UK vs Australian highschool education system

[Rosie R]

Hi guys!

I know that this is a wide question, and I don't expect thorough answers as I will be doing my own research on it

I just thought I'd ask if there are any drastic/obvious differences in the education system/school life in Australian secondary schools compared to UK ones? Is there anything that I need to be mindful of/take into consideration?) 

I don't necessarily mean bad things either, but things that could potentially surprise me when starting a new school?

Anything at all would be appreciated!

Thanks!  

[Quoll]

Not as “exam” focussed - just the one round of important assessments at the end of year 12 but you’ll need to have done both yrs 11 and 12 to get decent scores. Wider range of subject choices for the yr 12 assessments, you don’t just do 3 or 4 subjects. You’ll have done one yr less schooling in Aus by the time you finish school so it’ll be proportionately easier. Some states have a college system for yrs 11 & 12, others do 11&12 in HS settings and the assessment process for the yr12 assessment differs from state to state, some being essentially continuous assessment and some being full on exams.

Yr 9 girls are the biggest b!tch*s on the planet, followed closely by yr 8 girls who are in training to become yr9!  By yr10 they’re mostly human. 

Each state is different although you all end up with a comparable ATAR. A higher proportion of kids go to non gov schools (private) and if you want a single sex school you’ll have to go private. Most HS aren’t streamed and Aussies don’t much like tall poppies so if you are a tall poppy you’ll have to be strong to avoid being cut off at the knees - it’ll be easier if you’re outstanding at sport. 
 

You’ll have to do 4 years at Uni to end up with an honours degree instead of 3. 
 

Good luck, you’ll be fine! 

[Rosie R]

1 hour ago, Quoll said:

Most HS aren’t streamed and Aussies don’t much like tall poppies so if you are a tall poppy you’ll have to be strong to avoid being cut off at the knees - it’ll be easier if you’re outstanding at sport. 

I tried looking up what a 'tall poppy' was and I think I have an idea but I'm not entirely sure? Would you mind giving a rough description  ?

As for being good at sport....I think that is an area I will have to work on! I was a sports whiz around the ages 7-10 but that collapsed during my teenage years in the UK haha

I by no means am super intelligent or anything of the sort, but in my highschool I am in the "top set" so I think I might be slightly more towards the academic side rather than the sporty side -- should I be worried? 

Thankyou for the feedback  

[Paul1Perth]

We had friends emigrate and stay with us in about 1998. They had 2 teenage sons who had been to an outer Manchester school that was pretty typical of a Northern English school. Both were nice enough but "full of themselves" when it came to how they were going to behave at school. They both gave the impression of how "hard" they were, first few weeks they thought they would be more accepted if they acted up, ignored teachers instructions, messed around during sports. They couldn't swim very well and told the aussie kids swimming was for gays.

To their surprise they didn't have many friends and Aussie kids thought they were English dickheads. They changed pretty quickly, clever enough to know being hard and "too cool for school" wasn't the way to go here.

They were decent football players too, which helped. 

Neither of them went to uni, by choice I think, it's not a requirement and they both have very good jobs now, as well as being in a pretty succesful death metal band. 

My eldest was 2 when we came, youngest born here. Both boys, youngest has autism. Neither went to uni, eldest is an electrician and has worked Fly in Fly out since his early 20's. He's always been on great money and spent a lot of his 20's travelling the world, going to music festivals, lived in Whistler, Canada for a couple of years. Back here now working on oil rigs, 3 weeks on 3 off. Youngest alwys struggled at school, got a bit of bullying but stuck up for himself early. Never happened again.

He has a job in a local coffee shop by the beach which he loves and it's done him good, made him communicate and learn to socialise.

Don't know what your current school is like or where it is. We have more friends who have 3 girls gone through school here, one is still at school. One has a degree in fine arts, excellent artist, spent a year in Spain during her degree, back here now, struggling to find work but works in a bar. Middle one didn't go to uni, went off to the snowfields last year to work on ski lifts, was a ski instructor for a while then covid hit. She's been stuck there but has managed to get by. Worked as a lifeguard in a pool when that was open, waitress in a coffee shop for a while, she's still there.

Youngest, still at school, tells us there's a fair bit of bullying. She's not that academically clever but she's almost 6ft tall, pretty and has done some modelling already. Some of the girls in the "cool" group bully her a fair bit, a lot by phone and social media, which seems to be the done thing these days. She has her own friends though and doesn't seem too bothered by it. I think that is a bit of the tall poppy thing that quoll mentioned. She's modelling, tall and pretty and also has a nice personality. It's just jealousy really.

