A comparison and contrast of the secondary education
system in Iran and Australia
Education underpins society as it is at the core of guiding the thinking of all
members of the society. Thus education affects all aspects of the society. This
essay will compare and contrast the secondary education system in Iran and
Australia. It is noted that there are two similarities between the secondary
education system in Iran and Australia. There are similarities in learning
supporting system and the school uniform requirement, while the differences are
more significant, including curriculum, teaching style, school structure and school
attendance requirements.
There are a few similarities between the secondary education system in
Iran and Australia. Both Iranian and Australian high schools would have a
supportive learning system. In both countries students can use the library and
computer to increase their knowledge and to improve their skills in learning.
The school uniform requirement is the second similarity between the
secondary education system in Iran and Australia. In Iran uniform is mandatory for
all students. Likewise, it is a compulsory requirement for Australian students to
wear school uniform.
The differences between the secondary education system in Iran and
Australia are more significant. They are four major differences. First of all, school
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curriculums are different between the two countries. In Iran high school curriculum
would offer the same materials for all students in the whole country, while in
Australia teaching materials for students can be different between the states. Also
in Iran the secondary education curriculum does not include nonacademic
subjects such as music and art for students. On the other hand, in Australia
students are encouraged to take nonacademic subjects such as music and art.
Teaching style is the second difference. In Iran the classroom atmosphere
is formal. When teachers enter the room students stand up. On the other hand, in
Australia the classroom atmosphere is informal and students do not have to stand
up when teachers enter the room though students are obliged to respect their
teachers. Also, regular examinations evaluation is an essential part of the
secondary education system in Iran. In the mid of each term students have an
examination followed by a final exam at the end of each term. If students cannot
pass the final exam they have to repeat the year. On the other hand, in Australia
students have exams in a semester, but it is not essential to pass the exams. If
they fail in exams, they can still go to the next grade in following year.
In addition, high schools structures are different between the two countries.
The secondary education in Iran is divided into lower secondary and high
secondary sessions. However, in Australia the secondary education covers six
years of schooling. High schools in Iran are from year 9 to year 11, whereas in
Australia the high schools are from year 10 to year 12. Students in Iran can get
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the high school certificate after eleven years of education. However, students in
Australia can get the HSC after twelve years of education.
Moreover, there are differences between the school attendance
requirements in Iran and Australia. In Iran school hours are from 7:30 am to 12:30
pm, while in Australia the school hours are from 9am to 3 pm. The school year in
Iran is divided into two terms with a break in between, and a long summer holiday
at the end of the school year. On the other hand, the school year is divided into
four terms with breaks in between in Australia.
In conclusion, the secondary education in Iran and Australia are similar in learning
supporting systems and uniform requirements, but differ in curriculum, teaching
style, school structure and school attendance requirements. In spite of the
dissimilarities the major goals of the secondary education system in Iran and
Australia are to help their students to improve their knowledge and achieve high.
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References
ASA Group 2010, Australian Schools List, viewed 17 October 2010,
<http://www.australia-migration.com/page/Australian_Schools_List/187>
Australian Government 2010, Overview of Education System, Australia, viewed
16 October 2010,
<http://www.aei.gov.au/AEI/CEP/Australia/EducationSystem/Overview/default.ht
m>
wikipedia 2010, Education in Iran, viewed 17 August 2010,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Iran >
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