Editing Northern Territory (section)

===Primary and secondary===
A Northern Territory school education consists of six years of primary schooling, including one transition year, three years of middle schooling, and three years of secondary schooling. In the beginning of 2007, the Northern Territory introduced Middle School for Years 7–9 and High School for Years 10–12. Northern Territory children generally begin school at age five. On completing secondary school, students earn the [[Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training]] (NTCET). Students who successfully complete their secondary education also receive a tertiary entrance ranking, or ATAR score, to determine university admittance.

Northern Territory schools are either publicly or privately funded. Public schools, also known as state or government schools, are funded and run directly by the Department of Education.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.education.nt.gov.au/about-us|title=About us|date=22 December 2023|website=Department of Education|publisher=Northern Territory Government|access-date=23 March 2015|archive-date=27 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227161242/http://www.education.nt.gov.au/about-us|url-status=live}}</ref> Private fee-paying schools include schools run by the Catholic Church and independent schools, some elite ones similar to English [[Public school (UK)|public schools]]. Some Northern Territory Independent schools are affiliated with [[Protestant]], [[Lutheran]], [[Anglican]], [[Greek Orthodox]] or [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]]es, but include non-church schools and an Indigenous school.

As of 2009, the Northern Territory had 151 public schools, 15 Catholic schools and 21 independent schools. 39,492 students were enrolled in schools around the territory with 29,175 in public schools, and 9,882 in independent schools. The Northern Territory has about 4,000 full-time teachers.