Curious as to the Australian education system - is it set up like the UK where HS students begin to specialize during their last two years and typically do three year college degrees because they arrive already having determined their college major and done a year or more of college level course work? Or is it more like the US with general education continuing into their first years in college?
Not like England. A little closer to the US model (Australian student development has started to slip along side the US as well unfortunately), except in the transition to University.
It's a four year general studies sort of thing. There isn't even a compulsory math requirement in high school...which is ridiculous. In order to graduate, and pass on to university, kids have to get a HSC (Higher School Certificate) for a numer of subjects. These are tough tests from a competitive and scope standpoint, much moreso than the SAT/ACT. If you want to do well, you really have to prepare.
The result is that only the kids who do really well in their respective subjects are admitted to a specific University course of study. Generally, kids know what program they are going to do before enrolling (their HSCs determine it). So, if you don't do well on the math HSC, you'll never get into a University Actuarial course of study, for example.
The end result is that less kids go to University, and those that do, are much more ready/focused on what they are trying to do than in the US (where kids just show up at college...because). I think this also leads graduates of Aussie Unis to be better prepared for the real world afterwards. I was shocked at watching some of the recent grads come through and being almost 'plug and play' in the working world.
Part of the reason for this is that Australia has a much higher emphasis on sending kids to TAFE (Technical and Further Education) programs. These are tertiary colleges funded by State and Federal govts which offer degrees/certs covering everything under the sun: hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, secretarial skills, visual arts, computer programming, accounting, marketing/PR , community work...etc. You can get advanced degrees from these colleges or sometimes partial credit towards bachelor degrees from regular Unis.
They are sort of similar to community colleges, but they offer better/broader educational opportunities, and are more respected than what you find in the US. The trades in general are more emphasized over there. Australians put far more kids into vocational training than just sending them off to Uni to get some general 'Australian Studies' degree.
Ultimately, this yields to a higher quality, general level of University education across the board. It's not watered down, so to speak.
#lessonlearned
Darn guy Geno, all he wants to do is win...what's wrong with the man?
Come on lighten up just a little, it is not that serious. Butler could chose to leave because she has completed her degree, that is not quitting it is called graduating.
