Editing New South Wales (section)

== Education ==
{{see also|Education in Australia}}

=== Primary and secondary ===
[[File:St Stanislaus' College-Bathurst NSW.jpg|thumb|[[St Stanislaus' College (Bathurst)|St Stanislaus' College]] is a [[Secondary school|secondary]] [[Day school|day]] and [[boarding school]] in [[Bathurst, New South Wales|Bathurst]]]]
The NSW school system comprises a kindergarten to year 12 system with primary schooling up to year 6 and secondary schooling between years 7 and 12. Schooling is compulsory from before 6 years old until the age of 17 (unless Year 10 is completed earlier).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ea1990104/s21b.html|title=EDUCATION ACT 1990 – SECT 21B Compulsory school-age|website=www.austlii.edu.au|access-date=23 November 2017|archive-date=14 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114053718/http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ea1990104/s21b.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Between 1943 and 2009, schooling was only compulsory in NSW until age 15.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-01-28/not-so-fast-minimum-leaving-age-raised/275344|title=Not so fast: minimum leaving age raised|website=www.abc.net.au|access-date=23 November 2017|date=27 January 2009|archive-date=18 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418202934/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-01-28/not-so-fast-minimum-leaving-age-raised/275344|url-status=live}}</ref>

Primary and secondary schools include government and non-government schools. Government schools are further classified as comprehensive and [[Selective school (New South Wales)|selective schools]]. Non-government schools include Catholic schools, other denominational schools, and non-denominational independent schools.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

Typically, a primary school provides education from kindergarten level to year 6. A secondary school, usually called a "high school", provides education from years 7 to 12. [[College|Secondary colleges]] are secondary schools which only cater for years 11 and 12.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

The [[New South Wales Education Standards Authority|NSW Education Standards Authority]] classifies the 13 years of primary and secondary schooling into six stages, beginning with Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten) and ending with Stage 6 (years 11 and 12).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/stages/|title=STAGES|website=www.abc.net.au|access-date=23 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030619/https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/stages/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/parents/parent-guide/schooling-in-nsw|title=Schooling in NSW|website=educationstandards.nsw.edu.au|access-date=23 November 2017|archive-date=3 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803192308/http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/parents/parent-guide/schooling-in-nsw|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Public Library of New South Wales (30670032690).jpg|thumb|The [[State Library of New South Wales]]]]

==== Record of School Achievement ====
{{Main|Record of School Achievement}}

A Record of School Achievement (RoSA) is awarded by the [[New South Wales Education Standards Authority|NSW Education Standards Authority]] to students who have completed at least Year 10 but leave school without completing the [[Higher School Certificate (New South Wales)|Higher School Certificate]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ea1990104/s94.html|title=EDUCATION ACT 1990 – SECT 94 Record of School Achievement|website=www.austlii.edu.au|access-date=23 November 2017|archive-date=21 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521010840/http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ea1990104/s94.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The RoSA was introduced in 2012 to replace the former [[School Certificate (New South Wales)|School Certificate]].

==== Higher School Certificate ====
{{Main|Higher School Certificate (New South Wales)}}
The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the usual Year 12 leaving certificate in NSW. The HSC is the most popular high school credential in Australia with 75,493 students studying one or more HSC courses in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date= 3 October 2023|title=2022 HSC students overview |url=https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/about-HSC/HSC-facts-figures/overview-HSC-students |website=NSW Education Standards Authority}}</ref> Most students complete the HSC prior to entering the workforce or going on to study at university or [[TAFE]] (although the HSC itself can be completed at TAFE). The HSC must be completed for a student to get an [[Australian Tertiary Admission Rank]] (formerly [[Universities Admission Index]]), which determines the student's rank against fellow students who completed the Higher School Certificate.

=== Tertiary ===
[[File:Usydcampuspicture.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[University of Sydney]] is Australia's oldest university.]]
Eleven universities primarily operate in New South Wales. Sydney is home to Australia's first university, the [[University of Sydney]] founded in 1850. Other universities include the [[University of New South Wales]], [[Macquarie University]], [[University of Technology, Sydney]] and [[Western Sydney University]]. The [[Australian Catholic University]] has three of its seven campuses in Sydney, and the private [[University of Notre Dame Australia]] also operates a secondary campus in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dame |first=Notre |date=6 June 2018 |title=Sydney Campus |url=https://www.notredame.edu.au/about/campuses/sydney-campus |access-date=19 June 2023 |website=Notre Dame |language=en}}</ref>

Outside Sydney, the leading universities are the [[University of Newcastle, Australia|University of Newcastle]] and the [[University of Wollongong]]. Armidale is home to the [[University of New England, Australia|University of New England]], and [[Charles Sturt University]]. [[Southern Cross University]] has campuses spread across cities in the state's north coast.<ref>{{Cite web |title=our campus locations - Southern Cross University |url=https://www.scu.edu.au/study-at-scu/why-scu/locations/ |access-date=19 June 2023 |website=www.scu.edu.au |archive-date=7 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607021548/https://www.scu.edu.au/study-at-scu/why-scu/locations/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The public universities are state government agencies; however, they are largely regulated by the federal government, which also administers their public funding. Admission to NSW universities is arranged together with universities in the [[Australian Capital Territory]] by another organisation, the [[University and college admissions|Universities Admission Centre.]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Engagement |first=Universities Admissions Centre Marketing and |title=UAC - Universities Admissions Centre: Home |url=https://www.uac.edu.au/ |access-date=19 June 2023 |website=Universities Admissions Centre |language=en}}</ref>

Primarily vocational training is provided up the level of advanced diplomas is provided by the state government's ten [[Technical and Further Education]] (TAFE) institutes. These institutes run courses in 138 campuses throughout the state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Places to study - TAFE NSW |url=https://www.tafensw.edu.au/locations |access-date=19 June 2023 |website=www.tafensw.edu.au}}</ref>