March 6, 2009

Loving Fridays.....


so Im at the stage where I need to start planning my boys secondary education .
Im finding it all so daunting having to think about it when its years ahead of 'now'
(live life now I say....) but when I look at the websites of some of these schools they say enrollment can be done from birth!!!

Huh??
have I left it too late?
How attached must a parent be to a school, to even think about enrolling a wee baby onto a waiting list?
I remember being in a zombie-like state for at least the first 6 weeks after giving birth - lack of sleep, a baby hanging off my nipple 20 hours a day....the last thing I would have thought about let alone found time to discuss, or filling in forms just incase my child will not get into a school!!

Still, here I am... so much to think about.
do we send them to a Co-ed school or a boys only school? do we hand over SO much money for a private school education - will it really be worth it?
will they really be disadvantaged at a state run (down) school....how do I feel about my boys going to a school that is religious based when we hardly go to church ourselves...some of the forms ask 'how do you practise your faith...' what do I answer to that??
do you think ' within my heart' is a good enough answer?

Both Andrew and I went to inner city state schools, we're both children of immigrants who probably didnt know better but knew they wanted their kids to do well in life, a new life in Australia...a life with less struggles than they experienced- we both turned out okay I think.


Sometimes I wonder if Im turning into the kind of parent that I never thought Id be...

is life really that competitve,
should it be?
there's so much to think about......

*Top image from Flickr
*Bottom image from Gillian

9 comments:

  1. You do have a lot to think about Anastasia. I wouldn't even know where to begin with schools seeing as I don't have children.

    I went to a state school both in primary and highschool, but they were good ones (especially my highschool almost private) and both co-ed.

    Maybe you should go on your experiences and talk to other parents? I'm not sure, as I can't even begin to think about school with no children =)

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  2. Gosh I found that some children suit a particular school and others another...I was educated in all girls private schools...my children went to state school for primary - it was just around the corner and it was a happy experience for all concerned...most of the neighbourhood children went there...my son now goes to a private high school - his choice and my daughter to a state high school - her choice...and I know this isn't always the case but I do think her education was superior to his...but having to book children in years ahead well it just doesn't suit most people...

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  3. Wow! I can see why it seems like such a daunting task. My daughter went to a private school until the end of first grade. She is now in public. We all love it, it is free, and I feel she has a greater advantage in public. They are able to offer some programs private can't. They both offer positives and negatives. Best of luck in your tough search.

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  4. You have summed up how I am feeling right now perfectly. My eldest is only in Kinder this year, but already everyone is asking which high school will he be going to? Huh? Same issues as you with regards to co-ed Vs single sex schools, religious private schools Vs non-religious state schools (we would answer the faith questions in exactly the same way as you!!!). I still don't have any answers. I just want to make sure we can find a school to fit our children. And yet how can we know what type of children they will be when first born? Will they like maths and science, or will they be into languages or humanities? Will they be sporty or arty? Who knows? I'll be watching the comments here with interest. Good luck!!! XX Bec

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  5. I went to a very expensive private school in primary school. I hated it. I'm not 100% sure that the teachers or level of education was actually better than a regular public school. I put my foot down in High School and told my parents I refused to continue with the school. They enrolled me in a public school and I loved it. One of my favourite teachers was in that school and he convinced me to do English at University. I'm not sure I'd be doing a PhD now if it wasn't for him - he opened up a whole new world for me.

    Also, the private school was so out of touch with reality - at least in the public school I got to meet different people from different backgrounds and there is something to be said for that.

    Anyway, that's my two cents :) Good luck with the decision making!

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  6. My children are both in public school. They are both in the gifted program and get a fantastic education. I would love for them both to be in a smaller, more wholesome environment. However, we choose to spend our tuition designated money on college. Rented the Australia dvd and thought of you my friend!

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  7. It is so hard and so many decisions to make-what do your boys think they would like to do? I think you have to feel comfortable with the "feel of the place"and you can't really tell that until you visit and sometimes one sprcial teacher can make a difference where ever they go-good luck with your deciding-never easy!

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  8. thanks for all your replies everyone!
    I can see that at the end of the day it depends on our boys being happy but I guess we need to cover our bases and enquire about options for them, i hate feeling pressured to make decisions now but dont want to miss out on a place either...
    I wish more of our tax money was invested in public education, better pay for teachers, new facilities and learning tools for all children - its something that is so important and I think its sad that we are in such a time and place where we feel we need to pay for such a service when it should be free for ALL children.
    Peter is currently at our local primary school and its been fantastic so far - we love it, its got a great community feel to it too and the parents are very involved...I hope whatever we choose for the future to be just as good!

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  9. I am just thinking about kinders for the first of my two boys but have certainly thought about high school as well. So hard to know. I guess I am waiting to see if we can financially afford a private school when our boys get to that level to see if we have a choice. It seems to really depend on the public schools that are in the area, not just whether they are public or not. It is impossible to know how the school, even the teachers and exact peer group, will match each child. We can only make decisions with the knowledge we have at the time and try to keep personal bias out of it. Good Luck!

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Thanks for stopping by and taking time to comment!! i really appreciate it!
Hugs
Anastasia
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