Canberra Schools Guide 2026: Government, Catholic and Independent Education in the ACT

The ACT has one of Australia's most distinctive school systems. A three-tier structure — primary (K-6), high school (7-10) and college (11-12) — differs from most states and reflects the territory's history of educational policy innovation. Here is what parents new to Canberra need to know about the ACT education system.

The ACT system structure

Canberra's public education runs primary school from Kindergarten to Year 6, high school from Year 7 to Year 10, and then the distinctive ACT college system for Years 11 and 12. The colleges — Dickson, Narrabundah, Canberra, Lyneham, Lake Tuggeranong and others — are standalone institutions that students choose based on subject offerings and culture. This structure is fundamentally different from NSW and other states.

Government schools

ACT government schools are administered by the ACT Education Directorate. Enrolment is catchment-based for primary and high schools, with the college system being open-choice. The government school sector is well-resourced relative to comparable population sizes in other jurisdictions, reflecting the relatively high ACT Government per-student funding.

Catholic and independent schools

The Catholic Education Office operates a network of Catholic primary and secondary schools across Canberra. Significant independent schools including Canberra Grammar, Canberra Girls Grammar, Radford College and Saint Francis Xavier College provide K-12 programs. These schools have waiting lists for popular year levels and early registration is advisable.

AIS and elite sport pathways

The Australian Institute of Sport's presence in Canberra creates distinctive opportunities for sports-focused families. Several Canberra schools have AIS partnership programs for identified high-performance athletes. The broader Canberra sporting infrastructure supports a culture of active participation that flows through the school system.

This article was compiled by AI from the sources linked above and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.