Overseas Study 
AUSTRALIA- BACKGROUND
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands,Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the southeast.
For some 40,000 years before European settlement commenced in the late 18th century, the Australian mainland and Tasmania were inhabited by around 250 individual nations of indigenous Australians. After European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, the eastern half of Australia was claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, founded in 1788. During the 19th century another five Crown Colonies were established, and the six colonies became a federation on 1 January 1901, thus forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a member of the UK Commonwealth.
The population of Australia is almost 21.9 million, with approximately 60% concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
Australia is a developed country, with a prosperous multicultural society and has excellent results in many international comparisons of national performance such as health care, life expectancy, quality-of-life, human development, public education, economic freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights. Australian cities routinely rank among the world's highest in terms of liveability, cultural offerings, and quality of life. It is a member of the United Nations, G-20 major economies, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, OECD, and the WTO.
In 2001, the five largest groups of the 23.1% of Australians who were born overseas were from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Vietnam, and China. In 2005–06, more than 131,000 people emigrated to Australia, mainly from Asia and Oceania. The migration target for 2006–07 was 144,000. The total immigration quota for 2008–09 is around 300,000—its highest level since the Immigration Department was created after World War II.
EDUCATION SYSTEM
SCHOOLS
Government schools: the Australian government schools prepare students for the State Certificate of Education. Each state has its own Certificate, but all states recognise each others’ qualifications for the purpose of admitting students to Universities. Some schools are starting to offer the International Baccalaureate as an alternative to the national system.
Government schools can accept international students but they must live with an approved host family and have guardianship while they are under 18.
Private Schools: There are are many private schools in Australia, mostly day schools, which arrange host families for international students. A few offer boarding but it is not so common. Private schools generally have fewer students in a class, and offer a high standard of education. Many offer the International Baccalaureate as an alternative to the national system. Many private school also have ELICOS and study skills preparation for international students, and some now also offer a one year pathway called the Global Assessment Certificate (GAC). International students under the age of 18 must have a government-approved guardian.
COLLEGES
Private Colleges and Pathway Programmes: there is a wide range of private colleges in Australia for students aged 16 and above, offering Foundation and Diploma, English language and Pre-Masters programmes. Many are operated by large educational groups such as Study Group, Kaplan, Navitas etc. There are colleges in most major cities in Australia and many are also located on the campuses of popular Universities, offering direct pathways into those Universities. Some colleges offer “Fast-Track” pathways into Universities allowing students to go directly from school in Vietnam to University in Australia by following special Foundation and Diploma pathway programmes which help students save time and money. Others focus on preparing students for entry to the “Group of 8” top Australian Universities.
Vocational colleges: there are many private colleges which offer vocational, as well as academic programmes and students can follow courses in practical subjects such as Patisserie, Child Care, Hairdressing etc. as well as Business, IT etc. They often arrange work placements and students have a chance to earn money by studying in this way.
TAFE- these government colleges of further education bridge the gap between school and work or higher education by offering a wide range of vocational programmes in practical subjects. Students can study at different levels until they reach the qualification they need for work. Some courses may allow progression to University on completion of studies.
UNIVERSITIES
There are 44 government accredited Universities in Australia. Some of these may also offer their degree programmes through private colleges. The highest ranked, research-led institutions in Australia are known as the “Group of 8” Universities: the University of Sydney, UNSW, Melbourne University, the Australian National University, Adelaide University, the University of Queensland, the University of Tasmania and the University of Western Australia. 7 of these are in the world top 100 Universities.
Undergraduate degrees in Australia are of 2 types: “ordinary” degrees and “honours” degrees and take 3 or 4 years to complete. Postgraduate degrees are for holders of undergraduate degrees and often require work experience. For those who do not have the qualifications to enter a postgraduate programme directly, there are Graduate Certificate and Diploma programmes which can also be completed as qualifications in their own right. There are increasing numbers of international pre-masters programmes, including English, available as well.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOLS (ELICOS)
English as a Foreign Language (ELICOS) is a major requirement of all programmes for international students, and Australian Schools, Colleges and Universities prefer students to come into Australia for at least one ELICOS course before starting their main programmes. ELICOS is widely available in language schools, schools, colleges and Universities that welcome international students.
