This page compares the education systems of Australia and Indonesia.
Education System Overview
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| System Type | Public/private mix; governance is shared between federal, state and territory governments. The Australian Government supports national policy and funding, while states and territories operate most public schools and regulate school education within their jurisdictions. [Australian Government] | Mixed public/private system with decentralized school delivery. National ministries establish curriculum, standards and policy, while provincial and district governments manage much of public-school provision. Religious and private providers operate alongside the state sector. |
| Governing Body | Australian Government Department of Education; state and territory education departments; ACARA for the Australian Curriculum and national assessment; TEQSA for higher education regulation; and ASQA for most nationally regulated vocational education providers. [TEQSA] | Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) for general school education; Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) for the madrasah system; and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) for higher education. |
| Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP) | 5.1% of GDP in 2022, the latest value in the World Bank/UNESCO UIS government-expenditure series. [World Bank] | 1.3% of GDP in 2023, the latest value in the World Bank/UNESCO UIS series. [World Bank] |
Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Age Range | Rules vary by jurisdiction. Full-time school attendance generally begins at age 5 or 6; compulsory school attendance commonly continues to age 15 or 16, with education, training or employment participation requirements extending to about 17 in several jurisdictions. [Australian Government] | The established statutory basic-education requirement covers approximately ages 7–15. National policy is expanding access toward 13 years of education, including one preschool year and education through senior secondary level. [Kemendikdasmen] |
| Total Compulsory Duration (Years) | Usually about 10–12 years, depending on the state or territory and whether post-school-age participation requirements are included. | 9 years under the established statutory basic-education requirement. The government's 13-year education policy extends the policy target to one year of preschool, six years of primary, three years of junior secondary and three years of senior secondary education. [Kemendikdasmen] |
| Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access | Optional before compulsory school in most settings. In 2025, 91% of Australia's 4-year-olds were enrolled in a preschool program; 97% of enrolled children were enrolled for at least 15 hours per week. [ABS] | ECE remains outside the established nine-year statutory requirement, while the 13-year policy prioritizes one preschool year before primary school. Indonesia’s PAUD Directorate reported a 36.19% gross PAUD participation rate for 2025. Its national reporting notes that some nonformal services, including playgroups and childcare centers, are not fully captured in this measure. [Kemendikdasmen] |
| Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years) | Commonly Foundation + Years 1–6 + Years 7–10 + Years 11–12, equivalent to a 13-year school pathway from Foundation to Year 12. School-stage naming and year-group arrangements vary slightly by jurisdiction. [ACARA] | 6 + 3 + 3: six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary education and three years of general or vocational senior secondary education. Some vocational programs operate for four years. |
| Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%) | Approximately 17.0% vocational / 83.0% general among 15–19-year-olds enrolled in upper-secondary programmes in 2024, calculated from OECD enrolment rates of 6.9% in vocational programmes and 40.6% across all upper-secondary programmes. These age-specific programme shares do not capture all VET taken alongside school qualifications. [OECD] | Approximately 41.9% vocational / 58.1% general or religious general in 2024/25, based on 5,066,661 SMK students among 12,082,698 upper-secondary students across SMA, SMK and MA pathways. This classification includes madrasah aliyah in the general group. [Kemendikdasmen] |
Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Year Start (Typical Month) | Late January or early February, depending on the state, territory and school. | July, with exact dates set through provincial and local education calendars. |
| Academic Year End (Typical Month) | December, with dates varying by state and territory. | June, with regional variation. |
| Instruction Weeks per Year | Approximately 40 weeks, with school calendars set by individual jurisdictions. | Approximately 36 effective instructional weeks; the exact requirement varies by school level, regional calendar and program. |
| Instruction Days per Year | — | — |
Grading System
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Primary/Secondary Grading Scale | Commonly A–E or equivalent standards-based reporting during primary and lower-secondary education. Senior-secondary assessment and certificates are administered separately by states and territories, with ATAR widely used for university selection. | No single mandatory national A–F or fixed numerical passing scale. Schools use learning-achievement criteria, including KKTP, with numerical results, descriptors, rubrics and competency evidence used according to school and subject assessment arrangements. |