[Marisawright]

10 hours ago, Rosie R said:

Hi guys!

I know that this is a wide question, and I don't expect thorough answers as I will be doing my own research on it

I just thought I'd ask if there are any drastic/obvious differences in the education system/school life in Australian secondary schools compared to UK ones?

Do you mean England or Scotland?  The education systems are very different.  The HSC is closer to the Scottish Higher than to the English A Level.  

[Quoll]

1 hour ago, Rosie R said:

I tried looking up what a 'tall poppy' was and I think I have an idea but I'm not entirely sure? Would you mind giving a rough description  ?

As for being good at sport....I think that is an area I will have to work on! I was a sports whiz around the ages 7-10 but that collapsed during my teenage years in the UK haha

I by no means am super intelligent or anything of the sort, but in my highschool I am in the "top set" so I think I might be slightly more towards the academic side rather than the sporty side -- should I be worried? 

Thankyou for the feedback  

No, not worried as long as you dont bang on about it.  Keep your head down, dont brag and do what you want to do without drawing attention to yourself. 

[Rosie R]

17 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Do you mean England or Scotland?  The education systems are very different.  The HSC is closer to the Scottish Higher than to the English A Level.  

Ah yes sorry, I mean England secondary school  

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Rosie R said:

I tried looking up what a 'tall poppy' was and I think I have an idea but I'm not entirely sure? Would you mind giving a rough description  ?

As for being good at sport....I think that is an area I will have to work on! I was a sports whiz around the ages 7-10 but that collapsed during my teenage years in the UK haha

I by no means am super intelligent or anything of the sort, but in my highschool I am in the "top set" so I think I might be slightly more towards the academic side rather than the sporty side -- should I be worried? 

Thankyou for the feedback  

It depends what state and what city you’re going to? Different parts of Australia are very different, just like Dundee isn’t like London

[Skani]

4 hours ago, Quoll said:

.... and if you want a single sex school you’ll have to go private.

Depending on your location. Some cities do have single sex government secondary schools.

[Paul1Perth]

47 minutes ago, Skani said:

Depending on your location. Some cities do have single sex government secondary schools.

Private schools here (Perth) aren't like private schools in the UK. Our youngest went to a private school because of his autism. He loved the uniform, the stricter rules, they had a stream for kids with learning difficulties which meant they kept the same form teacher all the way through. A lovely, caring lady who was very touchy feely, loved giving out hugs. She had a chat with us when our youngster started and asked us if we had a problem with that approach. Sad she even had to ask but these days can't be too careful. We said it's just what our youngest needed, he loves a hug.

There are a lot of private schools, most of them one religion or another, but they don't cost an awful lot more than public. No stigma seems to be attached to kids that go to them either. My eldest went to a local public school and his best mates went to the same private school my youngest went to.

[Quoll]

3 hours ago, Skani said:

Depending on your location. Some cities do have single sex government secondary schools.

Ah, havent met any of them, good to know!

[Toots]

39 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Ah, havent met any of them, good to know!

Quite a number of single sex government schools in Sydney.  Our sons went Epping Boys High School.  All in all, in the Sydney area there are approximately 20 boys' high schools and roughly half that number for girls' high schools.

[newjez]

7 hours ago, Rosie R said:

I tried looking up what a 'tall poppy' was and I think I have an idea but I'm not entirely sure? Would you mind giving a rough description  ?

As for being good at sport....I think that is an area I will have to work on! I was a sports whiz around the ages 7-10 but that collapsed during my teenage years in the UK haha

I by no means am super intelligent or anything of the sort, but in my highschool I am in the "top set" so I think I might be slightly more towards the academic side rather than the sporty side -- should I be worried? 

Thankyou for the feedback  

Tall poppy syndrome is where anyone who is different, or exceeds the norm is cut down to size. Essentially it's bullying. I don't know if bullying is worse in Australian schools, or if it is handled badly in Australian schools. I would be surprised, but I have no prior experience.

I had no experience of this at my high school. We had a particularly gifted student who became a neurologist, and I wasn't aware of her or anyone else being bullied because of intelligence. I know my brother suffered a bit, but he went to a really rough school. Maybe it's a socioeconomic thing.

My school had a lot of Italian and Greek kids, and these people tended to push their kids as much as possible to succeed.

I would say it's possibly something to be aware of but not something to worry about.

[Bulya]

Every state/territory is different.  Remember, Australia is a franchise...