Oz schools
 

Hi! My partner and I are considering moving over to oz (WA) with my two children, 14 and 10. We did think of going in 2 years time when my daughter finishes her GCSE's here but I have heard that she may not qualify for residency on our visa when she reaches 18, so was just wondering how things would work for her with regards to school.
She is just going into year 10 now and working towards her GCSE'S but if we apply for visas now it could be a year before we actually leave for oz so how could this affect her schooling over there? and how does the oz system work with regards to the exams?
I would be really greatful for any help as I am so confused as to what is the right time for our family to start applying

Re: Oz schools
 

Hi, im not sure which part of Oz you were thinking of moving to but they have different ages for leaving school in different states. So my son is 11 nearly 12 and he is resitting year 6 here in QLD. Although he has covered a lot of what they are learning and was offered to move up a year, but he decided to stay where he was. I believe here in QLD he will be 18 before he finishes school. So you may find your eldest will resit a year she has already covered in the UK. Over here they are academically behind the UK.

Im sure if im wrong someone on here will correct me.

Re: Oz schools
 

No you're not.
Australian schooling academically is behind the UK. If your daughter is ready to take GCSE's in the UK it would be best to take them there. You will get many people here talking up the Australian schooling as great for kids as it gives them a rounded education, but the reality is, if your kids are academically ready for exams in the UK let them do the exams there. They are worth more than the results obtained here in Oz.
Both my kids go to a good private school here in WA, but the emphasis is on making sure the child that leaves the school is confident, an individual and someone who can read and write. They don't seem to care whether they excell in anything. I looked at several schools and this was the best of the bunch within commuting distance.
As far as I am concerned the only way to ensure my kids become academically strong is to pay for out of school tutoring.

Re: Oz schools
 

I totally agree with these messages in this thread on the state of Oz education. Where we lived in the Illawarra the education was also not up to par with the UK - ours went to church aided private schools.

I am very glad that this aspect of their life will be improved by coming back to the UK - my eldest son being a high achiever he needs that 'cos he's going to be far brighter than me.

A lot does depend on parent input, out of school help and of course their friends.

Re: Oz schools
 

Well I have to stick up for Oz education. I think its equal to UK education.

Whats your problem with 'emphasis is on making sure the child that leaves the school is confident, an individual and someone who can read and write', I wish more UK children had this !

Lets face it, you don't have to be anything special to pass your exams in the UK, there's almost a 100% pass rate,they effectively give them away with a packets of cornflakes ! ... and yet employers are continually complaining that school leavers can't read or write or do their maths. The two things contradict one another:ohmy:

... oh yes and my children are high acheivers.

Re: Oz schools
 

Hi,
im 17 in september of this year(old for uk school year) and have just finished my gcse's, so i have 2 years of 6th form top remain. im about to move to australia in about 6 weeks and if i went into the australian last 2 years (11 and 12) in january, i would be turning 18 in year 11 and 19 in year 12, which im sure is wrong. is australian school 2 englidsh terms in front of english school or 1 term behind? would i have to wait untill january to start year 11 to start their equivalent of a-levels because if not, i would miss out alot of the course and im sure this would not help me in taking the exams, as i would like to go to uni so need good results.
if anyone can help with what year i would have to go into and when it would be greatly appreciated! thanks
Rachel

Re: Oz schools
 

I totally agree with you. My daughter went into year 6 when we came to Queensland and although she was way ahead in maths (but she was in the Uk so no difference there!) she was way behind in I.T. She is now in year 9 and her schooling is way different to the experience my older children had in high school in the Uk. There is so much more expected of her particularly when it comes to things like assignments and referencing. She is going to be so much better equipped for university than any of my other children. In fact the brighter kids at school when they are in year 12 can actually take some first year uni subjects at uni. I think the Australian education is an education for the 'real world' and it turns out well educated, confident young people.

Re: Oz schools
 

You are a tad older than most kids would be, going into year 11 - mostly (and this depends on the state) kids are 16 or just about to be 16 going in to year 11. However, it will be better for you to do the 2 final years of school here completely (11 & 12) because they form a complete course which will result in a university entrance score and if you dont do the full course then you could be disadvantaged with respect to the score you get. Rather than go back into a school environment you could go to TAFE to do your final two years - that way you would more likely be with more mature people. As you are turning 17 in Sept, in many states you would be in year 11 this year and they may try and enrol you in year 11 - you really need to check out whether that would give you enough points to get a good year 12 score because you will have missed 3/4 of this year's course.

