A Closer Look on the
Education System of
Selected Countries
Benchmarking is learning the best
from the best practices of the world’s
best educational systems.
“As a future teacher, you shall be
guided by UNESCO's principle
on that Education is for All and that
this education is anchored on
the Five Pillars which are:
Five Pillars
1. Learning to Know
2. Learning, to Do
,
3. Learning
, to Be
4. Learning to Live together, and
5. Learning to transform.
Educational System of Australia
Basic Education in Australia
The educational system in Australia is similar
with that of Canada
and England.
Many students from all over the world go to
Australia to study.
Australia, called by many as the last paradise on
earth, has a high
quality educational system.
Basic Education in Australia
The entry age of compulsory education is 6 years old and exit
age, 15 years old.
Primary education is provided by government
and non-government primary schools.
The length of the program is six years for 6 years old to
12 years old
children.
However, in most states, children start primary school at the
age of 5 when they enroll in preparatory or kindergarten year.
Basic Education in Australia
From the primary to the secondary levels, most students
are enrolled in government schools which operate under the
direct responsibility of the State or Territory Education
Minister.
The federal government provides supplementary
financial support.
Higher Education in Australia
The main purpose of Australian Higher Education are:
1. to enable individuals to develop their capabilities for effective
participation in the workforce, for constructive contribution to
society and for personal growth and fulfillment;
2. to advance knowledge and understanding;
3. aid the application of knowledge and understanding for the
benefit of the economy and the society;
4. enable individuals to adapt and learn, consistent with the needs of an
adaptable knowledge-based economy at the local, regional and national
levels;
5. contribute to democratic civilized society.
Higher Education in Australia
A graduate with a bachelor's degree can
proceed to a one-year to two-year post graduate
course leading to a postgraduate diploma.
A student who has qualified for a bachelor's
degree (Honours) may proceed to a master's
degree.
This degree may be obtained after one year (Pass Degree)
or two years (Honours degree) of full time study.
Educational System of China
Educational System of China
China has over 200 million students attending public
schools taught by over 9 million teachers in the elementary
junior, and senior high schools, it is the largest educational
system of the world (Wang, 1996; Nanjundiah,1996).
The course syllabi are written by scientists and professors
hired by the National Educational Commission.
The first six years of school make up the primary grades
which is devoted to development of cognitive skills, and
this is followed by another six years of high schools.
Educational System of China
Class size ranged from 40 to 60 students and the
students have to cover all topics in order to pass national
examinations.
Students wishing to attend university must pass one of
the two versions of the National University Entrance
Examination.
The quality and reputation of the school will depend
on the number of students passing the examination
(Changbin, 1995; Kwang, 2000)
Educational System of China
Education, one of the fundamental Chinese
traditions entered to a new era of deep transformation
after 1949. Education was used as a vital tool for
centralization and unification of the country. The
new educational system include:
1. six years of primary education
2. Three years of junior middle school, three years
of senior middle
school
3. Six years of university
4. Varieties of technical and vocation schools.
Educational System in Japan
Basic Education in Japan
The Japanese education system is highly centralized
and is administered by the Mombusho or Ministry of Education.
The school system from kindergarten through university
serves about million students, with about ten percent
going to the university.
About one third go to the private schools and the
rest are enrolled in the public of national school system
(Abner, 2002)
Basic Education in Japan
Five basic levels:
• kindergarten,
• elementary school (six years)
• lowers secondary school (three years)
• upper secondary (three years)
• University (usually around four years).
Classes are large and teaching methods is
usually lecture.
Japanese students spend 243 days in a year in
school. The school calendar is year-round with
some breaks between sessions.
Basic Education in Japan
Standard curriculum includes Japanese
language, social studies, math and science
along with art, music, home economics,
physical education, and the most emphasis
being given to learning the Japanese language.
Lower secondary schools cover grade seven,
eight and nine. Men compose two-thirds of the
teachers in this level. Class size average 38 and
the periods are fifty minutes long.
Basic Education in Japan
Upper secondary schools offer academic,
technical and vocational programs.
The first year courses included Japanese
language, English, Science and Math.
Vocational course includes information
processing, navigation, fish farming, ceramics
and business English.
