Each country has its own way of structuring its education system. The student counsellor needs to know these structures, and be able to explain to prospective students how they differ from the home country’s system and from each other. This is particularly important when planning learning pathways for students.

Most destination countries will have childcare, primary and secondary school, vocational training, and tertiary education sectors of some form for the local population. How each country structures each of these sectors may differ in terms of the age range of its students, the way the sector is governed and funded, the makeup of its institutions, and the type and quality of qualifications it issues. In addition, there will usually be a second-language sector catering to international students.

The student counsellor should know the equivalence of qualifications between the destination and home countries. This will allow him/her to advise prospective students about whether their existing qualifications are recognised in the destination country, and whether the destination country’s qualifications are recognised in the home country. He/she should know what the various sectors are called in the destination country, the age range, articulation points, entry requirements, etc.

Before School

Before formal schooling, most countries have some form of childcare. The availability and cost of childcare may be important to adult international students who want to take their children with them while they are studying. This sector usually has two subsectors:

Childcare: Age 1–5. Crèche, nursery school, kindergarten, childcare centre.
Pre-school: Age 3–6. Pre-school, prep school, kindergarten, nursery school.

Primary and Secondary School

In most destination countries, primary and secondary education is divided into some variations of elementary, middle, and high school. For example, a 6–3–3 system has six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and three years of high school. A 7–3–2 system has seven years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and two years of high school.

Elementary School: Age 5–12. Elementary school, primary school, grade school.
Middle School: Age 11–15. Middle school, junior high school.
High School: Age 14–18. High school, senior high school, and secondary school.

Vocational and Technical Training

Age 15+. Vocational college, technical college, polytech, junior college, community college, apprenticeships. After formal schooling, most countries provide some form of post-secondary vocational training for school leavers, people entering or re-entering the workforce, and those wishing to upgrade their skills qualifications.

Vocational and technical education colleges
Apprenticeships
Industry training

Tertiary Education

Age 17+. University, polytechnic institute, institute of technology, college of advanced education. Tertiary education includes universities and similar institutions offering advanced education (i.e., degree-level and above).

Undergraduate: Age 17+.
Post-graduate: Age 20+.

Language Schools

In the second-language sector, language schools specialise in teaching the national language of the country to international students.

Other

Speciality colleges (e.g., religious colleges, sports institutes) may offer specialised programmes for international students. Distance and online learning programmes may be available.

Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:

What is the structure of the education system?
What education is available to international students?
What is the relative status, cost, recognition, etc. of education?

Public and Private Education

The student counsellor should be able to advise prospective students about the differences between public and private education in the destination country. Public education is run by the government primarily for the local population but may offer fee-paying places to international students. Private education may mirror public education (e.g., religious or parochial schools), or may provide education in niche markets (e.g., language and specialty schools). Private education providers may be large or small organisations, non-profit or fully commercial.

The relative quality, cost, and accessibility of public and private education will vary among destination countries. In some countries (and sectors), private education has a higher status than public education; in other countries/sectors, the reverse is true. The student counsellor should identify the relative standing of public and private education in the destination country, and know how each is regulated and monitored by government or regulatory agencies.

Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:

What public education is available to international students?
What private education is available to them?
What is the relative status, cost, recognition, etc. of public and private education?

Regulation and Accreditation

The student counsellor should be aware of how the education system in the destination country is governed, and how this relates to its structure. Each sector in the education system may be regulated by different authorities, and the student counsellor will need to know these authorities and their requirements with regard to enrolling international students. In addition, he/she will need to be familiar with how the institutions in each sector are accredited and monitored for quality.

Regulation systems and requirements are discussed in A3 Regulatory Systems and A4 Legal Requirements.

Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:

How is the education system governed?
What accreditation systems are there?
How effective are they?

Institution Types

The types of institutions within each sector of a destination country’s education system are likely to be shaped by the structure of the system and have characteristics unique to the country. While their names may vary, institution types can be categorised functionally according to their role in the education system. The student counsellor should be able to tell prospective students what the various institutions are called in the destination country, the age range, articulation points, entry requirements, class sizes, school hours, etc.

Before School

Childcare: (Age 1–5. Crèche, nursery school, kindergarten, childcare centre.) Childcare increasingly involves a structured play and learning environment in which children’s mental and physical growth is facilitated through a planned range of developmental activities. Childcare organisations are regulated differently in different countries. The availability and cost of childcare may be important to adult international students who want to take their children with them while they are studying.

Pre-school: (Age 3–6. Pre-school, prep school, kindergarten, nursery school.) Pre-school typically prepares children for elementary school. Pre-school organisations are regulated differently in different countries. The availability and cost of preschool may be important to adult international students whose children accompany them to a study destination.

School

Elementary School: (Age 5–12. Elementary school, primary school, grade school.) The first six or seven years of formal education in most countries. Countries which accept international students in elementary schools usually have strict conditions regarding their guardianship. Adult international students may wish to enrol accompanying children in an elementary school.

Middle School: (Age 11–15. Middle school, junior high school.) Usually the next three years of formal education and the first two or three years of secondary schooling. After finishing middle school, students may continue on to senior high school, quit school and begin working, or undertake an apprenticeship or vocational education. Countries usually have strict conditions regarding the guardianship of international students enrolled in middle schools. Adult international students may wish to enrol their children in middle school.

High School: (Age 14–18. High school, senior high school, secondary school.) Usually the final two or three years of secondary education. After finishing high school, students may continue on to college or university, begin working, or undertake an apprenticeship or vocational education. There are usually strict conditions regarding the guardianship of international students in high schools. Parents may wish to enrol their children in a foreign high school because of superior education in the destination country or shortcomings in the home country, or as a pathway to higher education in the destination country. Adult international students may wish to enrol their children in high school.