| Higher Education Grading Scale | Institution-specific; common classifications include High Distinction (HD), Distinction (D), Credit (CR), Pass (P) and Fail, usually accompanied by percentage marks. [ANU] | Institution-specific. A 4.00 GPA scale with letter grades is widely used; individual universities determine grade boundaries and intermediate grades. |
Language of Instruction
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Instruction Languages (K–12) | English is the main language of instruction across Australian schools. | Bahasa Indonesia is the principal national language of instruction. Regional languages may support instruction in early education where appropriate. |
| Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12) | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, Auslan and community languages may be used or taught through bilingual, language-revival and school-specific programs. | Regional and local languages may be used as supporting instructional languages. English is primarily taught as a foreign language and is scheduled to become a compulsory primary-school subject from the 2027/28 academic year. [Kemendikdasmen] |
School Provision & Access (K–12)
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | 62.8% of Australian school students attended government schools in 2025. [ABS] | Approximately 66.5% across primary through senior-secondary education in 2024/25, based on official enrollment totals by school status. Public-school shares differ considerably by education level. |
| Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency) | AUD 0 standard tuition for eligible resident students in government schools. Families may still incur costs for uniforms, materials, excursions and optional activities; separate fee rules can apply to some temporary or international students. | IDR 0 standard tuition for compulsory basic education in government schools. Families may still face costs for transport, supplies or other school-related needs. A May 2025 Constitutional Court ruling also required public financing of compulsory basic education at eligible private schools and madrasahs; implementation across private providers remained incomplete in 2026. [Constitutional Court] |
| Public Schools Nationwide Availability | Yes. State and territory governments provide government-school systems throughout Australia, including metropolitan, regional and remote communities. | Yes. Public primary and secondary schools operate across Indonesia's provinces and districts, complemented by the public religious-school network. |
| Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | 37.2% in 2025: 20.0% in Catholic schools and 17.2% in independent schools. [ABS] | Approximately 33.5% across primary through senior-secondary education in 2024/25, based on official student totals by school status. |
| Private Schools (Geographic Concentration) | — | Nationwide, with substantial private, foundation and religious-school provision in densely populated and urban areas. |
International Schools (K–12)
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Number of International Schools (Total) | — | — |
| Number of IB World Schools | 198 IB World Schools currently offer at least one IB programme in Australia. [IB] | 85 IB World Schools currently offer at least one IB programme in Indonesia. [IB] |
| Main International Programmes Offered | International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International programs and Australian state or territory senior-secondary qualifications, depending on the school. | International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International, British, American, Australian, Singaporean and other school-specific international or bilingual curricula. |
Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools) | Generally at least four years of higher education, including an accredited initial teacher education program or recognized equivalent, followed by registration with the relevant state or territory teacher-registration authority. | A minimum academic qualification of S-1 bachelor's degree or D-IV applied bachelor's level is the national professional benchmark, alongside teacher-certification requirements for eligible professional teachers. |
| Average Class Size (Primary) | Approximately 23 students per class across public and private primary schools in 2024, according to the OECD's comparable class-size series. [OECD] | Approximately 21 students per class group in the latest nationally published comparable primary dataset. |
| Average Class Size (Lower Secondary) | Approximately 20 students per class across public and private lower-secondary schools in 2024; the OECD reports about 22 in public schools and 19 in private schools. [OECD] | Approximately 28 students per class group in the latest nationally published junior-secondary dataset. |
| Average Class Size (Upper Secondary) | — | Approximately 30 students overall as an indicative upper-secondary figure; general senior-secondary classes average about 32 students while vocational classes are closer to 27. |
