Schooling in Australia
 

Wanting to hear from moms and dads, How do you find the state schooling in Australia? How does it compare to the education held in the uk? Better, worse? Kids settling in? Hidden costs? that sort of thing...

I have two daughters (6 and 4) Relocating to Oz in the near future, was just wondering, if anyone had any info they would kindly share.

Thanks : )

Re: Schooling in Australia
 

It's luck of the draw. We removed our daughter from the state system within three years and found a suitable private school. Around 30% of kids go to private school here.

Re: Schooling in Australia
 

In which city/state? Private or public? Religious or not? Specific religion?

Re: Schooling in Australia
 

Hi, can't compare to the UK as our 7 year old twins have only ever gone to school in Australia. We find the schooling here to be pretty good, the class sizes are in the low 20s and the teachers our children have had to date have been good. I'm sure it varies from school to school though, our school is considered a "school of choice" and as such I presume it must be one of the better ones!

Parents tend to be very involved with the schools here. I am on the school council, and my wife has done reading practice with our children's classes twice a week since they started prep. She also volunteers in the canteen and on the parents association. Most families give up some time to help with the school.

Fundraising is also very big, the government funds state schools but we do have to pay charges of about $400 per year per child on top of this, although there is an education tax rebate of a similar amount which means that only taxpayers get the rebate, may or may not be a good thing. And there are lots of fundraising events, from the school fair which takes over $50,000 in one day a year, to dances and quizzes and kids stuff.....

Hope that helps.

BB

Re: Schooling in Australia
 

For average or middle of the bell curve is fine for state school. Then finding a good state school will result in appropriately priced rental properties or paying a premium if buying to get in the right zone.

If your children are at either extremes ie very bright or with needs you will find the state system difficult.

Re: Schooling in Australia
 

Sounds about right.

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Thank you everyone for your comments, great help and advice, you have put my mind at rest!

(Moving to the perth area (within 1 hour commute) wont have the funds available for private schooling) so will get searching for the good state schools, schools will come first, then housing. Depending on price!)

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In my opinion: Schools in QLD are decades behind the UK which means that the education is crap but the pressures are far better. I don't think that WA is much better.
I would strongly recommend the private sector which is very much cheaper than the private schools in the UK but aim for a Catholic school as their education and discipline are generally good. They are also heavily funded by the church which means that they are far cheaper than most other private schools.

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Very true.

Another problem is the decent private schools usually have gimassive waiting lists.

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Backward academically to UK for sure.

Re: Schooling in Australia
 

Hi there,
Here's some info that you might find useful.

If you are using the public school system, the chances are you will need to live within the school catchment area of the school you choose. School catchment areas are available on most school websites.

The better the school, the more strict they will be, due to demand. They have to take you if you're in the catchment, unless it is an Independent Public School, who can pick and choose to some extent, but will only refuse you if your kids have a poor record.

This is a great website to get info on schools http://www.myschool.edu.au

This is the Education Department Web Site with all 815 public schools in http://www.det.wa.edu.au/schoolsonline/

Most schools offer academic programs which you can apply for, to get you child into a certain school, which is in an area you don't live. These programs can range from gifted and talented, to sports programs and different school have different options.

Our sons school offers, academic extension, plus Music (classical guitar) football and basketball specialist programs. Our son is on a basketball program, to get into the school and we do not live in the area.

He had to sign a contract that detailed if his misbehaved and become disruptive to the school, he will loose his scholarship and have to leave the school, as we are not in the catchment area..... Keeps him on his toes!

Do your research, the primary school you choose may not feed into a good secondary school, research, research research. ;)

Rent a house in the catchment area of the school you choose, then generally you can move out of catchment, though check with the school. Your potentially in a great position to start a new life, pick great schools for your kids..... Enjoy the journey. :thumbsup:

Re: Schooling in Australia
 

Hi there, were also moving to Perth in the simmer and have two girls (6 & 4). Where are you looking? We are looking SOR

Re: Schooling in Australia
 

State schools are hit and miss - just like UK, some good some bad, depending on catchment area. We considered a private Catholic school but weren't happy with the single sex ethos (which applies to most private schools in Australia). In 'egalitarian' Australia there's actually a lot of snobbery in the schools, it's just more based on money. We also heard that the private school we were thinking of was very sport-oriented to the point that kids who weren't into rugby/cricket etc were virtual outcasts.
We found a state school in Sydney that is great - a nice mix and the kids are well adjusted and grounded.

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Which school is this so that I can use it as some sort of benchmark?

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http://bettereducation.com.au/SchoolRanking.aspx

This is a 'useful' site which details schools' rankings according to academic results . Of course these are Australian standards though which do not really reflect those schools that are more IB oriented.

We have chosen the private single sex IB /option as we like the idea of a more international education that does not emphasise regurgitated rote learning and the subsequent exams which put immense pressure on kids.