Post-secondary

Vocational and Technical Training: (Age 15+. Vocational college, technical college, polytech, junior college, community college, apprenticeships). This sector encompasses a broad range of training programmes from basic job skills through to semi-professional certification. Courses available to international students vary widely in terms of content, length, delivery, and cost. Qualifications may include different forms of proficiency statements, certificates, and diplomas. Training organisations are regulated differently in different countries. Generally, countries with a strong regulatory framework with a clear set of quality standards (e.g., ISO, AQTF) will have better quality programmes. However, they may be more expensive and have more complex entry requirements.

International students enrol in vocational and technical training for a variety of reasons. For some students, experiencing the society of the destination country will be a more important motivation than the certification gained from a course. For others, the skills and qualifications may be crucial for their career development, or for articulation into university study.

University: (Age 17+. University, polytechnic institute, institute of technology, college of advanced education.) There is considerable variation in universities and the range and content of programmes they offer. Universities may be large or small, metropolitan or regional, teaching- or research-oriented, and public or private. They are usually organised into faculties and schools based on teaching and research disciplines. The academic year may be divided into two or three semesters and starts at different times in different countries.

University programmes are divided into undergraduate and post-graduate studies. Courses can vary considerably in form, entry requirements, duration, and method of assessment.

Undergraduate: (Age 17+.) University undergraduate programs are the first stage of tertiary education and the basis for entry into a profession. The basic university qualification is a bachelor’s degree, which may be of three or four years’ duration. In some education systems, an extra “honours” year can be added to the basic bachelor’s degree. Some universities also offer semi-professional qualifications (e.g., certificate, diploma) similar to the vocational training sector.

Post-graduate: (Age 20+.) Post-graduate programmes may include: graduate certificate (six months), graduate diploma (12 months), master’s degree (coursework or research, one to two years), doctoral degree (i.e., Doctor of Philosophy or PhD, usually three years). Generally (but not always), graduate certificates, diplomas, and many coursework-oriented master’s degrees are considered professional qualifications. Research master’s and doctoral degrees are the normal progression for an academic career (although it is possible in some universities to articulate directly from a bachelor’s degree with honours to a PhD).

Language Schools

Language schools are dedicated colleges or centres which focus on teaching the national language of a country to international students. For example, English is taught in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Malta, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; meanwhile, European and Asian languages are taught in their respective countries. Generally, courses may be from one to 52 weeks. Depending on the length and type of a course, a language student may need a visitor visa, a student visa, or a working holiday visa.

Students can enrol for stand-alone courses or as the first step in a pathway leading to courses in the other sectors. For example, a student may need to improve their language proficiency before being accepted into a vocational or university course.

Language schools come in all shapes and sizes: metropolitan or regional, large or small, private- or government-operated, and independent or attached to another learning institute. Cost and quality can vary considerably.

In addition to general language proficiency courses, language schools may offer specialised courses for academic purposes, secondary school preparation, exam preparation, or more specific purposes such as business or other sector. They may also offer short courses (e.g., summer intensive courses, study tours, or intensive specialised courses).

The student counsellor needs to understand the regulatory and accreditation framework for language schools in the destination country and be able to explain to prospective students its effect on the cost and quality of courses. In addition, he/she should be able to take into account differing student motivations (e.g., life experience or career development) when recommending institutions.

Other

Speciality Colleges: Specialty colleges are institutions which provide specialised programmes (e.g., religious colleges or sports institutes). They are not usually part of the local formal secular education system; for example, bible colleges and golf academies are forms of speciality college. They may come in many forms and sizes and may offer a range of programmes. Cost and quality can vary considerably.

Foundation Programmes: Foundation programmes (also foundation years or university preparation courses) are designed to bring students up to the requirements for entry into a post-secondary institution. They are offered by a diverse range of institutions. When planning learning pathways, the student counsellor should check that foundation programmes are recognised by the institutions which prospective students wish to enter.

Distance and Online Learning: Distance or online courses may have identical content as offered face-to-face in a destination country. However, international students cannot normally get a student visa to study in such courses.

Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:

What are the various sectors and their institutions called in the destination country?
What age range do they cater for?
What are their articulation points and entry requirements?
What is the relative status, cost, recognition, etc of the institutions?

Student Facilities

The quality of buildings and equipment varies greatly among destination countries and between institutions within a destination country. As a general rule, the higher the quality of an institution’s buildings and equipment, the more likely its cost will be higher and its outcomes better (although not necessarily). The quality of buildings will often be related to the government’s investment in universities, and whether the institution is public or private. Prospective students’ motivations and means will determine the optimal balance between cost and quality for them.

When evaluating institutions, the student counsellor should check the size and capacity of buildings, classrooms, laboratories, and other learning spaces, as well as how up-to-date they are and how appropriate for prospective students’ needs. In addition, he/she should check the availability, currency, and appropriateness of learning resources, library resources, IT resources, and any specialised equipment needed.

Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:

How does the quality of buildings and equipment compare with other destination countries?
What is the relative quality between institutions within the destination country?
What is the size and capacity of buildings, classrooms, laboratories, and other learning spaces at institutions in the destination country?
What learning, library, IT, and other resources are available?

Support Systems

Support systems for international students may include services provided by individual institutions, consumer protection and civil laws, and social, health and welfare assistance available in the destination country. In addition, most countries mandate guardianship and welfare requirements for students who are minors.

The student counsellor should check that institutions have appropriate academic counselling for international students, and provide personal support (accommodation, lifestyle, social, health and welfare, legal) either directly or by referral.

Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:

What support services are available for international students?
How are they accessed by international students? What do they cost?
What support services are mandatory for minors (e.g., students under 18)?