BendigoBoy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 5 minutes ago, Toots said: Animals are never as obnoxious as some people can be.Ā You've clearly not met my cat. 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simontucks Posted February 16 Author Share Posted February 16 So let me get this straight.....Ā Public schools are terrible yes, or is that just for the purpose of this forum?..... Seems like there is a big dark cloud sitting right over this site. Everyone I've been in touch with in the west area of brisbane and there's been a few(yes I have done research away from here,more so the last fortnight due to not quite believing the negativity on here on most subjects) every single person has said the schooling is good both private and public. Yes ,I'm not stupid enough to think it's perfect,no schools are,kids can be horrible but,listening to this site Australia is the pits of the earth. Stay happy guys,I'm out 3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 21 hours ago, InnerVoice said: Trust me, I do. I did my teacher training in a special measures school, and then worked supply in inner-city school in Manchester (c.2010) where the kids had to walk through a metal detector on the way in. It isn't that bad here yet thankfully, but if you compare the average state school In Australia with similar in the UK then there seems to be more academic rigourĀ in the latter. That's just my opinion based on experienceĀ - no stats to back it up! To be fair that was actually 14 years ago and the UK has changed beyond all recognition in that time.Ā 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 7 hours ago, BendigoBoy said: I'm honestly surprised that there hasn't been an even larger exodus of STEM teachers into private industry. I'm hugely respectful and full of admiration for those who feel a true vocational calling to teach.Ā I think there's a massive chasm between teaching and stressed-out crowd control bogged down with bureaucracy. If you can pick up better money, longer lunch breaks, and holidays whenever you want to take them versus some of the horror stories we see about what goes on in schools, not to mention being well treated and respected by colleagues and clients, then I really have to question whether some people have a misguided sense of loyalty in staying in such toxic and unhealthy environments that don't facilitate them doing what they trained to to begin with. Why just STEM teachers? Are they the only ones who are of any use to the world outside the classroom? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 I think Simonās last post should serve as a bit of a warning siren to some contributors on this site. Whilst some of you (not all) do try to give a balanced view, others seem hell bent on chasing or scaring new contributors away with nastiness (yes, nastiness), superiority and negativity.Ā This is the second time in a week someone has said to me that they wonāt post on this forum any more because of the negativity and tone of responses and the other person has already successfully made the move.Ā You must remember that some people come on here for reassurance, they may be having a wobble making the biggest move of their lives. It might be nice/supportive/human to share some of the good aspects of your life or the positive things you have gained from moving yourself. After all, it canāt all be bad or you wouldnāt have done it/wouldnāt still be there surely. There must be many āsuccessā stories, but Iāll tell you there are not many apparent on this site!!Ā Regarding Brissie schools I have heard mixed reports. Does that mean that every state school is a deadly den of iniquity? No! What I have been impressed by is the range of affordable choice when it comes to schooling, as opposed to the UK where if you canāt afford Ā£20k per year you have no choice really.Ā I went to visit my husbandās uncle and cousins the other day. Uncle is in his 80ās and is unwell, he is on the final stretch of the journey. A stark reminder that weāre here for a good time not a long time, we take our chances and thereās not much that isnāt recoverable if we make a mistake.Ā Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 14 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: Why just STEM teachers? Are they the only ones who are of any use to the world outside the classroom? Lol Not at all. Just that in the fields of work I'm familiar with and experienced with, I can relate far more easily to what they could pitch for and what they'd be rewarded for. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 20 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: To be fair that was actually 14 years ago and the UK has changed beyond all recognition in that time.Ā Yes. And not for the better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 (edited) 5 minutes ago, BendigoBoy said: Not at all. Just that in the fields of work I'm familiar with and experienced with, I can relate far more easily to what they could pitch for and what they'd be rewarded for. It just saddens me that we seem to be losing the value of the softer side of skills that are actually equally as important for making the world go round. There has been such a focus on STEM in the UK curriculum in recent years that all other areas have suffered. As a non-STEM teacher who has successfully transitioned out of the classroom to a reasonably decent career (and not at a young age) Iām here to fly the flag for others and say it is possible and can be done.Ā Edited February 16 by Cheery Thistle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 3 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: It just saddens me that we seem to be losing the value of the softer side of skills that are actually equally as important for making the world go round. There has been such a focus on STEM in the UK curriculum in recent years that all other areas have suffered. As a non-STEM teacher who has successfully transitioned out of the classroom to a reasonably decent career (and not at a young age) Iām here to fly the flag for others and say it is possible and can be done.Ā I concur. My first MA (Sanct. And.) was in Classics. I pine for the days that people could read subjects simply for the love of them.Ā 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluequay Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 57 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: I think Simonās last post should serve as a bit of a warning siren to some contributors on this site. Whilst some of you (not all) do try to give a balanced view, others seem hell bent on chasing or scaring new contributors away with nastiness (yes, nastiness), superiority and negativity.Ā This is the second time in a week someone has said to me that they wonāt post on this forum any more because of the negativity and tone of responses and the other person has already successfully made the move.