schools still confused
Mar 8th 2004, 8:51 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 24
schools still confused
I 've been looking on various websites but am still confused about how the Queensland school system works, I have 4 kids to sort out but I am most concerned with my eldest boy aged 14 who is in year 9 in the UK, he should be starting his GCSEs in Sept but we are hoping to be out in Oz by then.What is the Australian equivalent to GCSEs and will he have missed the beginning of the course? I may be wrong but I'm reading it that they will have started but that would mean that the Australian kid finish at 15 and finsh A level equivalent at aged 17. What age do they start Uni in Oz?
Any answers gratefully recieved, very worried that I'm messing up his education.
Thanks em.
Any answers gratefully recieved, very worried that I'm messing up his education.
Thanks em.
Mar 8th 2004, 11:23 am
#2
over the cuckoo's nest
Joined: May 2003
Location: Gold Coast Qld.
Posts: 301
Re: schools still confused
Originally posted by emillyloolas
I 've been looking on various websites but am still confused about how the Queensland school system works, I have 4 kids to sort out but I am most concerned with my eldest boy aged 14 who is in year 9 in the UK, he should be starting his GCSEs in Sept but we are hoping to be out in Oz by then.What is the Australian equivalent to GCSEs and will he have missed the beginning of the course? I may be wrong but I'm reading it that they will have started but that would mean that the Australian kid finish at 15 and finsh A level equivalent at aged 17. What age do they start Uni in Oz?
Any answers gratefully recieved, very worried that I'm messing up his education.
Thanks em.
I 've been looking on various websites but am still confused about how the Queensland school system works, I have 4 kids to sort out but I am most concerned with my eldest boy aged 14 who is in year 9 in the UK, he should be starting his GCSEs in Sept but we are hoping to be out in Oz by then.What is the Australian equivalent to GCSEs and will he have missed the beginning of the course? I may be wrong but I'm reading it that they will have started but that would mean that the Australian kid finish at 15 and finsh A level equivalent at aged 17. What age do they start Uni in Oz?
Any answers gratefully recieved, very worried that I'm messing up his education.
Thanks em.
Your confused, we've lived here for 4 months and were still learning. I think the equivalent to G.C.S.E's are the Queensland Board of Secondary School Studies, Q.B.S.S.S. our daughter is in year 11 and studying 6 subjects for the equivalent A level to obtain (hopefully) good grades and OP scores, (overall position) for entry into Uni. After seeking out several apparently quite good state schools, we decided, mainly because of the lack of subjects to place our 4 children into a private Christian school, they seem to have more options and the students achieve far higher OP scores. Don't worry your son will still be in Junior High and have time to sort out his options and choice of subject. Try different schools to find subjects available that will best suit him.
Good luck
Slater
Mar 8th 2004, 12:08 pm
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 24
Re: schools still confused
Originally posted by Slater
Your confused, we've lived here for 4 months and were still learning. I think the equivalent to G.C.S.E's are the Queensland Board of Secondary School Studies, Q.B.S.S.S. our daughter is in year 11 and studying 6 subjects for the equivalent A level to obtain (hopefully) good grades and OP scores, (overall position) for entry into Uni. After seeking out several apparently quite good state schools, we decided, mainly because of the lack of subjects to place our 4 children into a private Christian school, they seem to have more options and the students achieve far higher OP scores. Don't worry your son will still be in Junior High and have time to sort out his options and choice of subject. Try different schools to find subjects available that will best suit him.
Good luck
Slater
Your confused, we've lived here for 4 months and were still learning. I think the equivalent to G.C.S.E's are the Queensland Board of Secondary School Studies, Q.B.S.S.S. our daughter is in year 11 and studying 6 subjects for the equivalent A level to obtain (hopefully) good grades and OP scores, (overall position) for entry into Uni. After seeking out several apparently quite good state schools, we decided, mainly because of the lack of subjects to place our 4 children into a private Christian school, they seem to have more options and the students achieve far higher OP scores. Don't worry your son will still be in Junior High and have time to sort out his options and choice of subject. Try different schools to find subjects available that will best suit him.
Good luck
Slater
so what year do you think he would be put in- repeat year 9 ? and how old will your daughter be when she finishes, we're going over end of March for a week to look at whether we definately want to go- looking at houses , schools , if job offer is suitable etc .
so, been there 4 months- hows it going- would you do it all again?
Mar 8th 2004, 12:10 pm
#4
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 24
Re: schools still confused
Originally posted by Slater
Your confused, we've lived here for 4 months and were still learning. I think the equivalent to G.C.S.E's are the Queensland Board of Secondary School Studies, Q.B.S.S.S. our daughter is in year 11 and studying 6 subjects for the equivalent A level to obtain (hopefully) good grades and OP scores, (overall position) for entry into Uni. After seeking out several apparently quite good state schools, we decided, mainly because of the lack of subjects to place our 4 children into a private Christian school, they seem to have more options and the students achieve far higher OP scores. Don't worry your son will still be in Junior High and have time to sort out his options and choice of subject. Try different schools to find subjects available that will best suit him.
