lonndongeek

Sorry, but that isn't a jackpot. The jackpot prize is only awarded when somebody asks what visa they should apply for, if they can continue to claim child benefit after leaving the UK, what benefits can be claimed the day they arrive in Australia and whether or not they should skip a large debt in the UK.

Cheers

LG

chris955

Well at least they shouldn't be back to ask anymore questions

Kiwikaye

OK, I'm probably going to get shot down for this, but anyway...

If the Australian system is that children start school between 5 and 6, why should they take your child earlier? The fact that you're going back to the UK at some (undefined) point in the future is not their problem. Any school you send a child to will make a decision as to the best class/grade to place that child in. As far as I can tell, you've moved your child a couple of times now and she's way younger than her classmates - have you considered the social implications of this?

Our daughter started school in Melbourne (prep), moved during the first year to NZ (family reasons) and was put in year 1 (same age group, different grading system). We are now moving back to Oz and she will go from being a year 4 here to a year 3 in Oz - I'm not about to push for her to be placed in grade 4 in Oz just cos it matches the NZ system. I know none of this has anything to do with the UK education system, but I don't understand why parents want to socially disadvantage their kid by pushing them into higher grades.

eddie007

Depend on the child, not all kids are socially disadvantaged by being a year ahead of their peer group... In fact for some it has a positive benefit.

Just as the 4 year old going to school misses out on valuable home time to be commenced in a system designed solely to create a useable workforce commodity... The 12 year old at oxbridge wont benefit fully from all student life has to offer... No pub crawls for a start!!!!

But a year or two? Child number 3s friends inside/outside of school are mostly 2 years her senior... She has a fantastic social life... Without being precocious... She finds little in common with the girls her own age...

Horses for courses...

But extra work for kids just to keep them up with a uk specific curriculum? Just dont think thats a good idea...

Japanese children who have been educated overseas whilst fathers work in diplomatic service/business have been shown to not do as well as predicted prior to their sojourn upon return to the japanese education system...they come back way too free thinking and "lazy" even if they have attended top public schools... They still go on to oxbridge and Yalvard... So obviously arent THAT badly disadvantaged

Sorry... I love australian education system... Some individual schools leave a LOT to be desired... But the "system" suits me...

Penny45

The primary school wouldn't take her early - despite being only FOUR days older than the cut off point. She had one year here then moved to an international school in Jakarta (UK system). They then wanted to put her with her age group, I thought it was too soon so she did the end of year 1, a term of year 2 then skipped to year 3. The work was too easy for her with the younger ones.
Moving back to Sydney after completing year 6 in Jakarta, the admissions people said she would have to go back into year 5! After meeting with the head of middle school, this is just about word for word what she said:
"There is no way we would put her into year 5 again, we are here to educate children not bore them. This would happen with your daughter as all the work has been done before. In her interview, I found her to be mature and articulate so have no hesitation in putting her with people a year older".
So, this was not me pushing at all.
A friend of mine moved to the UK after South Africa as a teenager and said it was awful as he was with the younger kids. You can't skip a year when you're in secondary school.
When we move again, at least she won't have to go through that experience.

Kiwikaye

Agreed. I don't think its ALWAYS a bad thing, but (and forgive me if I'm wrong ) but I got the impression the previous poster was trying to push their child into a higher grade for "status" reasons rather than educational.

roaringmouse

Why not a good public school?

Kiwikaye

h2oskineil

Where about in Australia are you heading?

I'm sure if you indicate the city, people will be able to offer suggestions as to the best Public and Private schools in the area.

Schools offer academic extension, and if your kids are clever enough to get onto a program, I doubt they will fall too far behind, as a decent school will push them according to their ability.

Schools info = http://www.myschool.edu.au

Pennines49

Prepare for your education to be dumbed down, and the world stats prove it.

Amazulu

Maybe you should stop moving around so much and settle down for the sake of your children?

Edit: I replied to the wrong post so take that into consideration if you decide to reply.

ozzieeagle

What exactly are you talking about.... Universtiy outcomes at the end of ones educaltion ?

ANU comes in at no 26 and Melbourne Uni 31 in the world... not exactly slouches. They are both in front of the majority of UK Universties.

http://www.topuniversities.com/unive...-rankings/2011

.There are only few points on academic outcomes between the top 50 universities.

Reason I'm intersted is... My 3rd daughter is now performing at maths at the top 3pct in the Country. So it's time to measure her against the best in the world. She is well on target to take on any science degree that she wants and will be going to Melbourne Uni..... Although we are being advised there are some very specialised courses around in competing universties not in the top 50. Should be starting Uni next year.

Excellence in education does exist here and out of public schools.

.

Penny45

I'll just tell my husband not to take the next job he gets posted to shall I?

The original question was 'how can I stop them falling behind'. Well if they are put in years to fit with their age group then they will be behind.

I would never ask for her to be put up for 'status' reasons! (can't find that post to insert here).

If you are staying in Australia for the entire length of your child's education then all well and good but some of us don't have that luxury.

eddie007

Sure a good public school (aussie public rather than uk public Eton/Harrow etc)
Would be fine for any kids education..

I wasn't thinking necessarily about academic standards..I was thinking more along the lines of the ethos /culture/approach and teaching styles of the school... Some of the private schools here do feel a little bit "little England" in their approach... And many of my friends have chosen private because they want the closest they can get to what they percieve to be a uk style of education... They percieve, rightly or wrongly, that the private system replicates this better than the aussie system...

Right now I would LOVE for child number 3 to be at a better school.. Its not going to happen this year...

If private education is cheap (which lets face it, comparitive to uk independent schools, it is) and selective it leaves a larger proportion of kids from homes where education isnt important.... Larger proportion of parents of kids in a school that dont care ... Craetes an imbalance...and I know that some schools are tied up dealing with basic behavioural issues ... Using their limited resources to cope with just managing their behaviours....

I dont have any answers... But I do have an interst inthe discussions ...

eddie007

That must make it really hard for you... Uncertainties like that arent always easy to live with and so I perhaps understand a bit better why you want to "keep up" with the uk education system and be striving to meet the targets they set in the uk rather than adapting to the local culture....

Maybe Home Educating would be a better option... That way your kids can still get a uk standards/target based education AND have a life too... I had visions of your poor children being in school all day then doing English schoolwork all night