About Victorian Government Schools
Victorian Government Schools provide world class education for both primary and secondary school students.
Victorian Government Schools help international students learn English quickly and provide a high quality educational environment. Parents can be assured their son or daughter will receive individual and patient tuition giving them the English language and other skills they need to succeed in their academic studies.
The International Student Program in Victorian Government Schools includes over 100 DEECD accredited secondary schools. 90 of these are detailed in the book, Right School Right Place 2008 (PDF - 7.3Mb) and in the choose a school function on this website.
Victorian Government Schools have a broad-based education curriculum, ensuring a healthy balance between academic achievement and cultural, social and sporting activities.
In Years 11 and 12, students at a Victorian Government School study the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). The VCE is the official secondary school qualification which allows entry to all Australian universities and to many of the best universities in the world.
Victorian Government Schools offer the following programs:
- Primary School (Preparatory Year - Year 6) ages 5-13
- Junior Secondary School (Years 7-10) ages 13-17
- Senior Secondary School (Years 11-12) ages 17-19
- Victorian School of Language courses
- Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (Years 7-12) ages 13-19
Why choose a Victorian Government School?
- 92% of Victorian Government School international students who applied for a university place in Australia received an offer;
- Victoria is home to more tertiary educated professionals than any other state in Australia;
- Highly qualified and skilled teaching staff;
- Specialist English Language Centres feature at schools with half year courses designed for school students;
- Homestay and airport pickup is arranged on request; and
- Dedicated and caring International Student Coordinators at every school.
School dates
2008
- Term 1: 29 January to 20 March
- Term 2: 7 April to 27 June
- Term 3: 14 July to 19 September
- Term 4: 6 October to 19 December
2009
- Term 1: 28 January to 3 April
- Term 2: 20 April to 26 June
- Term 3: 13 July to 18 September
- Term 4: 5 October to 18 December
2010
- Term 1: 27 January to 26 March
- Term 2: 12 April to 25 June
- Term 3: 12 July to 17 September
- Term 4: 4 October to 17 December
Curriculum
The VCE offers students a choice of over 40 subjects plus additional vocational subjects and languages at most schools. The most common subjects include:
- The Arts
- English, including English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Health and Physical Education
- Languages Other than English (LOTE)
- Mathematics
- Science
- Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE)
The Arts
- Art
- Dance
- Drama
- Media
- Music performance
- Music styles
- Studio Arts
- Theatre studies
- Visual communication and design
English, including English as a Second Language (ESL)
Health and Physical Education
- Health and human development
- Physical education
- Outdoor and environmental education
Languages Other Than English (LOTE)
- Most schools offer 2-3 languages other than English, commonly these are French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian and Indonesian
- Most schools offer students the opportunity to study a language they choose through the Victorian School of Languages, which offer 46 different languages including Latin
Mathematics
- General mathematics
- Further mathematics
- Mathematical methods
- Specialist mathematics
Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Environmental science
- Agricultural and horticultural studies
- Psychology
- Food and technology
Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE)
- Geography
- History (too numerous to list all histories available)
- Australian
- Renaissance Italy
- Revolutions
- Business management
- Classical societies and culture
- Contemporary Australian society
- Industry and enterprise
- Literature
- International studies
- Legal studies
- Political studies
- Societies and cultures
- Accounting
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Religion and society
Technology
- Information systems and technology
- Information processing and management
- Systems and technology
- Design and technology
