MrsDagboy

Our school (state primary) does 1 lesson a week of Religious Education. You nominate which religion you wish your child to be taught (yes, they have a variety of types on offer, including things like Buddism & Seventh Day Adventist as well as the mainstream stuff) but yes, they only learn about the religion you specify. Or you can choose for your child to opt out of the lesson altogether, although I did get told by one teacher that if you choose not to have your child in RE class, they will merely be sat next to the regular teacher at the front of the class while the RE teacher teaches the rest of the class .

Havent come acoss the Intelligent Design stuff yet.

renth

You don't want to. It's actually a respectable word for creationism. It's teaching that Darwin and evolution is all wrong and that the world was created in 7 days etc...

mutant

I guess it just depends what type of school you send the kids to. We took our time to pick a school for our eldest girl and she has come on leaps and bounds, she will be teaching her old man a thing or two soon. There are crap schools here but you don't have to send your kids to them.

renth

The "wheels on the bus" incident was at an expensive private school (one they won't be going to for much longer)

ozzieeagle

Errr, Wait till your children hit 20 years old, and have the world at their feet, a very head in the sand attitude that one.

My daughter, Born and bred here, with an aussie mother etc. Is of to find work in Public relations in the UK. Primarily because there is far more scope for advancement and opportunity in the UK and europe. Secondly white collar work can pay upto 50 pct more there.

If her Educational standards don't measure up, guess who is going to be sad.

We need our education to compete with the rest of the World. I suspect she will do fine, as her confiidence and manner should make up for some of what I suspect could be some educational shortful, although work experience should also counter that.

We wouldn't want to large a Educational, Gap between Australia, and particuarly Asia, and to a lesser extent Europe.

The world really is getting smaller, and people are starting to live for different periods in many countries.

ABCDiamond

Your comments as to how she gets on, will be of great interest to many people.

However, with the number of Australians who do go overseas for work for a few years, or even longer, and seem to do well, it does appear that the overall Australian Education doesn't seem to hold them back in the slightest

halflinggirl2000

Hi, Thank you all very much for your answers.

Rachel No problem about hi-jacking thread onto the uni track, as I also have an 18yr old, looking at his options over the next couple of years. So made interesting reading

Back to the high school bit, the when in Rome sounds good, but I want my lads to have the ability to work the world, I mean the opportunities to be dual citizen and be able to work in Europe and Australasia would be fantastic for them (get them a permanent us green card and bobs their uncle) want them to get out in the world and live where they like. But being greedy I also like the sound of the social, caring, less table led system than ours ( yes I know want my cake and eat it to). So all in all I like more than dislike what I hear so I am hopeful, that they can get the best out of it.

Seems to be a large discrepancy between east and west oz, so youngest son wanted to ask if NSW is the same as WA, as Brian says that his 12 year old this July will start yr 8 in January 2006, so as he is 13 this September will he start in year 9 in January 2006 (he was always one of if not the oldest in his year). Have e-mailed a couple of school with this question and request for info and received no reply guess what school we wont be looking at.

The RE option does not sound so good, son is very opinionated about this subject, and only does it and enjoys it because he learns about lots of religions, people etc, so some fireworks in the pipeline there I think.

Thanks again

Nicky

RReed

Nicky, the state school my son attends runs the International Baccalaureate Diploma. It is for years 11 and 12 (academically focussed kids) and is designed to equip students for higher education. It is highly regarded in Australia and internationally by unis for entrance. Some private schools here charge as much as $20,000 per annum for students to study on this program. We will be paying $500 per annum for Jake to study it. Worth checking out the schools in your area.

Rachel

NIGENABBY

Hello

There have been lots of really valid comments about the differences in the schooling between Australia and UK.

However one thing that seems to be being overlooked is that Australia is a totally state based system. As such, the education system (along with many other things) varies widely between states. As do standards on what is being taught and when. The two most populous states for example have such differing education systems that when my parents moved from Vic to NSW I had to repeat year eleven as I did not have the requisite exam results to complete my schooling - at the time Vic ran a one year HSC (now called VCE) not two as in NSW.

You will also find a massive difference between Private, Public (government) and religious schools. The costs vary private can be $15000 for some basic tuition costs excluding uniform, outings, books etc.

My only suggestion is research into schools in your area. However if you are going public be aware that (and this is the case for Victoria I cannot comment on other states) that the catchment areas for schools can be very, very specific.

Good luck with your choices

spalen

If there is one thing that Aussie education system and lifestyle teaches it is confidence - and that is from a very early age.

You can judge for yourself - How many Aussies do you know that work in the UK or have you bumped into in Airport Lounges travelling somewhere. The buggers are everywhere, on the space shuttle even.

Now compare that to the number of brits you see doing a few years abroad - and divide the number of brits by 3 to get a normalisation for population .

manxfamily

Well said.

I believe a person who is good enough for a position and has the ambition then they will suceed. How many top doctors do you see in the UK that are asian or african educated. Not going to a UK school didnt harm them, and Im sure the Australian system will be just as good. Its down to the individual, and from what I can see from Australians then their system gives them the confidence and ambition to suceed in anything in life, wherever they may be.

manxfamily

A very British attitude that one... Oh no what if they dont like me, what if I am not as good as the others... Never mind, put the kettle on... Maybe next time.

The average Aussie is confident, brash and sucessful. Just look at their sporting acheivements. If the UK educated their children to have the same attitude then Britain would truely be Great, buts its not.

ozzieeagle

Great comments

When our seven year old was over in the UK recently, It was commented on numerous times how confident he was. I will admit he wasn't reading as well as the average child of his age in the UK. However I'm certain (particuarly as he is our 4th child, plus the fact that he is always reading anyway) that he be more than adequately educated by the time he leaves school at 18.

Owing to expereinces with our older daughter, now 22 (not the one going to England). We decided to let him have another year in Kinder. with a March birthday, instead of being one of the youngest in his grade, he is now the 2nd oldest. From my wifes point of view, she said she would rather he had Leadership qualities rather than be a permanent follower. The Aussie system may well give parents greater flexbility and say in what level ones child is taught at, as well.

manxfamily

Which is good, as our daughter was born 28 August thus is very much the youngest in her class, and there is a definate sign of that. We were never given the option to keep her out for another year, which with hindsight we definately would have done. At least in Australia she will be in the middle age range in her year!

If you think about it, when she was born, some of her classmates would already be walking and speaking a few words. At that age 1 year is a massive gap.

spalen

But by age 16 - its a trivial gap - it all balances out ;-)


Upon reflection, giving Aussies confidence to work abroad and a (supposed) low level of education can have dire consequences as below....

RENAE Lawrence, one of nine Australians facing a possible death penalty on heroin-trafficking charges in Bali, said today that she "would do it again".
Ms Lawrence, one of four Australians caught at Bali airport in April with drugs strapped to their bodies while waiting for a flight to Australia, spoke today after Indonesian prosecutors announced the quartet would all face a trial.

"If I was in the same position, yeah, I'd do it again," Ms Lawrence, from Wallsend near Newcastle in New South Wales, said at the Bali prosecutors office.

"If I was in the same position, yeah, I'd do it again," Jeez!! how dumb