Choice of schooling for your crotchfruit

[smac]

What can i teach my kids about music ?

What im saying is that private schools quite often have access to better facilities - not always, but often.

I really want my kid to go to the public primary school I teach at - it's awesome and I would wager it has waaaay better music facilities than most private schools and almost definitely Catholic schools. The music teacher is incredible. It feeds into a high school (public again) with an extremely high musical reputation. I don't live locally to it though so I might have to investigate other options

All schools are different and I'm sure the Catholic ones mentioned on this site are the bees knees (certainly the bigger ones) - my experience of them though is that many are seen by parents as bargain basement private schools (all of the status for a fraction of the cost!) but actually have very poor facilities (crowded class sizes, crusty computers, diabolical libraries) compared to your average public school. This is not just my experience but also from conversations with teachers in the Catholic system.

As a kid I went to both private and public schools and as a result personally can't imagine any circumstance where I would send my children to a private school. I feared the worst when I saw this thread but overall discussion has been very balanced, thoughtful and considerate of other viewpoints. You all must have been to public schools

I've read your views before zipper and have been waiting for you to appear in this thread . I certainly have experienced similar attitudes at my sons school, luckily it is in the minority. Most are there because it is the best educational institution within cooee.

I must also add that my primary education was at Salisbury Park Primary School, about as public as they come.

[zipzap]

I must also add that my primary education was at Salisbury Park Primary School, about as public as they come.

And there's no doubt about it, clientele does to a big extent dictate how good a school can hope to be, whether it be public or private. Of course there are two sides to every story and the general 'gut reaction' theme of this thread is probably the best advice in choosing a school. My gut reaction is that our local primary school isn't the best it could be, and after visiting a fete at the private school in the same street, the reaction is the same. We have a while off yet but definitely have started thinking about options.

Choice is a great thing. Want to give your child a private education? Fine. But increased public funding of private schools does irk me beyond belief. They are proudly 'independent' when it suits but then cry foul when they are looking to build their latest performing arts centre. Look the two terms up in a dictionary folks!

[Wedgie]

Actually speaking of music, I too went to a public school, learnt to play a Tuba, a Euphonium and a few other instruments, got to march in 5 Christmas pageants, 1 Anzac Day parade, 2 fringes, 4 Port Pirie Pagents as well as trips to Darwin and Perth and countless other concerts at various places. Probably had the best musical teachings you could have anywhere in the state if not further with individual teachers for our instruments as well as group classes and practises with world reknown conductors/teachers.
Was an awesome experience and I miss playing an instrument still to this day.

[bulldogproud]

What can i teach my kids about music ?

What im saying is that private schools quite often have access to better facilities - not always, but often.

I really want my kid to go to the public primary school I teach at - it's awesome and I would wager it has waaaay better music facilities than most private schools and almost definitely Catholic schools. The music teacher is incredible. It feeds into a high school (public again) with an extremely high musical reputation. I don't live locally to it though so I might have to investigate other options

All schools are different and I'm sure the Catholic ones mentioned on this site are the bees knees (certainly the bigger ones) - my experience of them though is that many are seen by parents as bargain basement private schools (all of the status for a fraction of the cost!) but actually have very poor facilities (crowded class sizes, crusty computers, diabolical libraries) compared to your average public school. This is not just my experience but also from conversations with teachers in the Catholic system.

As a kid I went to both private and public schools and as a result personally can't imagine any circumstance where I would send my children to a private school. I feared the worst when I saw this thread but overall discussion has been very balanced, thoughtful and considerate of other viewpoints. You all must have been to public schools

I can't talk about primary school class sizes but those at Catholic Colleges (high school) definitely are less on average than at public schools. My sister and brother-in-law are amazed that I have had the opportunity to teach classes with as few as three students in them. In public schools, this would not be allowed and the subject would be dropped. Admittedly, most classes are not as small as three (this is just to ensure that the subject is still offered) but on average I would have 15-20 students at Years 11 or 12, 25-30 at Years 8-10. My sister and brother-in-law generally contend with 30+ in their public school teaching.
Cheers

[bulldogproud]

As for the computers and library facilities, all I have encountered in Catholic schools have been fine. Probably at least on a par with all public schools (maybe with the exception of Norwood-Morialta, Unley, Marryatville and Adelaide which are all 'virtual private schools' even to the point of competing in the Independent Schools sports programmes rather than the State School Comps in some cases.
Yes, there is a class divide within the public system!