Ā You must remember that some people come on here for reassurance, they may be having a wobble making the biggest move of their lives. It might be nice/supportive/human to share some of the good aspects of your life or the positive things you have gained from moving yourself. After all, it canāt all be bad or you wouldnāt have done it/wouldnāt still be there surely. There must be many āsuccessā stories, but Iāll tell you there are not many apparent on this site!!Ā Regarding Brissie schools I have heard mixed reports. Does that mean that every state school is a deadly den of iniquity? No! What I have been impressed by is the range of affordable choice when it comes to schooling, as opposed to the UK where if you canāt afford Ā£20k per year you have no choice really.Ā I went to visit my husbandās uncle and cousins the other day. Uncle is in his 80ās and is unwell, he is on the final stretch of the journey. A stark reminder that weāre here for a good time not a long time, we take our chances and thereās not much that isnāt recoverable if we make a mistake.Ā Ā I've just read through the thread twice to be sure and there is nothing that negative about Australian schools, nobody has stated they are terrible just that they have the same problems schools all over the world have. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 3 minutes ago, bluequay said: I've just read through the thread twice to be sure and there is nothing that negative about Australian schools, nobody has stated they are terrible just that they have the same problems schools all over the world have. The issue is a lot of posters are very far removed from the issues in UK schools and the people who are moving from the UK donāt have any experience of the Aus system so itās hard to get a direct, accurate and up to date comparison.Ā I donāt think I said anyone had said that Aussie schools were all terrible either? However a lot of posters saying donāt expect them to be any better than the UK (without any recent experience of the 2). To be honest we are looking at either Catholic or private for our daughter (depending on where we live). Weāre going to visit a few schools in person when weāre over in March. From what I have seen they all look a lot ābetterā than the school she would go to here (where I taught for 10 years) which is actually a top 30 Scottish state school. Ā Parents would be shocked if they knew how poorly resourced schools are in the UK. Guess what my annual budget was to run a dept of 7 staff (full time equivalent of 4.5) including all resources, books, online subscriptions, prelim papers, paper, pens, pencils etc for a year? Go on have a guess lol.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluequay Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 2 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: The issue is a lot of posters are very far removed from the issues in UK schools and the people who are moving from the UK donāt have any experience of the Aus system so itās hard to get a direct, accurate and up to date comparison.Ā I donāt think I said anyone had said that Aussie schools were all terrible either? However a lot of posters saying donāt expect them to be any better than the UK (without any recent experience of the 2). To be honest we are looking at either Catholic or private for our daughter (depending on where we live). Weāre going to visit a few schools in person when weāre over in March. From what I have seen they all look a lot ābetterā than the school she would go to here (where I taught for 10 years) which is actually a top 30 Scottish state school. Ā Parents would be shocked if they knew how poorly resourced schools are in the UK. Guess what my annual budget was to run a dept of 7 staff (full time equivalent of 4.5) including all resources, books, online subscriptions, prelim papers, paper, pens, pencils etc for a year? Go on have a guess lol.Ā To be honest I would be delighted to find a school in Australia as good as the one my children currently go to. Based on Simon's and others experience we are clearly very fortunate to live in area where all of the schools are excellent, even if they do shake you down most weeks for some extra cash via cakes sales or similar 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 1 hour ago, Simontucks said: So let me get this straight.....Ā Public schools are terrible yes, or is that just for the purpose of this forum?..... Seems like there is a big dark cloud sitting right over this site. Everyone I've been in touch with in the west area of brisbane and there's been a few(yes I have done research away from here,more so the last fortnight due to not quite believing the negativity on here on most subjects) every single person has said the schooling is good both private and public. Yes ,I'm not stupid enough to think it's perfect,no schools are,kids can be horrible but,listening to this site Australia is the pits of the earth. Stay happy guys,I'm out I will be honest with you both my children have gone through the public school system here in Brisbane and i cant complain. Schooling here is pretty different (my son did 3 years uk schooling before we moved here) and did take some adjusting too, i found it to be a bit more relaxed and my academic child finished YR 12 with fab scores, even my non acedmic child completed and passed YR12. Being able to start his school based apprentiship in YR10 was briliiant and suited hime well.Ā Ā There is a private school not very far from us and the amount of families i see pulling their kids out and moving to other schools is pretty darn high. The main reasoning being as said byĀ Ā parents(Ā friends /aquanticies of mine) or what i have read on local community pages,is the school cares more about the uniform and if you are not accedmic they write you off''.. Ā As for the dark cloud, i guess its a glass half full, glass half empty scenrio . Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Cal x 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 37 minutes ago, bluequay said: I've just read through the thread twice to be sure and there is nothing that negative about Australian schools, nobody has stated they are terrible just that they have the same problems schools all over the world have. I don't have kids in school but my ex was a teacher and his assessment of Australian schools vs UK schools was the same as @InnerVoice's.Ā Ā He felt that academically, education in the UK is generally superior.Ā Ā Kids who transfer from a UK school in a good area, usually find that they're ahead of their peers in an equivalentĀ Australian school.Ā Ā That's not the whole story, though, as others have pointed out.Ā "Better" isn't just about the curriculum. