UK Schooling v's Oz Schooling

[Guest Mrs Nix]

I haven't read all the responses cos I didn't want to sway my thoughts IYSWIM.

 

My daughter has finished year one in UK, so now that we are in Aus she is finishing the last term in year one so she can stay with her peer group. She is a clever girl but gets distracted easily but got good results in UK. She has been at school in Aus just a week and is finding some of the work challenging and she gets alot more homework. SO!! in my opinion the standard is the same if not higher in year one at the school she is at and at 5 I don't think you need to worry about the standard of education as she will be starting with Aussies and if you are here to stay she will be finishing with Aussies! I personally think the schools in Australia ( this is public vs community ) have alot more to offer extramurally and socially.

 

HTH

Nic

[nevsm]

Hi Liz,

I am sure you will be able to find a suitable school, believe you me there really are some very very bright children here. You have to be realistic with such a large move and accept that you may not get school right at first ( and many other things) with such a large move and prepare yourself for this possibility. I do not live in WA but I know if you are at private schools in Queensland many of them go from Prep to Year 12 and therefore will tend to have a larger catchment area. My first choice of school was wrong and I moved my children and I am very happy, as are they, at the school they are at. I have one daughter who is extremely good at English and a son who needs learning support and both their needs are being met. However the schooling system is not the same as the UK but it is still a good system and I will be probably be slated on this forum for saying this but far more balanced and rounded than the UK system.

Good Luck

 

Sam

[Guest deb31deb]

:yes: Strange isnt it because both of my step children are a Dr & Chemical Engineer both Aussie educated and both products from rural state schools:idea: something must have gone wrong!:laugh:

nothing strange about that who said state schools in AUS or uk could not produce well educated people i am allowed to chose private education if that is my prefered choice and what i feel suits my children best well done to them!

[Peach]

Hey Deb. I'd appreciate it if you could also reply to my post a few up. You kind implied that I was ineducated, which I could have found offensive. Here it is: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/education/97170-uk-schooling-vs-oz-schooling.html#post881006

[Guest deb31deb]

I'm British, with an Australian partner and a dual-citizen toddler son... Where did I say that I wasn't educated? It sounds like I've irked you and that wasn't my intent. I was merely making the point that it the long term it doesn't always seem to matter how you were schooled that was all.

 

I dont know you so cannot comment on you education and am only really interested in mine and my childrens that is your business not mine and not what we are discussing!

[fleabo]

Hi, I have been tolda that the OZ schooling is below the standards of that in the UK. Is this true? My little girl is very bright and exceeding above her level at the moment, although she is only 5 and time will tell, people are warning us if we are actually doing the right thing by moving to Perth and risking our daughters education! :sad:

Any advise would be very much appreciated.

 

Please don't worry - your daughter will be fine. I'm married to an Aussie and by most accounts she received a much broader education than I ever did in the UK.

 

You'll find in most classes there is a wide range of ages.

 

Cheers.

[redrobbersdog]

Thanks for all your comments guys. I realise that when it comes to our children that you strive to do the best and reading the comments it can be a touchy subject depedning on individual opinions.

 

The posts have shown me that the education system in OZ is maybe something that I should worry about if my little girl shows signs of being unhappy once we choose a school for her.

 

I suppose with such a big move and a new life I'm trying to get all the facts straight in my mind, and my daughters education is something I personally take very seriously. I am myself not a qualified person but hold a very senior position within a global company, so I should know better than anyone that a piece of paper is not the bee all and end all of it!

 

I just want to give her the best chance, but at the end of the day I will guide her as best I can. ou know what they say about never having the cord cut!! HaHa!

 

Thanks once again to you all.

:hug:

 

 

Dawn

[Guest deb31deb]

Hi, I have been tolda that the OZ schooling is below the standards of that in the UK. Is this true? My little girl is very bright and exceeding above her level at the moment, although she is only 5 and time will tell, people are warning us if we are actually doing the right thing by moving to Perth and risking our daughters education! :sad:

Any advise would be very much appreciated.

 

i have not slated schools in any way o you even sent you a private message which i am happy for you to share so i would appreciate if you supported what i have replied to you

[byrned]

The education system from what my children have said say the education in uk far out weighs the oz teaching they received, that is from my childrens mouths not mine as I am not in the class room, my children have both said the education in england they found was more mature and indepth, they say the teaching here is more skimming over subjects, if that makes sense. my daughter especially enjoyed the teaching in England more, she found the teachers more passionate about the subjects they taught especially in high school my sister inlaw who is a teacher herself of primary aged, spent 3 years in sydney with her children and she found the uk education better for her children, who were all very acamdemic.

[Guest deb31deb]

The education system from what my children have said say the education in uk far out weighs the oz teaching they received, that is from my childrens mouths not mine as I am not in the class room, my children have both said the education in england they found was more mature and indepth, they say the teaching here is more skimming over subjects, if that makes sense. my daughter especially enjoyed the teaching in England more, she found the teachers more passionate about the subjects they taught especially in high school my sister inlaw who is a teacher herself of primary aged, spent 3 years in sydney with her children and she found the uk education better for her children, who were all very acamdemic.

