Australia’s Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) has become the first foreign government-supported school board to formally launch operations in India in over two decades, marking a major milestone in the growing Australia-India education partnership.
Backed by the Government of Western Australia and administered by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), WACE has received formal recognition for its Year 10 and Year 12 qualifications from India’s Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
This equivalence allows students graduating under the WACE curriculum to apply to Indian universities with full legitimacy, while also gaining access to top global institutions across Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia through the internationally recognised Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
The WACE programme offers a complete K-12 pathway and promotes inquiry-based, textbook-free learning with lesson plans and curated worksheets. The curriculum centres around seven key capabilities: literacy, numeracy, ICT, ethical understanding, civic and social responsibility, critical and creative thinking, and intercultural understanding.
Ange Smith, principal consultant for international education at SCSA, noted that India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 played a significant role in shaping the curriculum’s local adaptation.
“We undertook curriculum mapping and found strong alignment with NEP goals, especially around holistic development and skill integration,”
she said.
Smith added that WACE has been expanding globally since 2019 and is now present in 16 countries.
The first WACE-affiliated schools have started operations in Bengaluru and Bidar in Karnataka, with plans to expand to 100 schools across India in the next three years. Students enrolled in these schools will receive direct certification from the Western Australian Government and a unique SCSA-issued student ID.
Recognising regional needs, WACE is also developing a customised Year 10 board examination to support student transitions within Indian states that require local certification.
Syed Sultan Ahmed, chairperson of the Association of International Schools of India, described WAIS—the Western Australian International School System under which WACE operates—as a “cost-effective model that bridges Indian and global education systems.”
According to Ahmed,
“A CBSE school charging Rs 1–1.2 lakh annually can adopt WAIS with a modest 15–20% fee increase, offering international pathways without the high cost of programs like IB.”
Students opting to pursue higher education in Western Australia will also be eligible for the Premier’s Bursary of AUD 20,000, making this initiative not just academically enriching but financially supportive.
With the introduction of WACE, India’s school education landscape is poised to become more globally integrated, offering students greater academic mobility and a future-ready learning experience.
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