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Re: unhappy in Perth
Originally posted by dotty Schools are chronically underfunded now. I can see the cutbacks from just 5 years ago. Languages, start grade 5 here if you are lucky. Music and thats only a recorder at grade 4, art totally disappeared. All of those things used to be available from grade 1. based on my experiences growing up in Australia (state school, admittedly quite a few years ago now :( ), but things seem to have improved from my time. Learning a foreign language we couldnt start until grade 7. Art, well it all depends on your definition, certainly we got to slap some paint around from grade 1 but actual "art" lessons started in grade 6. Music, we could start recorder in Grade 4 but that was optional and my parents had to pay extra for it. Other than that the only time we did music was when there was a school play coming up and they need a Choir so we all got intensive singing lessons. It was very much a "3R's+sport" school and nobody seemed to worry that we werent getting "cultural" type stuff. Having said that it wasnt a big city school so maybe that makes a difference also. Mairi |
Re: unhappy in Perth
Originally posted by PeteSara We emmigrated to Perth in 2001 with our 3 children. We made so many mistakes . . . . Know we are the classic 'whinging pom' but it is just so much harder than anyone can imagine and once you have such a conscious life change you expect to have positive results!! Anyone had a similiar experience?? cant help with the similar experiences cos we are not arriving in Perth until April, but from reading your post the one thing that really stands out for me is that you have learnt so much from the last 2 and a bit years and that's surely a good thing. Making mistakes and regretting those mistakes doesn't necessarily make you a "whinging pom", at least not if you are prepared to do something about it which it sounds you like are. Hope you can put your Perth experince to good use whatever you do and where ever you go in the future. Regards Mairi |
Re: unhappy in Perth
Originally posted by MrsDagboy Dotty, are you sure its not just the schools in your area or the one you have dealings with that have been so severely cut back? :confused: I know that some schools really seem to struggle, both for money/resources & also teacher aide/special ed time etc but luckily ours doesnt seem to be one of them. Although I dont know what it was like 5 years ago from an adult view, I can tell you that at the boys school they do Art from Year 1, Choir from Year 2, Music from Year 1, LOTE (language other than English, in our case French) starts in Year 2 I think. Instruction in instruments does start in Year 4/5 in our school the same as yours, but I remember when I was at school we didnt start the recorder until year 4 either :confused: . I cant imagine the majority of kids under 8 being able to grasp the music reading or having the manual deterity to play a flute or something anyway. Anyway its just a point, our school seems to be alot better off resource wise etc than the one you talk about. Totally agree with the private school comments etc, although for younger children (ie up to year 7) you should be able to find plenty of schools with fees less than $3000/year. But you can probably end up paying more than that anyway when you take the uniform into consideration :scared: :eek: . I know this school has an appaling rate of parent contribution, they ask for $60.00 a year per family but less that 20% pay it. Science levy is $5.00 per kid per year but few even pay that. Class of 29 kids reaped 9 packets of photocopy paper, parents just dont want to know. Several kids today had not even got the text books, teacher joked we'll get some more on dole day. I dont think its any secret funding has been cut, there has been a big outcry over funds going to private schools. But I too wonder if schools vary, for instance smaller schools, schools with better parental input. There is a very big difference now to 5 years ago. If there is such a great variance in say when a language starts from one State school to another State school it may pay for people to phone around. You have to wonder how funding is worked out if this is the case :confused: or perhaps each school gets to choose where its money goes? I will ask some questions next week. |
i dont know much about economics as far as australia goes, but i have read about the tax situation and the fact that most things have an extra payment somewhere, but why is there a two tier education system in australia. from a european point of view this seems very "third world" dare i say. where is the tax going. to have to contribute to the running of a state school in such an upfront way is not encouraging. basically it gives the impression of substandard teaching to possibley substandard learners or the poor.
