School education in Australia includes preschool, preparatory (or kindergarten), primary school, secondary school (or high school) and senior secondary school (or college).

The Australian education system provides primary, secondary and tertiary education while Australian institutions are linked across the country and across the world.

Effective assessment tasks are transparent and co-constructed so the learner knows the purpose of the task, what is expected and how the task will be assessed.

The academic year in Australia varies depending on the type of study students are undertaking. Many institutions also offer a mid-year, or second semester start.

Australia is generally a very safe place to live and study. The 2011 OECD Better Life Index rated Australia 9.3 out of 10 for safety, one of the highest ratings awarded to any country.

Effective assessment enables the practitioner to understand what knowledge, skills and concepts the learner can demonstrate by saying, making, writing or doing and what they have misunderstood or not yet mastered.

Research in the fields of neuroscience and cognitive science has provided insights into the capacity of the brain to learn continually throughout life. Learning occurs continually and incrementally along a learning continuum.