I wouldnt get hung up on the year naming at all - Aus schools tend to put kids with their chronological peers, they really couldnt give two hoots about the "year level" you were in UK or Timbuctu, if you fit with year 11 kids chronologically then that is where you will go.

I dont think the Aus system is anything to write home about really - lots of cooperative learning and group assessments which certainly bugged the heck out of my boys at uni especially. I dont think they had any better education than my friends' kids who went through a UK system. I compare what my cousin's daughter is now doing in year 10 in UK - both socially and academically, with year 10 kids around here and she would wipe the floor with the bulk of them - pleasant, polite, assured, competent and focussed on where she is going in life.

Edited to say, BTW most Aus states have 4 school terms a year - term 4 starts in Oct.

Re: Oz schools
 

A lot of childen in year 10 are just waiting to leave to take up apprenticeships, my son teaches maths and science to these lovely young people.

Nothing wrong with English or Aus education if you want to learn.

Children are put in the class they are academically capable of handling. My friend's son went to Melbourne uni at 16 as he was a high achiever and still is.

If children want to learn they will, if they are not interested, so be it. No sweat as often children who hate school go on to very productive lives being educated and trained once they leave the school system.

How many people are adult students these days, lots, cannot put an old head on young shoulders.

I never worried about my children in year 12 for VCE if they did not want to study so be it. No pressure from us even though they were at private school after all its their lives. You can lead a horse to water etc.

Respecting others and caring for the less fortunate was high on my list for them.
:D

Re: Oz schools
 

Hello,

We have found that by Year 10/11 they have caught up with UK.

My son is academic and is currently studying TEE Maths, Physics,Chemistry and I would say its on a par with A levels.
His work is quite hard and school give him silly amount of homework and regular tests. Certainly not easy work and he does not need extra tuition as his work is demanding enough.
However have to admit this is fee paying Catholic School.

But when we arrived it was last couple of months of year Year 10. He went to another school and work was easy but it didnt matter as gave hime time to settle in OZ.

So my opinion is you need to shop around as some schools are not so good, others are just as good or better than UK. But its the same back in the UK.

Arriving Year 10 worked out fine for us as he had no pressure and could settle into OZ life.

Gems

Re: Oz schools
 

hi
thanks for all your advice - we should be moving in about a month/ 5 weeks now! sorry for beign stupid but what is TAFE - is it kind of like an equivalent of college over here? thanks

Re: Oz schools
 

I am quite concerned for my 8 year old. She has a higher than average IQ (gets it from her daddy - not me!). She is therefore in the year above i.e year 5 instead of year 4. Similarly, my 5 year old is in the year 2 literacy and numeracy groups instead of year 1. I have tried emailing the 2 schools we are interested in, but neither could give me a straight answer as to how they would handle this. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I had considered home tutoring, but I think they would end up teaching me! :huh:

Nic.

Re: Oz schools
 

TAFE - Colleges of Technical and Further Education. They run a lot of vocational courses but also basic academic courses. More like the old UK Techs.

Re: Oz schools
 

In very general terms, Australia doesnt particularly like tall poppies. It really depends on the school but they dont much like acceleration and usually tell you that they have an individual approach to learning while keeping kids in their chronological age groups. Acceleration may require a director's decision (in our dept it does) and isnt given lightly and requires more than just high level skills but would consider emotional and social development as well. You may find a school which has primary age G & T classes sometimes they are state funded units otherwise they are just internal arrangements. There are some selective HS in some states but that is a way down the track for you.

You will probably find a G & T association in your state - NSW has quite a strong association and they sometimes do out of school activities for extension and they are also good for casual advice on which school is most responsive to individual learning accommodations.

Sometimes the best thing to do is to make sure that the child has a good dose of hand, foot and mouth (craft/artistic, sport/dancing, oral/creative/music) activities to ensure that they develop in all areas and not to worry about what they do well because they are going to do it well no matter what the education provision is.

You are obviously doing a great job as parents, just keep on doing what you are doing to encourage your kids to enjoy learning.

Re: Oz schools
 

Think carefully about keeping them in the year ahead. Our daughter is in the year above but I now have serious doubts about whether it was a good move.