System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| PISA Participation Years | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. Indonesia's first assessment was conducted in 2001 through the PISA 2000 Plus administration. [OECD] |
| PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 491 / 503 / 503 | 379 / 371 / 396. |
| PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 487 / 498 / 507 | 366 / 359 / 383. [OECD] |
| PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 478 / 491 / 509 [OECD] | 364 / 365 / 389. [Kemendikdasmen] |
| PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025 | Between 2022 and 2025, Australia's mathematics and reading scores were lower, while science was about the same. Science performance has remained broadly stable for more than a decade, while the decline in mathematics and reading extends a longer downward trend; the 2025 mathematics and reading scores were the lowest recorded for Australia in PISA. Students also scored 532 in computational problem solving in 2025, above the OECD average of 500. [OECD] | Indonesia's raw scores changed from 366 / 359 / 383 in 2022 to 364 / 365 / 389 in 2025 for mathematics, reading and science respectively. OECD analysis finds the 2022–2025 changes statistically about the same in all three subjects. Results in 2025 remained below Indonesia's 2015 performance. [OECD] |
| Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025) | Science — 509 points. [ACER] | Science — 389 points. [Kemendikdasmen] |
Higher Education System
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total) | 213 higher education providers at 30 June 2025 in the operating-environment count of TEQSA's 2024–25 annual report, across Australian University, University College, Institute of Higher Education and Overseas University registration categories. [TEQSA] | 4,303 institutions in the 2025 national higher-education statistics. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| Number of Universities (Research Universities) | 42 universities in 2026, including 36 public and 6 private universities. Adelaide University began operating in 2026 following the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. [Study Australia] | 981 institutions classified as Universitas. Indonesia does not publish a separate statutory category specifically named “research universities.” [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges | Australia has no separate university-of-applied-sciences category. At 30 June 2025, TEQSA listed 7 University Colleges and 156 Institutes of Higher Education. [TEQSA] | The 2025 statistics record 2,885 college/applied institution types: 2,000 Sekolah Tinggi, 389 polytechnics, 465 academies and 31 community academies. Indonesia does not use a single “university of applied sciences” category. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| Main Institution Types | Australian Universities, University Colleges and Institutes of Higher Education, alongside TAFE institutes and other vocational education providers operating in the broader tertiary sector. | Universities, institutes, Sekolah Tinggi, polytechnics, academies and community academies. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership | — | Public/government-managed: approximately 50.3% | private-managed: approximately 49.7% of registered students in 2025. The official breakdown is 40.99% PTN, 7.17% public religious institutions and 2.18% government-service institutions versus 44.95% PTS and 4.71% private religious institutions. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total) | — | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%) | — | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%) | — | — |
| Main Global Ranking Used | QS World University Rankings 2027. [Study Australia] | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking) | 9 Australian universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 100. [Study Australia] | 0 Indonesian universities in the global top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking) | 27 Australian universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 500. [Study Australia] | 7 Indonesian universities in the global top 500 of the QS World University Rankings 2027; Universitas Padjadjaran entered the top 500 at #496. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking) | 35 Australian universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 1000. [Study Australia] | 12 Indonesian universities in the global top 1000 of the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education) | Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), the national regulator for higher education providers. [TEQSA] | BAN-PT (National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education), complemented by discipline-specific Independent Accreditation Agencies (LAM). Accreditation processes continued their transition to the SAPTO 2.0 system during 2026. [BAN-PT] |
| International Students (Total) | 648,633 overseas higher education students in 2025, including those studying in Australia and at offshore locations. The same national collection recorded 1,754,164 total higher education students. The overseas count should not be read as the number physically studying in Australia. [Australian Government] | 8,050 foreign students were studying in Indonesian higher education institutions at the end of 2025. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%) | 33% of onshore higher education students in 2025 were overseas students, up from 31% in 2024. This percentage excludes offshore overseas students and refers to higher education rather than the entire vocational and higher-education sector. [Australian Government] | Approximately 0.075%, based on 8,050 foreign students and 10,754,154 registered tertiary students in 2025. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
