THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND IRAQ’S EDUCATION

Generally, education is one of the major aspects for a continued success; it can be seen as the movement from darkness to light. Education provides individuals with the ability to develop their potential to the better extent. The overall benefits of education are both personal and academic; it also prepares the individual for the challenges of the work place. It will not just be the student mind that develops but the time in the classroom will change the student as a person.

Education systems in both Australia and Iraq appear to have similar schooling stages, including primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Primary education is the first step of schooling in both countries, secondary education is the second stage and tertiary education is the third/last stage. However, there are some differences in the education between both countries. This comparison essay will outline some of the differences in the education system between the two countries in relation to school structure, uniform, schedules and teaching approaches.

Firstly, the primary school structure in Australia and Iraq seem to be different. For instance, primary schools in Australia starts from Kindergarten and finish at year six. It means that primary school is completed for 7 years. In contrast, primary school in Iraq starts at year one and finishes at year 6 that is only six years.

Secondly, in both countries students have to wear uniform and it is an important part of school’s attendance requirement. Nonetheless, there is a difference, as each school in Australia would have a different uniform whereas in Iraq the design of primary school uniform is the same nationwide.

Thirdly, school’s schedules are different in Australia and Iraq. For instance, students in Iraq attend school from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm, whilst in Australia students go to school from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Furthermore, school holidays in Australia are divided according to school terms (4 terms), whereas in Iraq there are two main holidays, the mid school year in January and the end of the school year in June. On the other hand, school in Australia starts in January and finishes at the end of December. However, In Iraq school starts in September and finishes in the mid of June. 

Finally, the last difference between education systems in both countries is the teaching way and learning materials. Each country has a different curriculum for its education. In Australia there are a variety of ways to teach in class, such as students-centered group activity, matching word to picture, counting with card, blokes or shapes, whereas in Iraq teaching is still very much teacher-centered. Also, in Iraq students follow textbooks for all subjects, while in Australia schools do not have a textbook for all subjects. In Iraq teachers would give students a lot of homework, while in Australia students do not have much homework, as most of it is done during school time in class.

In conclusion, educational systems in both Australia and Iraq have many differences in school structure, uniform, schedule and teaching approaches. It is apparent that education system in Australia is more developed than the one in Iraq. Australian education has a great international reputation for excellence. Nevertheless, each country has its own education system; Australian education system is capable of developing students’ abilities and motivations for better learning outcomes. Australian education is widely known for the quality of its teaching approach while Iraq has limited capacity in its education.

References

D & B Mann Webmasters, 2010, Primary Education, http:/www.aussieeducator.org.au/education/levels/primary.html, accessed 15 June 2015

Iraq Education system, Iraq- pre-primary & primary education, http:/education.stateuniversity.com/pages/685/Iraq-PREPRIMARY- PRIMARY-EDUCATION.html, accessed 13 June 2015

Yes Australia 2006, Educational system in Australia, http:/www.yesaustralia.com/cursoestudo-sistemaensinoing.htm, accessed 14 June 2015