Education in Oz?

Question

I am moving to Queensland early next year my children(10&6) are at primary school in Scotland, what i want to know is the Aussie system similar to here in the U.K. Is there any steps i could take with my kids to make the transition smooth.

Answer 1

Each Australian state has its own education system, and within each state you will find a fairly wide variation in the quality of schooling from area to area. Within Brisbane, as a general rule, the higher the socio-economic standing of the suburb, the better will be the school facilities and the standard of education, though there will be exceptions to this rule. Not fair I know, but true. It seems to be because the parents are generally better educated and have more interaction with the school and contribute more $$$ via the P&C. Outside the major cities, you will of course have fewer choices, but the good news is that the basic standard of education is quite good throughout the state.

Make sure you are fully informed as to the standards each child has reached in each subject and interview each possible school to see which seems to be most suitable. Ask to see the school's results on the standardised tests that every school must hold each year.

One other thing: our school year begins just before the end of January, so you should try to get them started as close to then as possible.

Answer 2

I'd be taking really specific information with me about what kids have done and where they are up to in terms of schoolwork and cognitive development. My sister's in the Army and her kids have been misjudged a couple of times, once in Qld, by people not familiar with what the kids are up to. It resulted in one sad boy for two terms until it was sorted out. She told me that the expectations of what kids have done  in the first couple of years are quite a bit higher in Qld than the NSW system they were in. Since I'm married to a Scot, I know of the high reputation of the Scottish Education system, so you might want to make sure that they are placed carefully, so as not to be over-stretched, or to be bored.  Good luck.