Department for Education (South Australia)

The Department for Education of South Australia is a state government department delivering school education throughout the state. Education in Australia at school level is managed by each state, though the Commonwealth government makes a significant contribution. The Department was established through the Education Act of 1875 which allowed for the establishment of public schools and contained provisions for compulsory schooling of children aged between 7 and 13. As the state grew quickly into the 20th Century the Education Department expanded across the very large rural areas of the state. After World War II, rising birth rates, large scale immigration and increasing demand for secondary education led to very rapid growth in the Department. The number of private schools grew in this period and with increasing State aid provided growing competition for the State education sector. In the post-war period several of large reviews of education have taken place: in particular the Karmel and Keeves reviews. In 2017, there were 514 Schools and approximately 172,000 students within the Department.