Primary Schools

[Hallfamily]

Can anyone tell me if you have classroom assistants in primary schools?:unsure:

[Quoll]

Not the same para professionals that you have in UK. We do have STAs (called various things according to the state) who are generally unqualified low paid workers and who are allocated to a child with a disability or some other special need who is placed in the mainstream class.

 

Some wealthier schools may put an STA in a class because it is big or difficult but as a general rule they are allocated to support kids with disabilities.

[Hallfamily]

So how many children are in a class, and how do you rate them to the UK schools?

[calNgary]

Hi

Most classes at my daughters state primary school average 20 children per class but some only have one teacher and one full time teacher aide. The other classes (normally the older years) just have one full time teacher and teacher aides for a few hours here and there.

Parent helpers help in loads of classes on a daily basis and seems quite a big thing around here too.

 

Cal x

[Hallfamily]

Hi calNgary, thanks for replying, does your daughter enjoy school over there better than here?

[calNgary]

She is only young so didn't go to school in the UK , my son did but only for the first 3 years then we moved here.

Schools and schooling here is 'different' to what we are used to ,especially providing the stationary and books,lol, but i am as happy with the schools here as i was in the UK and both my children are doing quite well so i can't complain.

 

Cal x

[Quoll]

So how many children are in a class, and how do you rate them to the UK schools?

 

Depends on the state and the school. They were aiming for 20 in lower primary but upper primary around here can be as high as 30 but generally closer to 25. All the states are different and in some states the schools are self managing and have to work out how they will spread their resources so class sizes could potentially be bigger but they may choose to put an aide in. It's all very individual.