Higher Education in Japan
The competition is quite fierce and some students who
fail the test will take another year to study and prepare to
take the test again. These students are called ronin,
which meant samurai.
The entire educational system seems to be
built on a principle that if you do well in exams,
you will get into good schools or universities and
automatically into a good life-time job.
Educational System in South Africa
Basic Education in
South Africa
Formal education in South Africa is
categorized into sectors or levels.
These sectors are closely linked to
particular levels: namely,
• public ordinary school education,
• independent school education,
• special school education,
• technical college education,
• teacher training and university training.
Basic Education in
South Africa
The eight learning areas that form the basis of all
basic education up to the Further Education
Training(FET) Certificate are:
• Language, Literacy and Communication
• Mathematical Literacy, mathematics and
• Mathematical Science
• Natural Science
• Technology
• Human and Social Science
• Economics and Management Science
• Arts and Culture
• Life Orientation
Higher Education in
South Africa
One school year consists of forty-one
week (196 school days) which is divided into
four terms.
Other relevant sectors of the educational
structure include special education, private
education or independent schools, adult and
non- formal education and HIV/AID
education.
Educational System in United
Kingdom
Basic Education in
United Kingdom
The national curriculum core subjects include
English, Mathematics, and Science. Each key level
has definite emphasis that gradually becomes more
advanced as the level progresses.
Key Levels
Foundation Stage
this is included in the national curriculum
which covers children aged 3-5 years, but
does not have a strong mandate as to what
needs to happen during these years of
schooling as it is not yet mandatory.
Key Stage One
it includes children aged 5-7 years and year
groups grades 1-2. It mandates core subjects including
English, Mathematics, and Science and non-core
foundation subjects as design/technology, history,
art/design, music and physical education.
Key Stage Two
it includes children aged 7-11 and year
groups 3-6.
It mandates the same core and non-core
foundation subjects, with more emphasis on
more difficult topics and the addition of sex
education to additional statutory areas which is
left up to the policy of school governors
(school board).
Key Stage Three
it includes children aged 11-14 years and
year groups 7-9. It mandates the same basics in
Key Stages One and Two, but adds Foreign
Language, and Information/ Communication
Technology to the mix while adding appropriate
difficulty to the core subjects.
Key Stage Four
it includes those aged 14-16 and year
groups 10-11. It covers the statutory program
that must be taught to all students.
Most schools include in their core curriculum
courses that lead to qualifications in each of
the five subject areas which are English,
Math, Science, Information and
Communication Technology (ICT),
and Physical education.
Post 16 Education
it is not mandatory in England.
Students can either continue
education or enter working world.
Educational System in United
States of America
Primary education- elementary
school-
there is varied levels of schooling in
the primary education.
Grades 1-4- children are from ages 6 to 10.
Transition to middle school
Grades 1 to 5- children are from ages 6 to 11
Transition to middle school
Grades 1-6- children are from ages 6 to 12
Transition to junior high school
Grades 1-7- children ages 6 to 14
Transitions to junior high school
Higher Education Institutions
Research universities (I and II) - Comprehensive
Doctorate granting institutions that have
extensive theoretical and applied research in a
wide variety of programs.
Doctorate – granting universities (I and II) –
Universities offering comprehensive studies but
awards Doctorate in limited fields or areas.
Master’s (Comprehensive) universities and
colleges (I and II) – Institutions offering academic
and professional programmes at the Bachelor’s
and Master’s levels but do not award research
doctorate.
Higher Education Institutions
Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) Colleges (I and II)
- Institutions offering Bachelor’s degrees but not higher.
Associate of Arts colleges- they offer academic
and professional or occupational studies at the
Associate Degree level including public community
colleges and public and private junior colleges.
Professional school and the other specialized
institutions- institutions that offer only one or
few related courses in the professional or academic
with degree levels from associate to research doctorates.
Postsecondary vocational and technical schools-
institutions offering short non-degree training programs
of less than two years duration, leading to certificates or
diplomas in occupational specialties.
Higher Education in USA
Vocational and technical schools operate
at either the high school or junior college levels.
They teach skills such as secretarial,
auto-mechanics, photography, and nursing.
Classes begin in September and end in June of every
year. The language of instruction is English.
