Anyone homeschooling in Australia?

[Izzy]

It looks like we are going to be in Sydney and I was concerned about HSing laws. It looks like it's legal with a yearly curriculum check. I don't mind a check at all but I wonder if you can choose your own curriculum? What do you use?

 

Also, how are the high schools. My 7th grader would like to go to school and I've read the schools are much better than American schools? He's dyslexic and I love the option to apprentice and learn a trade in year 10. He really learns by doing and this would be very exciting for him.

 

Thanks!!!

 

[Arcadia]

Bumping the thread for you

 

What I can think of is you might want to PM these ladies

"Rosie_0801" and "Melissa in Australia"

[Izzy]

Thanks Arcadia! :D

[Rosie_0801]

You want this mob: http://www.rockpoolhomeschool.com

 

Schools are like schools everywhere. Some are good, some are bad. The system is different to the US. You might like it better, you might not. The apprenticeship program you are talking about is not as good as you probably think. It is more like taking trade subjects as your electives (everything but English and maths, I believe.) It's great for some kids, and you can earn a certificate from TAFE (kind of like your community colleges) but it is not a proper apprenticeship.

 

Some of the other Aussies on here might know more about it. Melissa has older kids and some of the others are a bit younger than I am so might have experience. I'm relying mostly on second hand knowledge. But really, go and ask over at the Rockpool.

[LMD]

There's lots of us! I second rosie's recommendation to the rockpool, there's also aussiehomeschool.com.au and home education australia.

:)

[Izzy]

I didn't realize there were quite a few homeschooling in Australia! It sounds like it might be better to HS high school even though the thought scares me! We would have to pay for school until we become permanent residents (2 years) and I'm not sure i want to pay tuition for not so great schools.

 

I will look into the websites. I hope they don't mind that I'm not actually in Australia yet. :)

 

Sadie, I'm so glad there is a homeschool group! I didn't know how popular HSing was in Australia and was afraid of being isolated.

[Pod's mum]

I would add, than if you are even considering sending a child to school, research and rent with-in the school-zone of a good one.

Schools are zoned and there is a MASSIVE difference between them.

 

Each state has it's own laws, but most families where we live enjoy their annual visit and find the Home Education Review officers very helpful and supportive.

Hope this helps.

 

(From my dd :hat: :hurray: :iagree: :confused1: :coolgleamA: )

[readwithem]

We've been gone from Australia over 10 years but I still keep up with some of the sweet ladies on the ANZ Charlotte Mason group .

[skeeterbug]

We would have to pay for school until we become permanent residents (2 years) and I'm not sure i want to pay tuition for not so great schools.

 

 

:confused: In my process to become a permanent resident I don't remember anything about the kids not being eligible for ps. Am I misunderstanding what you are saying? Or maybe it's a different visa so different rules?

 

My kids are too young to yet worry about high school, but I admit every year when VCE results come out (just happened), I think about it. Will I be able to do it or will they be better off going to school and doing VCEs? We'll figure it out when we get there, I suppose. (VCEs are the way to university if you are in school, but there are other ways!)

[triadofchaos]

Admittedly, I don't know anything specific about NSW, but here in Queensland expat visa holders do not pay tuition for PS. I am an expat in a small coastal town and there are heaps of visa holders from all over the world with their kids in the public schools who are here for a specific industry project. They don't pay tuition. They do have to buy school uniforms, though. Also, as an expat homeschooling family on a 457 visa, we aren't required to register here in Queensland either. So double check whether you'd even be required to register in NSW based on your visa type during those first 2 years. No sense creating extra work for yourself.

 

I will tell you that only about half the Queensland homeschoolers I know actually register and agree to jump through state hoops. There's no enforcement mechanism here, so many of them just go about their lives and do their own thing without registering with the state.

 

Do you know that the school year is structured differently here and that the age cut offs are also different? Many of my expat friends didn't realize that before moving here and were not prepared for the bumps in the road placing their children in the AU system from the US system. They didn't realize the school year runs from Jan to Dec instead of Aug/Sep to May/Jun. Several of them had to decide whether to accelerate or decelerate their kids about a half a grade level when enrolling.

 

Good luck with the move! We love it here!

