Paying for education??

[jo_marnes]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a child who is nearly 5 and we hope to be over in Oz sometime in the new year. I presume he will start school when we get there - in reception year, despite the fact he has already done reception here!

 

I was under the impression (told by a migration expert) that we would not need to pay for his education, despite the fact we are travelling on a temporary visa (applying for permanent once we are there). Is this the case?? If not, how much are school fees?

 

I also have another little boy who is 2 next month. I would be starting him in nursery next Easter in the UK - when would he go if we were in Oz? And would that need to be paid for also?

 

Thanks,

 

Jo xxx

[Guest Libby1971]

All schools charge a fee of some sort.

 

You pay an excursion fee, an equipment fee, and buildings fee. All in all we paid about $700 ish I think between the two (can't remember the exact figure). You can pay in installments and apply for means testing. The fee for trips out is about $24 and is the same no matter what so you have to pay that...the rest is negotiable.

 

These are the prices for state schools based on one in year 6 and the other in year 10. The higher up the school you go, the more your fees increase. In private schools, you are also paying much higher costs.

 

Uniform is not included in any costs given.

 

Libby

[Guest guest569]

Sorry can't help with the school fees part of your question but when we arrived our daughter was 4. She had almost completed a year in the uk so on her 5th birthday when they are legaly allowed to start here they put her straight in a yr 1 class. She is still one year ahead of her age group here and i assume she will have to resit a year .

Good luck with the move over.

[jo_marnes]

Thanks - I expected to pay for those sorts of things but is there a tuition fee to pay too?

[Rachiegarlo]

No tuition fees to be paid unless you are coming on a student type visa and then your children are classed as International students.

 

if your daughter is 1 yr ahead now as long as she copes socially and academically, then she will continue to move up with her year group that she is currently with.

[Guest smit]

Sorry can't help with the school fees part of your question but when we arrived our daughter was 4. She had almost completed a year in the uk so on her 5th birthday when they are legaly allowed to start here they put her straight in a yr 1 class. She is still one year ahead of her age group here and i assume she will have to resit a year .

Good luck with the move over.

If she carries on being ahead, then she will probably leave school early, or go to uni , or whatever. At Ab park , kids were on ignite programme and left school and went to uni early. There is no stigma to age in schools.

[Rachiegarlo]

Yes that is true, my daughter sat the tests and got accepted into Glenunga's Ignite program, which would have meant she would have crammed yr 8 and 9 into 1 year and now be in yr 10 instead of 9 if she had chosen to go there. On the other hand my son remained in Junior Primary for an extra year and was 18 1/2 by the end of yr 12, neither would have run into any problems , but I do think it's harder for boys who hit puberty late and have trouble keeping up with the older ones. But then again it depends on their own personality anyway.