a closer look on the education system of selected countries

A Closer Look on the Education System of Selected CountriesPrepared by:Mica E. SevillanoGiselle NuñezIV-BEEd

Benchmarking is learning the best from the best practices of the world’s best educational systems.

World Best Education Systems: 2015 1st Ranking

“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

Australia, called by many as the last paradise on earth, has a high quality educational system.

Many students from all over the world go to Australia to study. The educational system in Australia is similar with that of

Canada and England.


Primary Schools are for six years, high school, six years and college or university, three to six years.

High school is divided into junior high school (year 7- year 10) and senior high school (year 11- year 12) but these vary from state to state.

During the junior high school studies, most Australian students decide what to do after high school.

Students who intend to go to college or university entrance examination.

Other students may get a job after year 10 or go to a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) College to learn technical skills.


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.


After the primary school, the junior secondary level which is for four years comes next.

The age level of children in this level is from 12 to 16 years old. At the end of the junior secondary level, a Junior Secondary

Certificate of Education (Year 10 Certificate) is awarded. The government, non-government Co-Educational

Comprehensive/Multi-Purpose High School provides junior secondary level of education.


A senior secondary level is provided for two years after the junior secondary level.

Students are from 16 to 18 years old in this level. Senior secondary level is no longer compulsory education. It is being offered by government and non-government

providers. A senior Secondary Certificate of Education (Year 12 Certificate) is awarded at the end of the senior secondary level.


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.


Australian universities are autonomous self-accredited institutions established by Federal, State or Territory legislation.

Academic year in Australia begins with the undergraduate level. To be admitted, a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education is required. The main stage of the university education leads to a bachelor's degree.


Undergraduate studies last between three, (Arts, Science, Commerce) four years (Education, Engineering) five years, (Veterinary Science, Dentistry, Architecture) and six years (Medicine and Surgery) full time.

Arts and Science usually offer either a bachelor's degree (Pass) obtained in four years. An honours degree is normally required for university level second stage: postgraduate studies.


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.


A student who has qualified for a bachelor's degree (honours) may proceed to study for doctorate usually Ph.D. , higher doctorate in science (DSsc) or Humanities (DLitt) upon submission of published work are awarded the degrees.

Educational System of China

Educational System of China The most populous country of the world is China. With 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 subject matter and instructional contents are uniform for all.

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.


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)


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 education2. Three years of junior middle school, three years of senior middle

school3. Six years of university4. Varieties of technical and vocation schools.

Educational System 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)

The Japanese educational system is sometimes seen as a model of how operate schools. The system gives a mental picture of obedient, quiet school children sitting on their desks, listening to the teacher and working hard to pass various entrance examinations.

Basic Education in Japan

The Japanese educational system is divided into five basic levels: kindergarten, elementary school (six years) lowers secondary school (three years) upper secondary (three years) and university (usually around four years).

In Japan, education is free and compulsory for children 6 to 15 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.


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.


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.

The upper secondary schools are ranked based on their success in placing graduating students into prestigious universities.

Higher Education in Japan

Junior colleges by women who want to pursue courses stress home economics, nursing, teaching, humanities and social science.

There are various universities that students can attend in Japan. Private institutions make up 80% of university enrollments although the public schools have the most prestige.


To get into the universities (there are more than 500) the student must take two exams; the first one is a national achievement test and the second one is given by the university itself.

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.


60% of the universities have graduate schools, but only seven percent of university graduate gets Master's degrees.

At the doctorate level, students enroll in medical programs and the humanities.


Japanese education relies upon examinations to determine which schools the student will go to next, resulting in a push by students and parents (usually mothers) for their children to study very hard for the test so that he or she can get into the best schools.

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,1. public ordinary school education,2. independent school education, 3. special school education, 4. technical college education, 5. teacher training and university

training.


A public school may be an ordinary public school or a public school for learners with special educational needs.

The levels are pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education.


Compulsory General Education and Training (GET) covers the reception year, Grades R to Grades IX.

The General Education and Training corresponds to Level 1 of the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and is divided into three phases: foundation (Grades R-III) intermediate (Grades-VI) and senior (Grades VII-IX). As a rule, children start primary education is divided into junior primary (Grades I-III) and senior primary (Grades IV-VI).


Grades VII-IX is the last stage of compulsory education and will lead to General Education and Training Certificate. Further Education and Training (FET) or senior secondary education (Grades X-XII) is not compulsory. At the end of Grade XII, students sit a public examination leading to senior Certificate. Technical secondary education which generally lasts for three years are offered in technical centers, high schools and vocational schools.


The eight learning areas that form the basis of all basic education up to the Further Education Training(FET) Certificate are:

1. Language, Literacy and Communication2. Mathematical Literacy, mathematics and Mathematical Science3. Natural Science4. Technology5. Human and Social Science6. Economics and Management Science7. Arts and Culture8. 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/AIDS education.

