Health and Educations Sectors in Australia and New Zealand
Navigating the Systems
This is a broad overview of key features of the education and health systems in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. This information is intended to help users understand the way these systems function and intersect in each jurisdiction.
Australia: Education System
The Australian education system is broadly structured as follows:
- Primary school: seven or eight years, starting at Foundation (also called kindergarten/preparatory/pre-school) through to Year 6 or 7
- Secondary school: four years from Year 7 or 8 to Year 10, followed by two years from Year 11 to 12 (senior secondary school)
- Tertiary education: includes higher education and vocational education and training (VET)
Education and training is a shared responsibility of the Australian (Federal) Government and the individual State and Territory Governments. The Australian Government, primarily through the Department of Education and Training (DET), provides majority funding for government schools and partial funding for non-government schools, along with supplementary funding for VET.
State and Territory Governments are responsible for: infrastructure and maintenance funding; the payment of teachers, principals and non-teaching staff; and the administration and management of all resources within schools. Several important organisations and agreements are focused on improving school education at a national level, including:
- The Council of Australian Governments
- The Department of Education and Training
- The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
- National Partnership Agreements
Australia: Health System
Australia’s health system is one of the best in the world, providing safe and affordable health care for all Australians. It is jointly run by all levels of Australian government – federal, state and territory, and local. There are many providers of health care in Australia, including:
- Primary care services delivered by general practitioners (GPs)
- Medical specialists
- Allied health workers
- Nurses
Medicare and the public hospital system provide free or low-cost access for all Australians to most of these health care services. Private health insurance gives people a choice outside the public system. For private health care both in and out of hospital, the patient contributes towards the cost of their health care.
New Zealand: Education System
New Zealand’s education system has three levels:
- Early childhood education: from birth to school entry age
- Primary and secondary education: from 5–19 years of age
- Further education: higher and vocational education
Early Childhood Education
Early learning helps children to be confident and curious about the world. It helps children do better when they go to school or kura, and it helps them develop important skills to become strong, happy and successful in later life. Early childhood education (ECE) isn’t compulsory in New Zealand but around 96.8% of children attend ECE. There are different types of ECE services and all learning that children experience at an ECE service or Kōhanga Reo is guided by the Te Whāriki curriculum framework.
Primary and Secondary Education
Primary and Secondary education is free between the ages of 5 and 19 at state schools (schools that are government owned and funded) for students who are a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident. Schooling is compulsory from age 6–16 yrs. Most children stay at school until 17 years of age.
The education system for schools comprises 13 Year levels. Primary education starts at Year 1 and goes to Year 8 (around 5–12 years of age). Secondary education goes from Year 9 to Year 13 (around 13–17 years of age).
School types
Most schools in New Zealand are owned and funded by the state (state schools). They teach the national curriculum and are secular (non-religious).
State-integrated schools are schools with a special character. They are funded by the government and teach the national curriculum. They have their own sets of aims and objectives to reflect their own particular values and are set within a specific philosophy or religion. Private schools receive some government funding but are mostly funded through school fees paid by families. They develop their own learning programs and do not have to follow the national curriculum.
National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the national senior secondary school qualification. Students are usually assessed during their last three years at school (Years 11–13). They can achieve NCEA at three levels in a wide range of courses and subjects.
Tertiary Education
At a senior secondary school level, students may begin to specialise in vocational learning. They can receive help obtaining work or further education from a number of programs and institutions.
Youth Guarantee
Youth Guarantee courses provide students aged 16–19 with an opportunity to study towards NCEA Level 1-3 or Level 1-3 certificates at tertiary providers free of charge. These courses are usually vocationally focused.
Trades academies
Trades academies teach trades and technology programs to students in Years 11–13 (ages 15–18). They are run through schools and other providers.
Institutes of technology
Institutes of technology and polytechnics teach professional and vocational education and training from introductory studies to degrees. Industry training organisations represent particular industries (for example, agriculture, building and construction and motor trade). They offer training and qualifications for those sectors. They funded by the government and industry.
Private training
Private training establishments offer specific vocational courses at certificate and diploma level (for example, travel and tourism).
Wānanga
New Zealand has three wānanga (state-owned Māori teaching and research institutions). They teach according to āhuatanga Māori (Māori tradition) and tikanga Māori (Māori custom). They offer certificates, diplomas and degrees. Some teach in specialised areas up to doctorate level.
Universities
New Zealand has eight state-funded universities. Each university offers degrees in a large choice of subjects and has strengths in specialised professional degrees.
All of the universities are well recognised internationally. They work with universities in other countries on research and teaching programs and with the local and international business community on research and development.
New Zealand's Health System
New Zealand’s Health System underwent major reform in 2022 and much of this is still being developed/implemented.
On the first of July, 2022, 20 District Health Boards were dissolved and a new National Health System rolled out called Te Whatu Ora. In addition, Te Aka Whai Ora (The Maori Health Authority) was created and is responsible for ensuring the health system works well for Māori, aligned with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding Bi-Cultural agreement between Māori and the Crown.
Replacing the 20 District Health Boards are ‘Health Localities’ responsible for health care services, both in-patient and out-patient in four geographical areas.
Public health care is free in NZ, funded by tax-payer dollars. This means hospital care is free and general practice services are part-charged. Some GP services are free for vulnerable groups (eg, children, those on low or no income brackets). Medications are subsidised heavily by the government and small charges apply on some prescriptions. Private healthcare is also optional in New Zealand with many private healthcare providers to choose from.
More information about the health care system can be found here.
School-Based Health Services
School-based health services in New Zealand are not universal. Those in existence are widely variable and complex in the design, delivery and funding model. With the health service reform (outlined above) and simultaneous change in the education equity system (outlined above) much change is anticipated in this space.