Public schools are operated by the state goverment, and attendance is free except for basic levies to cover excursions etc. Private schools are often affiliated with church denominations. They operate on a fee basis and may have entry requirements. Students keep the same teacher throuhout the day, except for specialty subjects such as music or physical education. High school High school includes Grades 7 through to Grade 10.
Students have a different teacher for each subject in their curriculum.
For Grades 7 and 8, curriculum choice is usually minimal - confined to selection of which foreign language they wish to study, for example. Students in Grades 9 and 10 must take core subjects, such as Maths and English, but are free to choose the remainder of their subjects. Matric is similar to high school but in a more adult setting. For instance, the student has virtually complete choice in subjects, no uniform requirement, no restrictions on leaving campus, and so on. Once a student has met certain academic requirements, they are said to have matriculated, and are then ready to attend university.