Educational System in United Kingdom

In England, education is compulsory for children ages 5-16. Most children attend primary schools until they are eleven and

the transfer to secondary schools. In the primary school the subjects are taught by the same teacher for a year before moving on to the next teacher and next grade level on the next year.

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 Key Stage One Key Stage Two Key Stage Three Key Stage Four Post 16 Education

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.

Other statutory areas are religious education, the format of which is decided by local education authorities (LEA’S) or by the faith in which the school was founded.

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. Some secondary schools go beyond the 11-16 mandates to 11-

18 and the student may stay there. If the high school does not offer these ‘Sixth Form’ extra years, the student may go to a “Further Education College” (FEC).

The following certificates or diploma can be awarded in the Post 16 Education.

o General Certificate of Education (GCE), a level comprising advanced subsidiary (AS) and A2, each of these usually containing three assessed units.

o Vocational Certificate of Education (VCE) --- a level, dealing with the more applied aspects of the subject; they are available in three, six, and twelve unit sizes; they replaced the advanced

o General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs).o Foundation and Intermediate GNVQ are widely used 16-19.o Key skills qualifications at levels 1-4 of the National

Qualifications framework.

Higher Education in United Kingdom

In 1992, the binary divide in the higher education system was abolished. Former polytechnics became universities enabling them to award their own degrees.

Divisions continue to label pre-1992 universities as the “old” universities and the former polytechnics as the “new” universities. Universities are not only concerned with the undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

Higher education system in the UK needs to include reference to the Open University as a major provider of the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for adults.

The Open University pioneered the way for opening access by offering greater flexibility for adult learners through distance learning programs.


Students studying at a university for their first degree are called “undergraduates”.

Once a student has graduated, he/she becomes a “graduate” of the university.

Ordinary degree programmes in the UK universities are usually 3-year courses.

Undergraduates completing these programmes successfully are awarded either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) degrees are not permitted to place B.A. or B.Sc after their names.


Honours degree programmes are usually four-year courses. The degree title is extended to B.A. (Hons.) and B.Sc. (Hons.), respectively.

Masters degree is usually achieved after two more years study following an Ordinary or an Honour degree.

The students are awarded M.A. or M.Sc.


A doctorate is normally awarded after several years (three years full time) of research under the direction of a member of a department of a possession of a doctorate and the presentation of a doctoral dissertation or thesis.

Educational System in United States of America

Pre-primary education

types of school providing this education are kindergartens, nursery schools, preschool programmes, and child/day care centers.

Age level is 4-6 years old and the duration is 2 years.

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

Middle school education

Grades 4-6, 5-7, or 6-8. Age level is from 10-14 Length of the program is 3 years.

Secondary education

high school Grades 7-12 or 8-12 Ages 12-18 years old High school diploma is awarded 2 levels

Junior high school Grades 7-8, 7-9, or 8-9

Ages 12-14 years old Senior high school Grades 9-12, or 10-12 Ages 14-18 years old.

Duration of compulsory education is from entry of 6 years old to exit of 18 years old.

Higher Education in USA

Higher education in the U.S. begins at the post secondary education.

It is diverse and autonomous community of publicly and privately supported institutions.

Current data states that there are some 2,819 institutions offering Bachelor’s or higher degrees and 4,927 institutions offering shorter non degrees of two years duration.

These higher education institutions are classified according to the following categories:

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.


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.


Post secondary education- there is no real age categories for post secondary education.

American students starts college right after completing high school (About 60% of all students who graduate from high school enter college at some point in their life), Junior and technical colleges are designed to be 4- year programs at the undergraduate level.

In reality, the average American takes over 6 years to finish a four year degree.

The reason is that more than 50% of college freshmen do not know what major or specialization they wish to study. Also many students work to pay for college expenses. Thus, they may take fewer classes in order to work.


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.


College and University education- a college usually has a Bachelor’s (4 year) program. A university may be composed of several colleges.

Universities often have graduate programs as well. For most purposes, a Bachelor’s degree from a college is equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from a University, so that the two words “college” and “university” mean the same thing to most Americans.

Classes begin in September and end in June of every year. The language of instruction is English.

Educational System in New Zealand

New Zealand education system is a world-class, modern and responsive.

It combines proven, traditional principles of education with innovation, creativity and fresh thinking to produce learners and citizens equipped for the 21st century.

Basic Education in New Zealand

School is compulsory for all children in New Zealand from age 6-16.

Children are eligible fro free education if they are New Zealand citizens or residents, or if they qualify as domestic students.

The average number of students to a teacher in every classroom is 18-1 in primary schooling and 15-1 in secondary schooling in state schools.