also is my perception of australia as a hot UK in 70's correct. it may have the technology and IT but morally, ethically and spiritually its a country of poor fashion, garrish colours and an out of date society. OR is it a conspiracy by to be PR's and pomms to put off the rest of us and to keep the place to themselves? |
Re: unhappy in Perth
Originally posted by dotty I too would be very interested to hear what other state schools are providing for the kids. I mean this school is supposed to do art but fact is there is just no money there for supplies. Perhaps what money is available is targeted to grade ones but a grade 2 class last year did no art at all. Languages have slipped back over the years from grade 1 which may have been a bit early, to grade 2 then 3/4 it is most certainly not in Grade 5 now. I know this school has an appaling rate of parent contribution, they ask for $60.00 a year per family but less that 20% pay it. Science levy is $5.00 per kid per year but few even pay that. Class of 29 kids reaped 9 packets of photocopy paper, parents just dont want to know. Several kids today had not even got the text books, teacher joked we'll get some more on dole day. I dont think its any secret funding has been cut, there has been a big outcry over funds going to private schools. But I too wonder if schools vary, for instance smaller schools, schools with better parental input. There is a very big difference now to 5 years ago. If there is such a great variance in say when a language starts from one State school to another State school it may pay for people to phone around. You have to wonder how funding is worked out if this is the case :confused: or perhaps each school gets to choose where its money goes? I will ask some questions next week. |
Originally posted by trevd72 OR is it a conspiracy by to be PR's and pomms to put off the rest of us and to keep the place to themselves? |
Re: unhappy in Perth
Originally posted by Mairi&Chris Dotty based on my experiences growing up in Australia (state school, admittedly quite a few years ago now :( ), but things seem to have improved from my time. Learning a foreign language we couldnt start until grade 7. Art, well it all depends on your definition, certainly we got to slap some paint around from grade 1 but actual "art" lessons started in grade 6. Music, we could start recorder in Grade 4 but that was optional and my parents had to pay extra for it. Other than that the only time we did music was when there was a school play coming up and they need a Choir so we all got intensive singing lessons. It was very much a "3R's+sport" school and nobody seemed to worry that we werent getting "cultural" type stuff. Having said that it wasnt a big city school so maybe that makes a difference also. Mairi My experience as a child was in a very good Qld state school here in Brisbane if thats any comparison to yours. |
Originally posted by trevd72 also is my perception of australia as a hot UK in 70's correct. it may have the technology and IT but morally, ethically and spiritually its a country of poor fashion, garrish colours and an out of date society. |
Re: unhappy in Perth
Originally posted by MrsDagboy I think the younger you teach things like languages & art, the better skilled kids will be in it. One thing I have noticed from living in countres where English is not the first language is how much emphasis these countries put on learning other languages whereas the 3 English speaking countries I been in haven't really considered it as important. In each of these countries much more emphasis seemed to be placed on Science and technical subjects. Originally posted by MrsDagboy Its gone from late starting certain subjects to starting them early & now is going back to late. |
Our primary school has about 500 kids which I suppose is quite big for WA. My eldest started in year 4 when we arrived last year and did a langauge, art and music. (I was very impressed with what they did at art), also I think there are at least 4 computers per class (don't know if that is good or bad). They have sporting activities a couple of times a week. The whole school is airconditioned but they had to raise the funds themselves (sponsored events etc)
They have special needs assistants and teachers aides in each class, although the mums are encouraged to come and help with the reading etc. A lot of mums do, our fees are about $35 per kid lower if you have more than 1 child. I remember at a meeting last year there was a woman spouting off about how much the parents in our suburb seemed to rally round in respect to their kids education (not a well off area - I think she was trying to make us feel better but did not put it very well!!) A friend of mine was ringing round schools in her area looking for work as a special needs assistant. The more "well to do" areas basically told her that they did not require special needs help as they did not have any children with problems at their schools. I have nothing to compare the school with (except UK) so I don't know how this compares to other schools. |
Hi Di
We have special needs in Hillarys primary and at scotts school duncraig senior high . The high school is also good as it caters for about 25 disabled kids everyone is together so i think that is great. Joanne |
Phew that's a relief then, I thought it was a bit strange:confused: :(
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Modern Uk society-are you serious? It is like lviing in the 80s here-they are so far behind! (well Perth anyway!)
Originally posted by HiddenPaw you take the good with the bad. Australia may be 'behind' in some things, but is a 'modern UK society' a role model for the rest of the world? |
Originally posted by melaniee Modern Uk society-are you serious? It is like lviing in the 80s here-they are so far behind! (well Perth anyway!) |
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