Good luck
Slater
Your confused, we've lived here for 4 months and were still learning. I think the equivalent to G.C.S.E's are the Queensland Board of Secondary School Studies, Q.B.S.S.S. our daughter is in year 11 and studying 6 subjects for the equivalent A level to obtain (hopefully) good grades and OP scores, (overall position) for entry into Uni. After seeking out several apparently quite good state schools, we decided, mainly because of the lack of subjects to place our 4 children into a private Christian school, they seem to have more options and the students achieve far higher OP scores. Don't worry your son will still be in Junior High and have time to sort out his options and choice of subject. Try different schools to find subjects available that will best suit him.
Good luck
Slater
Mar 8th 2004, 12:20 pm
#5
Rocket Scientist
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Dreamland AKA Brisbane which is a different country to the UK
Posts: 6,911
Re: schools still confused
Originally posted by emillyloolas
I 've been looking on various websites but am still confused about how the Queensland school system works, I have 4 kids to sort out but I am most concerned with my eldest boy aged 14 who is in year 9 in the UK, he should be starting his GCSEs in Sept but we are hoping to be out in Oz by then.What is the Australian equivalent to GCSEs and will he have missed the beginning of the course? I may be wrong but I'm reading it that they will have started but that would mean that the Australian kid finish at 15 and finsh A level equivalent at aged 17. What age do they start Uni in Oz?
Any answers gratefully recieved, very worried that I'm messing up his education.
Thanks em.
I 've been looking on various websites but am still confused about how the Queensland school system works, I have 4 kids to sort out but I am most concerned with my eldest boy aged 14 who is in year 9 in the UK, he should be starting his GCSEs in Sept but we are hoping to be out in Oz by then.What is the Australian equivalent to GCSEs and will he have missed the beginning of the course? I may be wrong but I'm reading it that they will have started but that would mean that the Australian kid finish at 15 and finsh A level equivalent at aged 17. What age do they start Uni in Oz?
Any answers gratefully recieved, very worried that I'm messing up his education.
Thanks em.
. (I hope the terminologies havent changed 
)Secondary school (high school) in Qld starts at year 8 (turn 13 that year, between 1 Jan & Dec 31). Year 8 is a general year with a broad range of subjects & most schools do very similar ones. Year 9 & 10 are classified as Junior certificate, the subjects are usually more streamed, so science/maths type subjects together etc. This is the equivilent of O levels. Year 11 & 12 are the senior certificate (turn 16 in year 11) which are the equivilent of A levels. Slaters explaination of OP scores are correct. Im not sure of the ramifications of moving during either your junior or senior certificate, but my guess is that it wont affect him too much, they will have safeguards in place to cover things like that (remember, kids over here change school alot more frequently than those in the UK).
So in answer to your question, yes, kids in Qld finish high school aged 17 & start Uni the year that they turn 18. Remember too that the school year here runs from Jan to Dec. It depends on when his b/day is & his age at the beginning of the school year as to what year he will end up in.
PS. Other states are completely different to Qld.
Mar 8th 2004, 12:28 pm
#6
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 24
Re: schools still confused
Originally posted by MrsDagboy
Emilly, this is a pretty simplified version. (I hope the terminologies havent changed )
Secondary school (high school) in Qld starts at year 8 (turn 13 that year, between 1 Jan & Dec 31). Year 8 is a general year with a broad range of subjects & most schools do very similar ones. Year 9 & 10 are classified as Junior certificate, the subjects are usually more streamed, so science/maths type subjects together etc. This is the equivilent of O levels. Year 11 & 12 are the senior certificate (turn 16 in year 11) which are the equivilent of A levels. Slaters explaination of OP scores are correct. Im not sure of the ramifications of moving during either your junior or senior certificate, but my guess is that it wont affect him too much, they will have safeguards in place to cover things like that (remember, kids over here change school alot more frequently than those in the UK).
So in answer to your question, yes, kids in Qld finish high school aged 17 & start Uni the year that they turn 18. Remember too that the school year here runs from Jan to Dec. It depends on when his b/day is & his age at the beginning of the school year as to what year he will end up in.
PS. Other states are completely different to Qld.
Emilly, this is a pretty simplified version
. (I hope the terminologies havent changed )Secondary school (high school) in Qld starts at year 8 (turn 13 that year, between 1 Jan & Dec 31). Year 8 is a general year with a broad range of subjects & most schools do very similar ones. Year 9 & 10 are classified as Junior certificate, the subjects are usually more streamed, so science/maths type subjects together etc. This is the equivilent of O levels. Year 11 & 12 are the senior certificate (turn 16 in year 11) which are the equivilent of A levels. Slaters explaination of OP scores are correct. Im not sure of the ramifications of moving during either your junior or senior certificate, but my guess is that it wont affect him too much, they will have safeguards in place to cover things like that (remember, kids over here change school alot more frequently than those in the UK).
So in answer to your question, yes, kids in Qld finish high school aged 17 & start Uni the year that they turn 18. Remember too that the school year here runs from Jan to Dec. It depends on when his b/day is & his age at the beginning of the school year as to what year he will end up in.
PS. Other states are completely different to Qld.
Thanks- Emx