[triadofchaos]

Oh- forgot to add--

There are heaps of homeschooling related FB groups in Australia also. If you're a Facebook kind of person, you can search for them there and find lots of helpful folks with lots of resources to share.

[Izzy]

I have been frequenting the Expat Forum and DH has co-workers working in Sydney and from what I understand non residents have to pay for public school. But if you come in as a permanent resident you are okay. I have 3 younger kids who for sure will be homeschooled but my middle schooler would like to attend school.

 

I knew they have a January through December schedule but still do not know the cut off date. I was curious to know what grade he'd fit into.

 

I had read about a lot of Australians not formally registering but I really want to go by the book. My hope is to gain permanent residence and citizenship after that. I don't want to mess that up. :D We'd be coming over on a 457 visa and I'm hoping it's not too difficult to get an employee sponsored PR but I have no clue about that. I guess we'll take it one 2 year contract at a time.

 

I have a friend who lives in Newcastle and loves it and DH has several co-workers in Sydney who do also. One friend came home a few years ago and is on her way back this summer with no plans to leave again. Of course, she married an Aussie while over there and has a family now so no problems getting back. :)

[Izzy]

Oh- forgot to add--

There are heaps of homeschooling related FB groups in Australia also. If you're a Facebook kind of person, you can search for them there and find lots of helpful folks with lots of resources to share.

 

 

I'm very much a FB kind of person...probably too much so! lol. I will look up groups. :)

[Rosie_0801]

Melbourne is way better than Sydney. Just sayin' :p

[JeneralMom]

We are permanent residents but there are several expats at the kids' school who are just here on work visas and they do not pay. At least in Western Australia, when I was still homeschooling, I registered so the kids would be eligible for the school dentist and nurse program, the semester swim lessons, and the reduced student bus card. My assigned registrar was a lovely retired ps principal and was very supportive of homeschooling.

 

 

[LMD]

Melbourne is way better than Sydney . Just sayin' :p

Melbourne FTW! :)

[triadofchaos]

That is totally poo-y that Sydney schools make 457 visa holders pay tuition. Whole heaps of us have 457s here (our family included.) There might be a parental riot if our local schools tried to demand tuition. We pay Aussie taxes, after all. Folks here were irritated enough over having to pay for a library card that they changed the policy!

 

I don't know for sure about Sydney, but here it's based off of whatever age the child will be turning during that year. So, my June-born 6.5yos would be getting ready to start Year 2 and my September-born 9yo would be getting ready to start Year 5. Whereas in the US, the twins would be halfway through 1st Grade and my eldest would be halfway through 3rd because of her autumn birthday. But here, they have given the expat parent a lot of discretion. Most folks have met personally with staff at the school and discussed whether to jump forward or hang back a bit for each child.

 

We've only been here about 7mo so far-- also on an initial 2yr contract, but easily extendable to 3 or 4 given how much work is here. We're actually already considering applying for dual citizenship eventually. We may travel and live elsewhere in the world for DH's work, but we're considering coming back to Australia in the end, instead of the US.

[Izzy]

 

Melbourne FTW! :)

 

DH's company has offices in Melbourne too. Melbourne is beautiful!

[Izzy]

NSW makes you pay for ps if you are non-resident.

 

COL is very high in Sydney...rents and house prices are insane! There are some cheaper areas outside Sydney if the OP's dh can commute. Lots of homeschoolers on the Central coast and then n the Blue Mountains. The Mountains has an active teen homeschoolers group.

 

No joke about rent being high! We get a housing allowance but we eventually would like to be residents and then citizens. We'd have to move pretty far out in the suburbs and even there houses are pricey! It looks like property taxes are lower though. Here property taxes are $6000 to $7000 a year and they appear to be much lower there? I think electricity is cheaper too. I read the average quarterly bill was only $350 and that's much less than what we pay. I think water is cheaper too.

 

My 13 year old 7th grader would be going into 8th grade in January if were living there. He says he definitely wants to go to school and I think that would be a fun opportunity for him but soo hard to choose a school and suburb without visiting first. It would probably be better for us to do a short term lease for 6 weeks or so and find look for a more permanent place from there.