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 40 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: The issue is a lot of posters are very far removed from the issues in UK schools and the people who are moving from the UK donāt have any experience of the Aus system so itās hard to get a direct, accurate and up to date comparison.Ā I donāt think I said anyone had said that Aussie schools were all terrible either? However a lot of posters saying donāt expect them to be any better than the UK (without any recent experience of the 2). To be honest we are looking at either Catholic or private for our daughter (depending on where we live). Weāre going to visit a few schools in person when weāre over in March. From what I have seen they all look a lot ābetterā than the school she would go to here (where I taught for 10 years) which is actually a top 30 Scottish state school. Ā Parents would be shocked if they knew how poorly resourced schools are in the UK. Guess what my annual budget was to run a dept of 7 staff (full time equivalent of 4.5) including all resources, books, online subscriptions, prelim papers, paper, pens, pencils etc for a year? Go on have a guess lol.Ā Ā£350k? (Not including salaries) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 1 hour ago, BendigoBoy said: Ā£350k? (Not including salaries) I know you are having a laugh.Ā Ā Not including salaries Ā£947 per academic year.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 9 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: I know you are having a laugh.Ā Ā Not including salaries Ā£947 per academic year.Ā That's ridiculous.Ā They expect a department to function on that? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 16 hours ago, calNgary said: I will be honest with you both my children have gone through the public school system here in Brisbane and i cant complain. Schooling here is pretty different (my son did 3 years uk schooling before we moved here) and did take some adjusting too, i found it to be a bit more relaxed and my academic child finished YR 12 with fab scores, even my non acedmic child completed and passed YR12. Being able to start his school based apprentiship in YR10 was briliiant and suited hime well.Ā Ā There is a private school not very far from us and the amount of families i see pulling their kids out and moving to other schools is pretty darn high. The main reasoning being as said byĀ Ā parents(Ā friends /aquanticies of mine) or what i have read on local community pages,is the school cares more about the uniform and if you are not accedmic they write you off''.. Ā As for the dark cloud, i guess its a glass half full, glass half empty scenrio . Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Cal x Both our sons went through their school years in the public school system.Ā Same as your two - went to year 12 no problem - both enjoyed school.Ā That was well over 20 years ago when we didn't seem to hear so much about teachers leaving the profession.Ā That seems to be problematic in many other countries too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 13 hours ago, BendigoBoy said: That's ridiculous.Ā They expect a department to function on that? Lol yes at great personal cost to staff who, of course, are expected to work miracles with those magic wands.Ā One of our local primaries had Ā£8 per pupil per year for everything. Ā£8. This was about 6 years ago when I left and it has got worse, not better.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 12 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: Lol yes at great personal cost to staff who, of course, are expected to work miracles with those magic wands.Ā One of our local primaries had Ā£8 per pupil per year for everything. Ā£8. This was about 6 years ago when I left and it has got worse, not better.Ā I might get censored for this. Just saying. Ā That. Is. F......d. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 I did get censored. But thanks to the moderator for toning it down and posting it anyways! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 14 minutes ago, BendigoBoy said: I did get censored. But thanks to the moderator for toning it down and posting it anyways! It wouldn't let me approve the post unless i did,lol Ā Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 On 16/02/2024 at 17:55, Simontucks said: Seems like there is a big dark cloud sitting right over this site. There's a world of difference between negativity and pragmatism, although I accept at times it can beĀ difficult to differentiate between the two. Your originalĀ postĀ asked about basic monthly living costs, and whether you were going to be worse off financially when you moved to Brisbane. Then further down the thread you mentioned that your current mortgage is Ā£350/month (c.$675), but you anticipateĀ having a monthlyĀ mortgage of $4,000. Even taking into consideration that you will be on higher wages over here, that's a huge increase in your monthly outgoings. If both you and your wife are earning $80k/year it'd be 30% of your combined gross income, so it's hardly surprising that raised a few eyebrows. You've askedĀ quite a few questions on PiO in recent weeks/months, and I think forum members have been very supportive. You had 70 replies to this post in a matter of days, which is far more than any other topic posted recently. Without exception,Ā everyone who has commented has your best interests at heart, so I think it's rather harsh to sayĀ that about thisĀ site. I'm a bit of a Paloma Faith fan, so the words 'Do you want the truth or something beautiful?' spring to mind. If you want a virtual hug or a few 'care emojis' thrown at you then maybe this isn't the best place, but the people who comment regularly have a wealth of experience which they offer for free. Some of our experiences may not be quite as up-to-date as they once were, but the one thing we have in common is that we've all done what you're about to do, so we appreciate what new migrants are up against. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT55 Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 On 16/02/2024 at 17:55, Simontucks said: So let me get this straight.....Ā Public schools are terrible yes, or is that just for the purpose of this forum?..... Seems like there is a big dark cloud sitting right over this site. Everyone I've been in touch with in the west area of brisbane and there's been a few(yes I have done research away from here,more so the last fortnight due to not quite believing the negativity on here on most subjects) every single person has said the schooling is good both private and public. Yes ,I'm not stupid enough to think it's perfect,no schools are,kids can be horrible but,listening to this site Australia is the pits of the earth. Stay happy guys,I'm out There are some great public schools in Brisbane!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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