There are three types of schools in New Zealand.

3 types of school in New Zealand

State-funded; State integrated; and Private


There is a national curriculum which is set out as a learning requirements for all state schools.

In the basic education there are key competencies and shared vision, principles and values.

Core subjects in New Zealand

English Health and Physical Education Language Mathematics and Statistics Science Social Science Technology The Arts


Secondary schools may add other subjects such as accounting, art history, media studies and specialized science and language studies.

There are five competencies covered by the national curriculum.

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.


The national 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


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

Primary school

New Zealand law requires all children aged 6 years and over to be in schools.

Most begin as they turn 5 years old. For the first three years in primary education, one grade level

each year, children are moved to another five more years before going to secondary school.

Secondary schools

Students progress through five levels and must stay until age 17-18.

In the first two years of secondary, grade 9 and 10, all students learn English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Studies, Arts, Physical Education and Health Education.

Optional subjects in the first two years of secondary schools may include Economics, History, Geography, Electronics, Sewing, Keyboard skills, drama, journalism, French, Japanese and Maori.

Secondary schools

In the last 3 years of secondary school, there is a wide range of subjects to choose from.

Years 12 and 13, the last two years, may suit overseas students who wish to progress to tertiary education in New Zealand.

There is a National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCAE) in New Zealand’s national qualification for secondary students.

There are three NCAE qualifications:• Level 1• Level 2• Level 3

School Term

The New Zealand school year is divided into four terms for primary, intermediate and secondary schools.

Students have six week summer holiday break and three two-week breaks between each of the four terms.

The exact dates change from year-year. School day usually begins at 9:00 am and ends at 3:00 pm or

3:30 pm.

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 There are 8 government-funded universities in New Zealand and all

have internationally respected academic and research standards. A university education is open to anyone who meets the common

standards prescribed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

However universities often have higher entry criteria for specific courses like medicine, dentistry

Students can work towards bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees as well as diplomas at various levels.

Higher Education in New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics

State-owed Offers courses that are equivalent in merit to those offered as

degrees in universities. There are 20 polytechnic and technology institutes in the country. They also offer short term courses that may be begin any time of

the year. Colleges of Education in most cases are merged with regional

universities. Course content and start dates are synchronized with the

Universities.


There is a close relationship between the Colleges of Education and the Ministry of Education in the in-service training of teachers which are available on site or on-line.

Short term courses are being offered for the professional development of teachers.

there is a very strong program to develop indigenous culture and education.

Most College of Education have extended their services to public schools in their areas.

The public school teachers also in the development of the pre-service teachers by acting as mentor during their teaching practicum.


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. Some also offer courses in specific areas like business, computing

ad design. 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.


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.

Science as a subject is taught only beginning Grade 3. TLE is taught starting Grade 4 until Grade 10.


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.

Those college bound choose the academic specialization.


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. Secondary education is geared towards the consolidation of

these knowledge and skills mastered at the elementary level and is focused on equipping the learner with employable gainful skills or preparing him/her for middle level skills development or higher education.

Philippine basic Education ladder

Level of Schooling

Age (Years) Description

Kindergarten 5 Pre-ElementaryGrade 1 6

Elementary (6 years)

Grade 2 7Grade 3 8Grade 4 9Grade 5 10Grade 6 11Grade 7 12 Junior High

School(4 years)Grade 8 13

Grade 9 14Grade 10 15Grade 11 16 Senior High

School(2 years)Grade 12 17

Higher Education in the Philippines

Students who graduate in high school consisting of four years may proceed to colleges, universities or technical vocational institutions, which are classified as higher education institutions.

Higher education institutions are supervised by a government agency called the Commision on Higher Education or CHED.


Majority of the higher education institutions in the country require entrance examination for admission to college degree programs.

Most college degree programs are four years for baccalaureate degrees.

Other highly specialized field like medicine and law take around eight years to complete.


For technical vocation education or post secondary education, there are two-year courses.

Most of the college degree programs require passing a licensure examination for the specific profession. (Nursing, Dentistry, Medical Technology, Medicine, Engineering and Teaching)

The examination are given by the Professiional Regulation Commission (PRC) while for law, the examination is given by the Supreme Court.


After completing the bachelor’s or baccalaureate degrees, courses in the masters program of two years and doctoral program for three years are offered by authorized colleges and universities.

Most of these institutions have admission requirements for the specific degrees.

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.

Summary:

For advanced higher education, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees are offered in many colleges and universities of the countries.

You can also get enrolled for your own graduate degrees in these colleges and universities here or abroad.

Reference:

Bilbao, P.P; Corpuz, B.B; Llagas, A.T; Salandanan G.G.(2012). The Teaching profession. 2nd Ed. Metro, Manila, Philippines. LORIMAR publishing, Inc.