Choosing a School In Australia

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Choosing a School In Australia

Australia has excellent state and independent schools to choose from.

School education in Australia includes preschool, preparatory (or kindergarten), primary school, secondary school (or high school) and senior secondary school (or college). School education in Australia lasts for 13 years, and is compulsory between the ages of six and sixteen (Year 1 to Year 9 or 10).

The types of schools include government schools, private and independent schools (including faith-based schools such as Catholic or Islamic schools) and schools based on educational philosophies such as Montessori and Steiner. All schools have to be registered with the state or territory education department and have to comply with government requirements in terms of infrastructure and teacher registration.

Australian schools are good quality with small class sizes (a maximum of 30 students in a class), programs for gifted, talented and high achievement students as well as individual learning programs for those needing additional learning support. School policy and curriculum are set at the state or territory level.

The school year starts in February after the long Summer/Christmas holiday and is split into four terms. Students transferring from the northern hemisphere often have to adjust the grade or school year due to the different timing in Australia.

Government schools (also known as public schools) are free to attend for Australian citizens and permanent residents, while Catholic and independent schools will charge attendance fees. Higher fees are often payable for non-residents, but foreigners resident in Australia can attend Australian schools provided they meet the criteria for the local school.

Private Schools Guide allows you to search a list of available independent schools around Australia and has useful links to associations of independent schools for the different states and Territories as well as state sites. Independent schools follow the Australian school terms and most follow the Australian curriculum, but an increasing number offer the International Baccalaureate.

There are a limited number of schools catering for specific nationalities (eg. French, German, Japanese).

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.