Queensland State High Schools

Queensland State High Schools cater for Years 8 to 12 (covering students from 12 to 17). Years 8, 9 and 10 are known as Junior and Years 11 and 12 are known as Senior. The term "Senior" is widely applied to those in Year 12. The technical term Sub-senior is sometimes encountered in relation to Year 11, but is not in widespread use.

State education system

Queensland, Australia has an extensive State education system, which is free and open to all residents, administered by and funded through a Queensland State Government Department now known as Education Queensland and also responsible for the Arts.

The system (in 2006) consisted of Preschools, Primary Schools generally called State Schools, High Schools, Special Schools (catering to the needs of those with physical and intellectual handicaps severe enough to preclude mainstreaming) and the Correspondence/Remote support service. In 2007, Preschools will be replaced by a Prep year at Primary Schools.

Naming of schools

Secondary Schools in the Education Queensland system are normally named Town/District State High School, and often referred to by their acronym eg TSHS. Unlike some other schooling systems, State High Schools in Queensland are normally not (re)named to commemorate significant individuals or historic events. A few schools (e.g. Bundamba State Secondary College) have adopted other styles of names. Some schools have been renamed from Town SHS to District SHS, this sometimes occures when smaller schools in a district are closed, and rural school bus services to the major centre provided instead.

Variations

In some rural areas, small local State High Schools cater only to years 8 to 10, with students continuing to Year 12 busing to a larger centre for their final two years. There have also been a few schools, usually in extremely remote areas, that provide Years 1 to 10 (Hightop Primary Schools), with those wishing to complete Senior usually moving to a larger centre to complete their schooling.

A very small number of State High Schools offer or have offered either dormitories or out-boarding placements, however the majority of boarding schools in Queensland are religiously affiliated, mostly Anglican, Lutheran or Catholic schools.

In recent years, some new schools have been built with a clear division between the Junior (years 8 to 10) and Senior (years 11 & 12) facilities, with the Junior sub-campus referred to as the Middle School.

Completion

Queensland Certificate of Education: Certificate of completion at the end of Year Twelve, will be considered a minimum qualification for most employment. A certificate was historically given at the conclusion of grade 10, known as the junior certificate, while the final certificate received at the conclusion of grade 12 was the senior certificate. It is now Queensland Government policy that student must remain in education, training, or work, until they are 17. It has come to be known as the earning or learning policy.

Under the previous system, Apprenticeships and other post (Junior) Secondary employment and training options, coupled with compulsory attendance only until 15 saw many students leave to enter the workforce before completing the Junior Certificate. Changes to employment conditions, compulsory education requirements and other factors have seen most students now completing Junior and attending through to Senior Certificate level. Now all students must achieve either a Queensland Certificate of Education or be working full time.

This system has only recently been applied to the state's system and so the last group of year 12's to receive the traditional "Senior Certificate" will be that to graduate at the end of 2007. Following this year all groups will receive a "Certificate of Education", the difference being that this does not show subjects which have been studied and failed, rather only subjects which have been studied and successfully passed.

Controversies

There is a proposal to bring the Queensland education system in line with those of other states by extending high school attendance requirements by one year. This would mean many students would reach legal adulthood (the age of 18), including the legal right to consume alcohol, during their final school year.

List of Queensland SHSs

A

B

C

D-J

K-L

M

N

P-S

T

U-Y

External links

Schools Directory