Educational System in New Zealand
3 types of school in New
Zealand
State-funded;
State integrated; and
Private
Core subjects in
New Zealand
English
Health and Physical Education
Language
Mathematics and Statistics
Science
Social Science
Technology
The Arts
5 competencies covered by
the National Curriculum
Thinking;
Using language, symbols, and texts-different
ways to communicate and understand
information;
Managing self-a “can-do” attitude
Relating to others-being able to listen, see
different points of view and share ideas; and
Participating and contributing-big a group
member and including others.
Basic Education in New
Zealand
Thenational curriculum includes a vision for the
young people to be confident, lifelong earners.
It also requires the importance of different
cultures to value:
• Excellence
• Innovation, inquiry and curiosity
• Diversity
• Respect
• Equity
• Community
• Ecological
• Integrity
Basic Education in New
Zealand
Schooling Level Years/Grades Age
Early Childhood Pre-school Birth-5 years
Primary school Years 1-8 5-13
Intermediate school Years 7-8 11-13
Secondary school Years 7-13 11-17 or 18
Tertiary University or Similar 17 onwards
School Term
The terms are:
Term 1- Early February until
mid-April
Term 2- Late April until the
beginning of July
Term 3- Mid-July until later
September
Term 4- Mid-October until
Mid-December
Higher Education in New
Zealand
Universities in New Zealand
A university education is open to anyone who
meets the common standards prescribed by the
New Zealand Qualifications Authority
(NZQA).
Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics
Offers courses that are equivalent in merit to those
offered as degrees in universities.
There are 20 polytechnic and technology institutes
in the country.
Higher Education in New
Zealand
Private Training Institutions and English Language
Programs
There are around 800 private education providers
in the country, may of which are offering short-term
English language courses.
These private training institutions are registered
and accredited by New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
Education System in the Philippines
Basic Education in the
Philippines (K-12)
The K-12 basic education in the Philippines
consists of Kindergarten, 6 years of Elementary,
4 years of Junior high school, and 2 years of
Senior high school.
Kindergarten became mandatory in
SY 2012-2013.
The teaching in Kindergarten is built
around six domains.
Basic Education in the
Philippines (K-12)
From Grade 1-10 is a core of academic
subjects taught using the spiral progression
approach.
The subjects from Grades 1-10 are the
Languages (Mother Tongue,Filipino, English),
Math, Science, Social studies, TLE, MAPEH.
Mother Tongue is used as the medium of
instruction from K-Grade 3 and is taught as a
subject only in Grades 1, 2 and 3.
Basic Education in the
Philippines (K-12)
In Grades 11-12, the subjects are Languages
(Filipino and English), Math, Science, Social
studies combined with TLE-Career Pathways.
The focus in Grade 11 and 12 is on the
specialization subjects that equip the learner
for the career path of his/her choice.
These career paths come in 3 tracks-
academic, techvoc and sports and arts.
Basic Education in the
Philippines (K-12)
Those who wish to continue the TLE
specialization they had in Grade 9 and Grade 10
may choose the techvoc track.
another track can be sports and arts.
Elementary Education is concerned with the
learners’ mastery of basic skills and competencies.
Philippine basic Education
ladder
Level of Schooling Age (Years) Description
Kindergarten 5 Pre-Elementary
Grade 1 6
Grade 2 7
Grade 3 8 Elementary
Grade 4 9 (6 years)
Grade 5 10
Grade 6 11
Grade 7 12 Junior High School
(4 years)
Grade 8 13
Grade 9 14
Grade 10 15
Grade 11 16 Senior High
School
Grade 12 17
(2 years)
Summary:
From the different educational systems presented,
we can say that basic education is compulsory in all
countries.
This is also true to the Philippines, this is a positive
response to global education as presented by the
United Nations.
The number of years in every level, primary or
secondary, for some countries varies.
Kindergarten or pre-school, now made compulsory by
the virtue of Republic Act 10157, institutionalizer
universal kindergarten.
For every exit level (Grade 6, Grade 10, Grade12) in the
educational structure in basic education, a student is
Certified through a diploma or a certificate of completion.
Summary:
The certificate or diploma is one of the
requirements for entrenace to higher or tertiary
education which is available in almost all
countries.
With the implementation of the K-12 in the
Philippines, the number of years in basic
education is now equal to those of other
countries in the world.
