School systems vary, so this may be different from the system in your country.

Age

Education in Victoria, Australia is compulsory for children aged from 6 to 17 years. In the Australian school system, students attend school for a total of 13 years.

Primary school students are aged between 5 and 12 years old. Classes are divided into Prep and Years 1 to 6.

Secondary school students are aged between 12 and 20 years old. Classes are divided into Years 7 to 12.

School types

The Australian school system has a range of schools including:

• primary schools 
• secondary schools
• P–9 (Prep to Year 9)​, ​​P–12 (P

Typical school day

School takes place five days per week, from around 8:30am to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday. On a typical school day, students tend to move from classroom to classroom rather than staying in one room, and even moving outside the classroom with our interactive teaching methods.

The school year

There are four terms in the Victorian school year. School usually starts in late January or early February and runs until mid-December. There is a short holiday between terms and a long summer holiday in December and January.

Get the edge on the global competition

Studying in a Victorian government school opens up many different options and pathways for further university or vocational study, and helps you plan your dream career.

Our international student graduates are provided with pathways to top 100 world-ranked universities in Melbourne, Australia and across the globe.

The richness, diversity and flexibility of the school curriculum in Victoria will help you plan for a successful future.

There's sure to be a pathway for you when you study in Melbourne or our student cities in Victoria. In fact, approximately 90 percent of our 2021 graduates choose to stay in Victoria for their further education. 

The benefits of going to a Victorian university

Victoria offers a wide variety of universities to choose from with locations spread across metropolitan Melbourne and surrounding student cities. If your primary and secondary schooling is in Victoria, you may already be familiar with the campus locations of our universities and how to get there. You may also have friends who will be attending with you.

There are also several accommodation options available. You can choose homestay or move into various different types of university student accommodation.

Why choose a Melbourne or Victorian university

• If you love learning, you'll want to live in a city that's a centre for research, innovation and creativity.
• We're home to many world-class universities, with two in the top ten universities in Australia. 
• Our two top universities rank in the top 100 in the world for their research as well as their courses.
• Melbourne is one of the top cities for learning in the world.

Get easy access to expert advice

Our curriculum will encourage you to dream about a future that potentially can see you being anywhere. And our teachers and careers advisors will keep your feet on the ground to encourage you and provide you with sensible advice.