General education in Western Australia
The Western Australian education system is split into five
different phases of schooling — Early Childhood (Kindergarten to Year 2),
Middle to Late Childhood (Years 3 to 6), Early Adolescence (Years 7 to 8),
Middle Adolescence (Years 9 to 10) and Late Adolescence/Early Adulthood (Years
11 to 12). In the Early and Middle Childhood years, the emphasis is on literacy
and numeracy skills. When students move into Late Childhood and Early
Adolescence, the focus shifts to include all eight learning areas. In Middle
Adolescence, there is increased emphasis on choosing learning pathways and
building individual learning needs before students focus on their own
strengths, interests and goals in senior secondary years as they work towards
the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).
Western Australian curriculum in Years 7 to 12
The Western Australian Curriculum for Pre-primary to Year 10
includes the Australian Curriculum for English, Mathematics, Science and
History. The next phase of the rollout will see Humanities and Social Science
and Health and Physical Education implemented in 2017. The Arts, Technologies
and Languages will the follow on in 2018.
In Years 11 and 12, students complete the Western Australian
Certificate of Education.