[Rosie_0801]

I don't think short term leases are very easy to find. Do go over to the Rockpool and ask for advice on schools and suburbs. Or come to Melbourne instead. :p

[Deee]

I'm on the outskirts of Sydney - it is cheaper further out but petrol or train fare for your partner will add to your costs. Its not unusual for workers to travel more than an hour each way for work and traffic is pretty bad. Our petrol is more expensive, I think. Electricity and water costs are rising rapidly, too. Property taxes (called rates and paid to local councils) are between a $1-2000 each year, but you won't pay those unless you are buying. Food is more expensive than the US, from what I can gather, but the quality is excellent. Homeschool books are more expensive (shipping is a killer) and the second hand market is much smaller. We have lots of homeschool groups, though. Check out HEA and SHEN - the Sydney Homeschool Network, which organises lots of events.

 

Homeschooling is regulated by the NSW Board of Studies. Most people find them really helpful and supportive. You send in an application, they ring and arrange an in-home visit and then come and have at look at your plan, talk with the kids and look at your previous work and record keeping. Australia is transitioning to a national curriculum, the scope and sequence of which you can find online via the NSW BOS site.

 

The rental market is very tight. Short term leases are very rare, unless its a fully furnished inner-city apartment, which will be really expensive.

 

Schools are vary variable: Sydney is divided by socioeconomic class and the better schools are largely in more middle class suburbs. There are some academic selective schools. We also have a very large private school sector which attracts a fair amount of govt funding (both state and Federal) and attracts more "aspirational" families and these factors have had a negative impact on public schools. If you rattle off a few suburbs, the Sydney-siders here will be able to give you a fair idea of what they are like.

 

It is, of course, complete rubbish that Melbourne is better than Sydney. The Melbourne-ites have been telling this fairy story for years to distract visitors from their dreadful weather ;) Sydney is fabulous: bold, busy, beautiful, full of cultural diversity and the food and climate are fantastic. But it is bloody expensive (and so is Melbourne). Canberra is cheap, but very boring.

D

[Deee]

Oh, and you can choose your own curriculum as long as you meet the Key Learning Areas set by the Board of Studies. The BOS is very flexible and accomodates all styles, including natural learners.

D

[Izzy]

I'm on the outskirts of Sydney - it is cheaper further out but petrol or train fare for your partner will add to your costs. Its not unusual for workers to travel more than an hour each way for work and traffic is pretty bad. Our petrol is more expensive, I think. Electricity and water costs are rising rapidly, too. Property taxes (called rates and paid to local councils) are between a $1-2000 each year, but you won't pay those unless you are buying. Food is more expensive than the US, from what I can gather, but the quality is excellent. Homeschool books are more expensive (shipping is a killer) and the second hand market is much smaller. We have lots of homeschool groups, though. Check out HEA and SHEN - the Sydney Homeschool Network, which organises lots of events.

 

Homeschooling is regulated by the NSW Board of Studies. Most people find them really helpful and supportive. You send in an application, they ring and arrange an in-home visit and then come and have at look at your plan, talk with the kids and look at your previous work and record keeping. Australia is transitioning to a national curriculum, the scope and sequence of which you can find online via the NSW BOS site.

 

The rental market is very tight. Short term leases are very rare, unless its a fully furnished inner-city apartment, which will be really expensive.

 

Schools are vary variable: Sydney is divided by socioeconomic class and the better schools are largely in more middle class suburbs. There are some academic selective schools. We also have a very large private school sector which attracts a fair amount of govt funding (both state and Federal) and attracts more "aspirational" families and these factors have had a negative impact on public schools. If you rattle off a few suburbs, the Sydney-siders here will be able to give you a fair idea of what they are like.

 

It is, of course, complete rubbish that Melbourne is better than Sydney. The Melbourne-ites have been telling this fairy story for years to distract visitors from their dreadful weather ;) Sydney is fabulous: bold, busy, beautiful, full of cultural diversity and the food and climate are fantastic. But it is bloody expensive (and so is Melbourne). Canberra is cheap, but very boring.

D

 

 

Well, DH would be working in Frenchs Forest and the main suburb we are looking at is Chatswood. I have a friend who used to live in Sydney and she said with DH's work location we'd be looking at the North Beaches. The problem is we can afford the rent prices with DH's housing allowance but there is no way we'd afford to buy a house there! DH doesn't mind an hour long commute and pretty much expects it so moving further out wouldn't be a problem at all. I know there is a $15,000 incentive to buy brand new houses but I can't seem to find what the prices are. And I'm not sure if the newer houses have town centers? It's important for us to live close to a town center and parks so we don't have to drive too much. :)

[sewingmama]

I live in SA -It's the cheapest State to live in in Aus but our electric bills are over $1000 a quarter so I wouldn't put too much stock in what you have been reading.

