Education in South Australia


Education in South Australia is primarily the responsibility of the South Australian Government.

Early Childhood Education

Before starting school, children attend child care, or kindergarten. This is typically between the ages of three to five.

School Education

Schooling in South Australia has two tiers, primary school and high school. Primary school ranges from reception to grade 7, and high school covers ages 13–18. High school students in Australia are eligible to complete the South Australian Certificate of Education.
Schools are run by the government, or by private concerns. The majority of private schools are run by churches. Public education is free, and while government funding is provided to private schools, parents must generally pay additional fees for their child's attendance at school.
In South Australia it is compulsory for children to be enrolled school by their sixth birthday. All people under the age of 17 are required to participate in full-time schooling, training or work for at least 25 hours per week. Under the Education Act of South Australia, parents and guardians are responsible for the regular attendance of all children in their care between the ages of 6 and 16 years.

Tertiary education

Tertiary education is principally provided by the states three public universities, three private universities, and TAFE SA. The state's three main universities are the University of Adelaide, Flinders University, and the University of South Australia.

Public universities

The public universities also have other campuses in the metropolitan area, around the state, inter-state and overseas.
Metropolitan campuses include:
Rural and regional campuses include:
Interstate campuses include:
Overseas campuses include:

Private universities

's Heinz College Australia and ETC-Australia both have campuses in Adelaide. The Heinz College, in Victoria Square, was established in 2006, and is the first American university to open a campus in Australia. ETC-Australia is located on Light Square.
CMU-Australia is co-located with the University College London's School of Energy and Resources, and world-class research and policy institutes, including Cranfield University, partner the Torrens Resilience Institute and the Australian Centre for Social Innovation.