The education system broadly mirrors that of the UK. Australians take education seriously and Australian universities receive more taxpayer funding than many of their international counterparts. School education is compulsory from ages 5 - 15.

Australian education is divided into public (state schools) and private (independent) schools. Education in public schools is free in most states, although most schools do have a small annual voluntary fee to cover extra-curricular activities. Most public schools are co-educational. Around two thirds of secondary school students attend government secondary schools and one third attend private schools . Australian independent schools fall into two categories; schools administered by the Catholic Education Office, and other independent schools administered by their own boards. One of the poshest is the 150-year-old Geelong Grammar School in Victoria , where Prince Charles spent a term as a boarder.

The school year begins in February and is divided into four terms. Over Easter there is a ten-day break and the June/July holiday usually amounts to two or three weeks. In term three, there is a two-week holiday in September. The Christmas or summer holidays run from the beginning of December to the end of January when many families head to the beach or bush. Students attend school from Monday to Friday each week. School hours vary slightly across Australia but are generally from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm each school day.