suzyt

I was wondering are people tending to send their children to private schools in Aus or still sticking with the normal state school, i feel like iam getting confused with the school thing, i know that you have to choose the right school for your child but sadly till confused

renth

We send ours to state primary but will be sending them to private secondary.

Little tip, if private is the way you are going to go, make sure you get our kids on the waiting list ASAP - my boy went on the list in June 2004 and only just made the cut to start high school in 2010.

confuzzled

it is not the system, but the school you need to look into. Some private schools are crap, some state schools are great. Find the general area you want to live in and then look into the schools.

spartacus

State . . . no private . . . no state . . . this school things so confusing!

smoggieswilltravel

Hi

I agree, my 7 yar old goes to a great state primary. We lived in a nice area in the UK and the school she went to was a good one. Her school here is good if not better and she loves it. I feel the level of teaching is high, the teachers are enthusiastic and we good written report and parents evenings on a regular basis. Many more than we got in the UK. That goes for our elder daughter to,who is at a State high School. It maybe a lovely thought to send them too private schools but if you ave access to a good state primary then they will be fine. Private education here maybe more have than in the uk but don;t be fooled into thinking that the annual fee's are where the changes stop. According to my work colleagues the uniforms are VERY expensive and then requests for contributions from most schools for various school funds is on going thing.

Good luck with what ever you choose. But take your time and don't feel rushed into making decisions know it feels like you have to choose but decisions like that are easier once you have been here a while and you know the ropes a little.

ossigeno

Our daughter is in private, year 1.

In terms of priorities, ours are:

1. Health
2. Education
3. Housing

Everything else comes way down. We've gone private for the first two.

Geelong Gent

Snap, But we are definitely stopping at two.... despite what frilly garments the wife is wearing

seaangel

We are doing the same. The kids are at state at the moment but both will be going to private secondary schools.

renth

Nice sentiments but I disagree strongly. Even if you think you might want your kids to go private them get them down on a number of waiting lists immediately. You can always change your mind later, once you've been here a while.

Leave it too late (ie 5 years before they start high school and you've missed the boat) Here in northern Perth for St Stephen's in Duncraig make that about 10 years (or more, most go on the list at birth) and St Mark's Whitfords about 7 or 8 years.

A proviso is that if you are a regular churchgoer you can leapfrog up some school's waiting lists.

Amazulu

Be careful with some of the catholic and other religious - usually the ones with really low fees - schools. They try and teach religion over science - things like dinosaurs never existed and other mumbo jumbo.

Those low fees come at price sometimes.

busterboy

Honestly Amazulu where do you get this stuff....

I went to Catholic school from 5 to 18 and it never did me any harm.

The great tenets of wisdom being that the Universe was most certainly created in 6 days, the earth is flat and you can't get pregnant standing up has held me in great stead.

Amazulu

That was then, this is now champ.

Intelligent design is an issue in the 21st century. Some religious schools are promoting it as a valid theory. We had a look at a local, private christian school for my son. It all looked good until I starting asking the principal questions about their standpoint on intelligent design. His answers were disturbing to say the least.

No way would I send my son to a school like that.

renth

Most parents around here wouldn't know or even care about the Intelligent Design debate.

In fact, most would probably be pleased their kids were learning "Intelligent Design" as some sort of technical drawing or engineering subject.

It's the Baptist schools that are the worst for this IMO.

Mr Grumpy

In the end it is best to go to a selective public school or if you can afford go to a NON-RELIGIOUS Private School.

Religious schools(especially Catholic) are poor performers, many Catholic schools do worse than impoverished public schools.

Many of the countries top schools are selective public, such as Hurlstone Agricultural, which got the top 100 UAI rankings for the state a few years back.

Mrsmightymike

If it's anything to go by, 'apparently' the big cheese of WA Department of Education sends her children to private school.... says something don't you think!