Education Costs (Indicative)
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency) | For a Commonwealth Supported Place in 2026, the maximum annual student contribution is AUD 4,738–17,399 per equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL), depending on field of study. This is the student's subsidised contribution rather than the full cost of a degree; actual charges depend on the units taken and eligibility, with different arrangements for certain continuing students. [Study Assist] | At Universitas Indonesia, regular undergraduate UKT tuition for 2026/27 ranges from IDR 1 million to IDR 28 million per academic year (IDR 500,000–14 million per semester), depending on the assigned contribution tier and program. Separate one-time institutional development fees may apply to certain admission routes. [Universitas Indonesia] |
| Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency) | International students generally pay full fees, which vary by university and programme. As an example, the University of Sydney lists indicative 2026 first-year international undergraduate tuition of approximately AUD 49,200–60,600 for selected arts, science and engineering programmes. This is an institutional example, not a national fee range; non-EU status is not Australia's standard tuition classification. [University of Sydney] | Listed foreign-student undergraduate tuition at Universitas Gadjah Mada ranges from approximately IDR 30.2 million to IDR 134 million per academic year (IDR 15.1–67 million per semester), depending on the program. One-time institutional development fees may apply separately. [UGM] |
| Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency) | — | Illustrative international-program tuition includes IDR 50–93 million per year for selected UGM international undergraduate programs (IDR 25–46.5 million per semester) and IDR 70 million per year for ITB international master’s programs outside its business school (IDR 35 million per semester). Program-specific charges, one-time fees and partner-university costs are additional. [UGM] [ITB] |
| Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency) | — | Approximately IDR 3.2–3.7 million per four-week equivalent for UGM’s INCULS regular Indonesian-language program, based on a fee of IDR 13,692,300 for a 15–17-week semester. Additional activities may cost extra. [UGM] |
Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms |
General Overview (Narrative)
| Category | Australia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Australia operates a mixed public and private education system in which the Australian Government shares responsibilities with state and territory governments. Schooling normally follows a 13-year pathway from Foundation through Year 12, while compulsory attendance and participation ages differ by jurisdiction. Government schools enrolled 62.8% of students in 2025, with Catholic and independent schools accounting for the remaining 37.2%. English is the main language of instruction, alongside Indigenous-language, Auslan and community-language programs. Australia has participated in every PISA cycle since 2000. In PISA 2025, students scored 478 in mathematics, 491 in reading and 509 in science; mathematics and reading were lower than in 2022, while science was about the same. Higher education includes universities, University Colleges and Institutes of Higher Education, with 42 universities operating in 2026. The 2025 higher education statistics recorded 648,633 overseas students across onshore and offshore delivery, and overseas students made up 33% of onshore higher education enrolment. Current changes include the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, preschool reforms, the transition to new higher-education funding arrangements and revised higher-education standards. | Indonesia has a large public/private education system in which national ministries set curriculum and standards while provincial and district authorities manage much of school delivery. The standard structure consists of six years of primary, three years of junior secondary and three years of senior secondary education, with general and vocational pathways; vocational schools accounted for about 41.9% of upper-secondary enrollment in 2024/25. The statutory basic-education requirement remains nine years, while national policy is expanding access toward a 13-year model that includes one preschool year and education through senior secondary level. Public schools educate about two-thirds of primary and secondary students, alongside a large private and religious-school sector. Bahasa Indonesia is the main language of instruction. In PISA 2025, Indonesia scored 364 in mathematics, 365 in reading and 389 in science; OECD found no statistically clear change from 2022 in the three subjects. Higher education included 4,303 institutions and 10.75 million registered students in 2025. Current changes include deeper-learning approaches, optional Coding and AI subjects, the non-compulsory TKA assessment, and continued expansion of the 13-year education policy. |