 

I'm pretty sure Sydney's weather is a lot cooler then Melbourne's right now. Average price for a three bedroom house these days depends on where you live but in the cheap state SA -starting price would be $250 000 for something ok but old. New houses start at around $300 000.

 

Living close to a town centre is going to cost you. Parks are pretty much everywhere in Aus though so you don't need to worry about that really although some are nicer then others.

 

PS - I agree with Rosie. I've lived in Qld, NT and SA. If I ever get my choice I'm moving to Melbourne. Just sayin. lol

[Rosie_0801]

Canberra is only cheap if you live in Sydney or Darwin!

 

I don't recommend buying in new estates. They are inevitably over priced.

 

Deee, would any of the commuter towns be adequate? I don't know the Sydney area at all. You can still find decent housing prices in some commuter towns down here.

[LMD]

 

It is, of course, complete rubbish that Melbourne is better than Sydney. The Melbourne-ites have been telling this fairy story for years to distract visitors from their dreadful weather ;) Sydney is fabulous: bold, busy, beautiful, full of cultural diversity and the food and climate are fantastic. But it is bloody expensive (and so is Melbourne). Canberra is cheap, but very boring.

D

 

 

 

Oh it.is.ON Deee! :boxing_smiley: :rofl: :cheers2:

[JeneralMom]

Not sure where you are moving from, but if you are moving from a major Metro area (like NYC or LA) the sticker shock probably won't be so bad. I also think that my prices and views may be different because I am in WA as opposed to everyone else who as responded thus far. But, for us, petrol, electricity, gas, and water are higher than we were used to having lived in Texas for 3 years. Probably on par with what my family pays in Montreal, however. Food is astronomically higher. I was spending about $500 per month on food, household goods and pet foods for a family of 6 with 6 animals. Here, I pay about $400 per week for just the humans. Also, we paid about $1200 per month for a 4 bedroom, 2700sqft house in Texas, and here we pay almost $2000 for a house that could fit into the kitchen space of our former home.

[Izzy]

Not sure where you are moving from, but if you are moving from a major Metro area (like NYC or LA) the sticker shock probably won't be so bad. I also think that my prices and views may be different because I am in WA as opposed to everyone else who as responded thus far. But, for us, petrol, electricity, gas, and water are higher than we were used to having lived in Texas for 3 years. Probably on par with what my family pays in Montreal, however. Food is astronomically higher. I was spending about $500 per month on food, household goods and pet foods for a family of 6 with 6 animals. Here, I pay about $400 per week for just the humans. Also, we paid about $1200 per month for a 4 bedroom, 2700sqft house in Texas, and here we pay almost $2000 for a house that could fit into the kitchen space of our former home.

 

We are in Texas but in a HCOL area so we pay what you are paying now but more like $300 a week on groceries. I know the clothing, food, and such are going to be a huge shock. I'm not looking forward to that at all. DH's company pays for us to get there, gives a good pay bump, and housing allowance but once we decide to become PR's we lose the perks. I think at that point we will have to relocate because there is no way we could afford to buy a house in Sydney. I haven't seen anything less than $750,000 with most places being in the millions. I'm sure it will take us actually living in Sydney to actually understand how everything works but from here I can't comprehend how people afford $1 million+ homes. Do they commute from out of the city? I think one difference between Australia and here is buying a home here isn't much of an investment. We lost $70,000 on our last home with houses increasingly going down in value. It's frustrating.

 

I'm giggling at the Melbourne/Sydney competition. :) If Melbourne is any cheaper than Sydney we might just end up there.

[Rosie_0801]

People buying million dollar homes are selling their almost million dollar homes, I think! As far as I can tell, people owning homes in the capital cities bought them twenty years ago, or have rich parents to help them out.

 

Losing value is why I recommended against buying in a new estate.

 

And yes, people commute. I think people living in Melbourne expect a commute of over an hour. My brother lives 10 minutes from work when there is no traffic, and it still takes an hour to get to work if there is. I lived for a few years in a rural city, two hours from Melbourne and loads of people commuted from there.

