Tag Archives: Australia

According to collegesanduniversitiesinusa, Australia’s educational history is long and varied. Before the arrival of the British, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had established a unique system of education with its own language, customs, and values. It was based on the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next through storytelling, art, dance and music. With the arrival of Europeans in the 1700s, formal education in Australia began to take shape. Schools were founded by churches and later by governments as a way to teach basic literacy skills to children. The first university was established in Sydney in 1850 and by 1900 there were four universities operating across Australia. In 1989 Australia adopted an eight-year primary schooling system followed by four years of secondary schooling for all children aged 6-15 years old. This was followed by a further two years of senior secondary schooling for those students who wished to pursue further study at tertiary level. Today there are over 40 universities throughout the country offering a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees as well as Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses in areas such as hospitality, engineering, health sciences and many more. Additionally, there are numerous private colleges offering specialised courses such as language learning or culinary arts. Education is now highly valued within Australian society with an emphasis placed on lifelong learning – something that has been strongly encouraged by both state and federal governments over recent decades. Australia in 2009 was a prosperous and vibrant country. The population of the country was just over 21 million people and it had a strong economy with a GDP of over 1 trillion dollars. The government at the time was led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and he had been in power since 2007. Australia enjoyed a high standard of living, with healthcare, education, employment and infrastructure all well developed. The country also had strong ties to many other nations around the world and was an active member in international organisations such as the United Nations, G20, APEC and OECD. In terms of culture, Australia was known for its laidback lifestyle and its unique wildlife. It also boasted beautiful beaches which were popular tourist destinations as well as various national parks where visitors could explore some of the nation’s unique flora and fauna. Australians were renowned for their relaxed attitude towards life which has been reflected in their language; ‘no worries mate’ being one of the most common expressions heard around the country. In 2009 there were significant changes taking place in Australian society including the introduction of new laws such as same-sex marriage legislation which allowed gay couples to marry for the first time ever in Australia. Additionally, new laws were introduced to protect Indigenous Australians from racial discrimination; something that had been an issue for many years prior to this point. Overall, Australia in 2009 was a prosperous nation that offered its citizens high quality living standards while still maintaining its laidback lifestyle and unique wildlife attractions that made it such an attractive place to live or visit. Check internetsailors for Australia in 2011.