If you cannot afford top tier schools there are plenty of other private options which are much more affordable, and are based further out of town. Again, if you can afford the more expensive residential areas ("Golden Triangle!" that is e.g. Dalkeith, Shenton Park, Nedlands, Cottesloe, Wembley etc....) then the public primary schools are generally very good. These then feed into Shenton College which I believe is excellent academically and in extra curricular activities.

Feel free to PM me as I've done a fair amount of research on schools in Perth.

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Pretty much as everyone else has said....backward in comparison to UK. We went around heaps of schools in the Noosa area both private and state, and fell in love with Eumundi SS. All our boys went through the school, loved it and are now in high school. States high school was a def big no no up here. My hubby's a cop and knows the probs experienced in Noosa District and Sunshine Beach state high school. We went on word of mouth and chose St Teresa's in Noosaville. Amazing school, the boys are very happy. Cost for 3 boys around 16k a year, so I'm counting down the days until they finish year 12 :rofl: I am however very happy with the choices we've made.

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In the UK parents get pulled in by school results which do not tell the full story of the school. In Aus, results are important but many look at the culture and how their children are going to be nurtured through school.
Unless your child has learning difficulties, your child's grades will not differ much whether they're in a state or private school if they are determined to do well.

Often the difference is also in the type of people they are in contact with and the more professional contacts they obtain by attending a private school.
I took a club U13 football training session on Friday evening and three kids seemed to enjoy messing about whilst I gave instructions. The others were silent and respectful. It just so happened that the 3 students were all from a state school and the other 10 (apart from 2 others), attended a private school.

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I think it is hard to make a blanket statement like 'way behind the UK' as the education is very different. We found that our daughter was behind in some areas but ahead in others. Talents are nurtured whether they are in academia, sport or music I have found and having three children go through the UK system and one go through the Australian system, I feel the last one that went through the Australian system had a more rounded education.

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Well said Mand8002. Totally agree but in terms of lower primary education, our experience says that the UK students are well ahead of QLD students. The UK generally starts about a year before the kids here in Ozz and The 'rounded' education you talk about starts having an effect around grade 4 or 5. Kids in Aussie schools seem to be more confident in presentation work.

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Just a couple of things - not all Catholic schools in Australia are single gender, there are many co-ed ones.

The secondary school kids in private schools may present better, due to strict uniform requirements, but if little Johnny or Jane prefers to socialise at school rather than learn, then they'll get the same educational outcome whether in the state or private system.

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In VIC most of the private schools esp the ones offering IB are on par with UK schooling if not better. There are several tiers of private schools where there is a variation in the fees. Most Catholic schools at primary level are co-ed; only gets single sexed come secondary. Depending on where you are, you may find co-ed Catholic secondary school too. Catholic schools also getting a bad name because of some are linked with abuse cases. Can sit for scholarship exams for private too at entry points in Yr 5, 7 and 10.

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Sorry to hijack this thread but I'm bringing over my 2 teenage daughters, ages 16 & 15, and we are looking at the Cleveland area of Brisbane. They both go to Grammar schools in the UK and we are worried about the level of schools both state and private. Unfortunately my Visa runs out in October otherwise we would have wait for them to finish their GCSEs before moving, if anybody has made the move with children of a similar age I would really appreciate any opinions.

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Wow, what a tough age to move! if your kids are academic and hard workers, I'd recommend Queensland Academies - My youngest (16) goes to the Queensland Academy of Science and Mathematics at Toowong, and they have an astonishing education (International Baccalaureate) and some of the best exam results in Brisbane. It's a state school (we pay $600 per term which is a bargain). The kids are worked like dogs and it's not for everyone, but there's no way I could have afforded an equivalent education in the UK

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Imagine your girls not doing any GCSE's but just going straight for 'A' Levels - that's what happens over here. At 16 they would happily go onto the Senior Program (last 2 years of school) which is assessed similar to BTEC. You accumulate points through subject grades to gain an OP score which enables you to apply for certain courses at degree level.

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I take it finding a British school is like looking for a needle in a haystack, and once you find it the price-tag is astronomical?

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Thanks, I hadn't heard of these Academies before. Its too late for us to consider for our eldest because of cut off dates to apply which is a real shame because out of the 2 she is probably the most academic but we will certainly consider for the youngest.
Thanks again for the info.

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So do they sit any exams to progress into the senior program & do they also choose which subjects they can specialize in?

Thanks

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Went to the open day for the Gold Coast Queensland Academy.

A state school but not as you know it.

There is no detention, lockers are left unlocked, fridges supplied to put your lunch in, microwaves to heat your lunch.

Amazing how certain kids can be relied on to do the right thing regarding their conduct and work ethic!