[Izzy]

People buying million dollar homes are selling their almost million dollar homes, I think! As far as I can tell, people owning homes in the capital cities bought them twenty years ago, or have rich parents to help them out.

 

Ah, that makes sense. That's definitely not the case here. :p

[Pod's mum]

Sydney-siders tend to love Sydney.

Others tend to detest it. Mostly because of size, density and TRAFFIC!!!

(Seriously too big and too hard to get around or get out of. Did I mention the traffic? It really is that bad.)

 

Melbournites love Melbourne and lots of non-Melbournites really like Melbourne.

Melbourne does public transport very well. Adelaide and Sydney don't.

 

Sydney weather is something they brag about.

Melbourne weather is something they lie about. (They say it's not bl*^dy cold and wet for months on end)

 

By the way the tag HOT for Anyone home-schooling in Australia is very appropriate now.

 

It was 45 c here yesterday. ( 45° C = 113° F)

That's just too hot. We've got another week of yuck yet.

Yes, even Melborne is going to be too hot.

We don't live in Melbourne or Sydney by the way.

[Deee]

I'm in a semi-rural area on the North Western fringe of Sydney. You can buy a nice, family house on a quarter acre block for $500,000. The down-side is the 1.5-2 hour commute to the city (we work locally, but both of us commuted for a long time and its hellish). French's Forest is on the north side and is very nice. Its leafy and cooler. The Northern Beaches are nice. Its expensive and can be hellish to get out of, but public transport is reasonable (by Sydney's standard, which I'll admit is absolutely woeful). Domain.com.au is the best website for property, including rentals. Sydney's property has been appreciating forever, but prices are now unsustainable and I suspect they won't grow much more.

 

Its hot here today (37 degrees Celsius) because I'm out west. The Northern Beaches rarely tops 30 because of the sea breeze (the good folk of the city and northern beeches think they are dying if it gets hotter than 28, while we Westies think that 30 is a respite day).

 

Given the choice, I quite like Adelaide (its a liveable scale but bloody hot) or Tassie (because its usually cool, although not this week). I actually really like Melbourne (shhhh), having spent lots of time there as a teenager, but Sydney gets into your bones and I love the city, despite its dirt, traffic and unweildiness.

D

[LindaOz]

I have a friend who lives in Newcastle and loves it and DH has several co-workers in Sydney who do also. One friend came home a few years ago and is on her way back this summer with no plans to leave again. Of course, she married an Aussie while over there and has a family now so no problems getting back. :)

 

Newcastle is good. It's a city without being too big, and it has some nice beaches and quite a large homeschooling communtiy. Many people commute Newcastle/Sydney. We live about an hour northwest of Newcastle.

[Deee]

If you can afford Epping or surrounding suburbs like Cheltenham, the public schools are some of the best in the state. People move there to get their kids into the high schools. If you move to the North West/Hills area (Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills), the public transport system is almost non-existent but there are lots of homeschoolers. Newcastle is seriously great and still affordable, but expect to add 3 hours to your husbands day for travelling time.

 

44 degrees tomorrow - can it be autumn soon?

D

[Deee]

Sorry - I'm a bit slow today. Chatswood will be expensive for houses because its got lots units and houses are rare. Anything on the north side of the city is expensive. Really, anything within half an hours commute of the city is unaffordable for mere mortals. You could try Hornsby, Mt Colah and Ku ring gai. Lovely leafy suburbs on the train-line, and on the edge of the national park.

D

[Melissa in Australia]

All Australians pay a tuition to send their children to high school. For most public schools this would range from a few hundred dollars to around a thousand, plus school uniforms and books (several hundred more). Private schools are pretty expensive, and range in fees from several thousand to up to (including boarding) $ 45k a year ( what my uncle paid for my cousin). Private schools are viewed as having a better education than public schools, though the top ones are very hard to get into.

 

Land taxes are cheaper because we do not pay school tax in Australia, just the rates on the property.

 

I have successfully home schooled through high school, if you want information about some alternate routs to uni (other than VCE) pm me and I will give you a run down.

I cannot advise you about living in Sydney. I Have only been there twice in my whole life. All I know is that it is meant to be extremely expensive.