 

I have a few friends teachers here in aus from the uk who say the same. I guess we can say one will just have to decide for themselves but be fair and let people have their opinions as we are all entitled to them !

[Guest deb31deb]

Thanks for all your comments guys. I realise that when it comes to our children that you strive to do the best and reading the comments it can be a touchy subject depedning on individual opinions.

 

The posts have shown me that the education system in OZ is maybe something that I should worry about if my little girl shows signs of being unhappy once we choose a school for her.

 

I suppose with such a big move and a new life I'm trying to get all the facts straight in my mind, and my daughters education is something I personally take very seriously. I am myself not a qualified person but hold a very senior position within a global company, so I should know better than anyone that a piece of paper is not the bee all and end all of it!

 

I just want to give her the best chance, but at the end of the day I will guide her as best I can. ou know what they say about never having the cord cut!! HaHa!

 

Thanks once again to you all.

:hug:

 

 

Dawn

THANKYOU FOR your support thats all we all want the best for our children!

[ErmintrudeMcMoo]

I work in a state school, I often see parents taking their kids out of private, back into the state schools and vice versa. Each kids needs are different - some do better in the state system, others do better private. Take a look around the local schools speak to staff and other parents - most of all make your own mind up - you know your child. Like I said previously though there is a lot of talk on various forums about the poor quality of schooling over here, I don`t think it is poor - it`s just different, so long as my kid is still learning and happy that suits me fine because ultimately it`s only your childs experience that is relevant to you.

[Guest flip]

Hi, another opinion for what it's worth.

 

We were very happy with our primary schools in England but couldn't work out which High School would suit our daughter if we'd still been there and there was something against all the options.

 

Here in North East Melbourne we were delighted with three excellent public schools with "alpha programmes" for the brighter kids, one Catholic Girls School, and two fabulous private schools (at one of which she was offered a scholarship but we would still have been stretched (on a rack) to afford it) - all within just twenty minutes drive of home. Private here does seem quite a bit more reasonable than private in the UK but it does depend a lot on the exchange rate I guess.

 

They do learn different stuff here - there's a lot more emphasis on public speaking for instance - and the maths courses aren't to my taste but on the whole we've been really pleased with their education and the pastoral care (as long as you ask for it in some schools) out here.

 

Good luck in all your decisions.

[ellasdaddy]

Hi Everyone

 

Just been reading this post as it is of intrest to me as i had 3 children 10 4 and 3 im not going to lie and say they are rocket scientist because theyre not theyre just average happy children, however i will prob send my kids to normal state school, only because i myself believe its not the school that makes the child bright its a combination of the childs natural ability home support and the support of their school.

However reading this post deb31deb you stated your child missed out prep and year one, does this worry you that shes alot younger that the kids in her class and also missed out in her foundation learning,

Can i also just say Peach you are def not uneducated because if you are them im still a farm animal lol :wink:

[Liz Steve R]

Can i also just say Peach you are def not uneducated because if you are them im still a farm animal lol :wink:

I know you Carolann and you most certainly are a farm animal!!!! lol:biglaugh: xxx

[Guest flip]

Hi Ellasdaddy

 

I'm with you. My boy will probably choose a state school cos he's your normal run of the mill, loves basketball and girls sort of kid. I just liked the fact that there was a great range of every type of education in the area and that, after a fair bit of movement involved with migration and settling down and that puberty business, my girl finally found a place she feels she belongs.

[Guest deb31deb]

Hi Everyone

 

Just been reading this post as it is of intrest to me as i had 3 children 10 4 and 3 im not going to lie and say they are rocket scientist because theyre not theyre just average happy children, however i will prob send my kids to normal state school, only because i myself believe its not the school that makes the child bright its a combination of the childs natural ability home support and the support of their school.

However reading this post deb31deb you stated your child missed out prep and year one, does this worry you that shes alot younger that the kids in her class and also missed out in her foundation learning,

Can i also just say Peach you are def not uneducated because if you are them im still a farm animal lol :wink:

as i said in private message to original poster ITwas the schools in australia that said my daughter was to advanced for the previous years which me and my husband expressed our concerns as she is a quiet girl however after a trial we the parents did what we thought was best and got our daughter moved down to the next year as yes she did struggle socially not academically and the right choice to move her was done we do not have any problem with state or private just what is best for our daughter. please do not try to stir this thread as peach as already acknowledged i was not implying he was uneducated .this is getting beyond a joke when you tell people your experiences and you get this read my posts then comment! and my daughter did reception in the uk so being advanced by 2 years because we start school earlier in the uk . and she is a bright girl has good family support and went to an excellent school in the uk as she does now in Aus . its a really shame people jump down your throats i my opinion is the same for me private education works better than state in Aus and you cant argue with experience for others it may be different. every child is an individual.

