The first schools in Australia were established by private individuals and by churches. From 1848 a dual system of schools was established. Under this system church or denominational schools were supported by government funding while at the same time a system of government-controlled ‘national’ schools was created. Between 1872 and 1895 all of the Australian colonies passed public education laws which established a system of government primary schools administered by a department of education, and at the same time the colonies started to withdraw funding from denominational schools. It was not until 1964 that the Australian Parliament passed legislation authorising financial assistance to non-government schools.
Secondary education developed much more slowly than primary education, particularly in the public sector, remaining largely private until the early twentieth century. It was not until the 1950s that government schools became the main providers of secondary education.
After the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 school education remained a State and Territory responsibility and no significant constitutional role was given to the Federal Government. Although each State and Territory exercised responsibility for its own education system, the structure which emerged had significant uniformity. By 1939 schooling was compulsory in most States between the ages of six and fifteen, but the majority of young people received only two or three years of secondary school education. During the 1950s and 1960s secondary education expanded rapidly. Until recently the last years of secondary education were seen as primarily a preparation for tertiary study and the curriculum was academically oriented. The last few decades have seen a diversification of education available in secondary education and an expansion of technical and vocational education in both the secondary and tertiary sectors.
From National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (2000) Country education profile: Australia, ‘The Australian education system: historical development'.