The entire school that is

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As you know, in the UK students sit GCSE's which basically reflects what chances they have at 'A' level. Not here. No entry exams exists in QLD. I'm currently teaching a unit of work ( Term 1) on Biomechanics in sport. Students are given either an assignment, an inclass essay or an oral presentation to complete at the end of the term. They are then assessed on that piece of work plus their practical ability. They then move on to the next term and study another element of sport such as sport psychology where they will receive another assessment. There is no final exam for them to revise for and will complete 4 pieces of assessment by the end of year 11.

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Last one in grade 12 now, so with the 3 of them covered most grades. Did private and state and IB.

Main points.

Kids found school very easy, colouring in in grade 7 :rofl: didnt laugh then but no wonder they love it, all play no work. Great fun!

Grade 10 11 12 massive shock, suddenly you do work.

Same school could vary massively according to the teacher and mix of kids. Even the amount of work done each year varied, disturbing when they would reach a new year level and had to be asked who had done what:eek: Other years fab teachers, you never knew what to expect year from year, but I think the curriculum might be more regulated now.

Schools brag a lot each one had a ' we are the best blurb', would really try to sell you the school, even if it was crap:lol:

Little or NO funding for learning disabilities, dyslexia for instance, shocking.

Bullies everywhere, state and private. Drugs everywhere, what would you like? Most parents would be amazed if they knew, my two have left spill the beans on what was going on, one was in private one in state . Lots of sex going on in grade 9:eek: That shocked me more than the drugs. And booze, drinking culture is big here too.

You can do well, youngest has just had his OP estimated and its very very good, but he has that sort of brain, just a state school, there was a knife fight there today:eek: so same school, different kids going very different paths, thats it at the end of the day, the kid as much as the school. And sometimes the worst kids are from the best families and vice versa.

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My experience with the IB is HUGE pressure for the kids, and therefor the family:eek:, OMG the amount of work, up to 13 exams some terms, and 3 - 6 hours a day of recommended study on top of school.

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Is it only the private schools that offer the IB or is it also possible in some state schools? My eldest will have completed her GCSEs but my youngest will only be half way through so I'd prefer to have something more internationally recognized just in case it doesn't work out and we end up back in the UK. The schools they currently attend attend work them very, very hard so that side wouldn't worry me so much.

When you talk about the bullying are you saying its everywhere because its a massive problem or a bit like the sex & drugs that its a problem throughout Aus & UK? My children have never, to the best of my knowledge, been bullied but they have always been at schools that have a very tough stance of any sort of behavior.

Thank you for all the info, so helpful.

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Some State schools (more of a handful) in Victoria offer IB but these tend to be the selective ones. Can't say for QLD though. As each Australian State varies in their Educational agenda (yes, there isn't one country educational agenda) it's difficult for some of us to help you when we don't live in the State you are planning on going to. Just from Naplan results, etc QLD isn't top of the list and I know someone who went from a top VIC private to a top Brisbane private to find it much easier and less demanding

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My son did IB in a State School in QLD. Very reasonable cost, about $1500 year. We looked into other states for work reasons and most of the schools we found offering it were private and the cost was up to $25,000 per year. But I really cannot stress how much work it is, many kids cant cope and have to give it up. Second language essential.

Bullying, I guess it goes on because kids are kids worldwide and some kids are plain nasty. In primary it really was physical stuff, and of course in high school its more physiological and often on line bulllying. Nasty age especially girls:eek:

Drugs, sex, booze, again kids are kids worldwide and Australia is a pretty rough culture with a lot of boozing.

Nobody when their kids are under 12 think the little sweethearts will do anything wild, but its all here if they want it, and teens test boundaries and experiment and aussie kids are doing just as well as any other place:lol:

Worst I had was one teen on a 3 month party after he graduated, settled now, but with 3 of them you meet a lot of parents and what some of them have to deal with in the teen years makes me feel pretty lucky.

Schools have a bullying policy but its often a no blame one, the bully and victim have to be treated the same:blink: Plus bullies dont advertise it, its often very sneaky stuff.

Just expect the same as you would in schools anywhere :thumbup:

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I agree that the IB is tough all through years 11 and 12. DD works very long hours after school to get everything done. It suits a certain type of character though- someone who is an independent thinker. If you just want rote learning, don't enjoy researching, and hate maths, don't do the IB. You have to take 6 subjects,with Maths and English compulsory, a language, a science and an arts/social science subject or another language. You do CAS (Community, Action,Service)which is like a community service and physical ed, and TOK which is Theory of Knowledge.You also have to write an Extended Essay of 4000 words. 3 are taken at Higher Level (HL) which involves extra classes- in her case before and after school.

DD is doing Psychology, Social Anthropology and French at HL, and English, Biology and Maths at SL. She enjoys her subjects, but boy is it hard graft!