[Dawny]

As it has been said all children are individuals, wether they are taught in the uk or oz, state or private, A child will only absorb as much as they are able, Also if they wish to learn, Not really fare to compare as rightly so uk children start education earlier, so therefor are slightly advanced, as i said before its not easy if you have a child who likes to learn and who finds them selves ahead of their year group in Australia and becomes bored with the lessons! Its a risk we choose to take when we up and leave to live there!

[dufont]

Hi Liz,

I am sure you will be able to find a suitable school, believe you me there really are some very very bright children here. You have to be realistic with such a large move and accept that you may not get school right at first ( and many other things) with such a large move and prepare yourself for this possibility. I do not live in WA but I know if you are at private schools in Queensland many of them go from Prep to Year 12 and therefore will tend to have a larger catchment area. My first choice of school was wrong and I moved my children and I am very happy, as are they, at the school they are at. I have one daughter who is extremely good at English and a son who needs learning support and both their needs are being met. However the schooling system is not the same as the UK but it is still a good system and I will be probably be slated on this forum for saying this but far more balanced and rounded than the UK system.

Good Luck

 

Sam

 

I agree with your post totally. We were surprised with how even in primary school here the children are expected to take more responsibility for their work and to be able to research topics for projects. My daughter even commented on how different it was as in her school in the UK all she did was get the information out of a text book. We too made the wrong choice for high school but moved her and she is now very happy. I too believe the education is far more rounded and as all talents are praised it means that the academic side of education is not the be all and end all. Whether you are good academically, good at sports, music etc your achievements are recognised. Just as when you compare Australia to the UK...it is different....the same goes for the schooling....it is different.

[landv]

I'm British, with an Australian partner and a dual-citizen toddler son... Where did I say that I wasn't educated? It sounds like I've irked you and that wasn't my intent. I was merely making the point that it the long term it doesn't always seem to matter how you were schooled that was all.

 

 

Can I just ask what does your australian partner and dual citizen toddler son has got to do with other people's children's education?

[Petals]

Off topic but have to say that after reading myriad of education posts on pio since I joined in 2008 I am glad I am not a child going to school these days, so much pressure from the school, from mum and dad from the family :laugh:

[Peach]

Can I just ask what does your australian partner and dual citizen toddler son has got to do with other people's children's education?

 

In one of her posts debsthingy said she thought I was Australian and therefore struggled to comprehend criticism of the Australian education system. In the post you quoted I corrected her. She since hasn't responded to me. Next question?

[pinkk8]

Not wanting to scare people but as a teacher in Queensland I can say that I have serious concerns about the quality of education here. The best measure for a teacher is the question 'would I send my own children here?' and I wouldn't want my children to go to school here. Having said that I think this is a state based problem, I have heard good things about education in NSW and VIC.

 

Obviously this doesn't mean that children can't or don't do well here, often bright children do well despite the teachers! My partner is from QLD and is very academic, with several degrees and a very well paid job.

[nevsm]

Not wanting to scare people but as a teacher in Queensland I can say that I have serious concerns about the quality of education here. The best measure for a teacher is the question 'would I send my own children here?' and I wouldn't want my children to go to school here. Having said that I think this is a state based problem, I have heard good things about education in NSW and VIC.

 

Obviously this doesn't mean that children can't or don't do well here, often bright children do well despite the teachers! My partner is from QLD and is very academic, with several degrees and a very well paid job.

 

Might be worth changing your location!

[LKC]

I don't think that either system is better. They are just different.

 

From my perspective, I have two daughters (aged 2 and 4), so neither of them are at school yet. However I have been accused, by various family and friends back in the UK, of ruining our daughters education prospects by moving to Australia. This is simply because our eldest hasn't started school yet, whereas in the UK she would have started. She turns five in April next year, so I am able to send her to school from January, or I can wait and send her the following January, just before she turns six. I am struggling with this decision at the moment because she has been going to pre-school (not compulsory, we have to pay, I send her because she has never been cared for by anyone but me and I felt she needed to experience that before going to school) and she comes home absolutely shattered when she has been. I am wondering whether school full time might be a bit too much at the moment.

 

She is also bright, but I do not necessarily think that this means she needs to go to school. I also think that some of the responsibility for teaching her should come from me, and not necessarily in a formal academic way. Just by exposing her to a variety of experiences and always answering her questions (even if it means I have to look it up myself!), means she will learn. I think that giving a child the ability to learn, the ability to question and think for themselves is extremely important, far more so than test results.

 

Confidence building is also very important, and one which does seem to be more of a focus here than back in the UK. It actually does not matter how many academic qualifications you have if you do not have the self-confidence to use them (I have two bachelors degrees, but no career because I never had the confidence to push for what I wanted). So, if a school can give children that self-confidence and the ability to believe in their abilities, they will go far further.

 

I actually believe that school is only a part of a child's education, and not the be all and end all. I'm not talking about being a pushy parent, just one who encourages and helps their children alongside the structure that school gives.