Schools
There are government and private primary and secondary schools in Western Australia. Schools are also divided into co-educational and only for boys/girls schools, as well as boarding schools.
Primary School takes seven years to complete and children start their education at the age of six.
Lower Secondary Education takes students through Years 8 to 10 and the education is more general and focused on eight major areas, but students can choose their areas of interest from a wide variety of subjects. While in Upper Secondary School (Years 11 and 12), students choose specialised areas of study, which will help them in their future careers or further education.
At the end of Year 12 children can sit a Tertiary Entrance Examination (TEE). The TER score (Tertiary Entrance Ranking) is based on school assessment and a student's TEE result will determine their access to a university or a college in Australia and internationally. Students not wishing to continue with higher education, and instead choose to peruse a trade or other opportunities, do not have to sit the Tertiary Entrance Examination. Instead they will receive a High School Certificate as proof of their completed high school education.