[Sojourner]

I went to a public school for both Primary and High Schooling, my experience was that I did well at the Primary, yet absolutley hated the public high school system. When I completed Yr 12 I could have gone to uni but could not stomach the idea of more schooling so I went out and did an apprenticeship. When I had competed the Apprenticeship I then went into tertiary study, which maybe I was just better prepared for and did well as a result.

The local public primary school here is the amalgamation of three schools and is a crowded mess of transportable buildings. Yet what people maybe dont consider is that if they dont like the local school, you can always go with a public school that is in another area - Unley High, Norwood Morialta etc are all highly regarded schools in the public system whose students often do well in the PES system.

Private Schooling is a case probably of weighing up the pros and cons, some Private Schools can have few resources being run on a shoestring budget, yet they do have the advantage of being able to quickly expel the idiots that dont want to be there which probably makes it easier for those that do.

I would probably give Private Schooling a go based on my own experiences. There is a local Lutheran Primary School near here which a family in my street seems quite happy with their three kids going to, yet it is well established and popular in the area, so I would hardly expect it to be any different. Yet for High School, I think that somewhere like Unley High would be as good as any!

[MightyEagles]

Wouldnt go near a Catholic school with my daughter although I did appreciate having one nearby when I was a teenager as it was full of sluts.
Much easier to get 'serviced' there as opposed to the public school girls.
Might have to consider it for my son though!

How do you say full of sluts in latin? It would make a great motto for a catholic school!

What's that new movie called? St Trianitians or something similar.

[Ian]

Private for me. Full stop.

Kids are taught discipline,manners and respect at private schools. Kids are actually FAILED at private schools if they don't perform and don't leave the system not being able to read and write or put a sentence together in conversation because they've slipped through the cracks.

Maybe we're just lucky, our kids both went to (my daughter still does) a public primary school that has discipline equal to and facilities better than most private schools, my son started yr 8 this year in a public high school with the same values/facilities/discipline. we are just out of the high schools zone and had to apply for him to attend (as we did with the primary school that is closer to home than the zoned one), but the one within our zone is renowned for gang/racial warfare and we didn't want him to attend that school.
The best thing so far, he actually enjoys going to school now, that in itself is a huge plus IMHO.
As far as failing kids goes, it has happened on a number of occasions that I am aware of at the public primary school they attend/ed.
The other plus, all of the support recieved from parents for sport etc., every time he played footy or cricket against a private school, there was little or no support from parents, and their teams were more often than not an absolute shambles run by a PE teacher that really didn't want to be there on his/her day off.
For value for money, public for me, just be selective and don't just accept the school that you are zoned to.

[Ian]

Yet what people maybe dont consider is that if they dont like the local school, you can always go with a public school that is in another area - Unley High, Norwood Morialta etc are all highly regarded schools in the public system

You could add Henley to that list, especially if you have kids that our talented in the fields of Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Soccer, Softball, Surf Lifesaving, Tennis, Performing arts (Dance)

[Dogwatcher]

I must also add that my primary education was at Salisbury Park Primary School, about as public as they come.

I raise you Smac, Munno Para Primary

However, if someone wanted to throw in an Elizabeth Downs or Smithfield Plains Primary, I will concede

[bulldogproud]

Yet what people maybe dont consider is that if they dont like the local school, you can always go with a public school that is in another area - Unley High, Norwood Morialta etc are all highly regarded schools in the public system

You could add Henley to that list, especially if you have kids that our talented in the fields of Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Soccer, Softball, Surf Lifesaving, Tennis, Performing arts (Dance)

Ian, not quite so easy to get into a public school that is outside your area. In most cases you need a scholarship to attend a school like Brighton or Unley etc. By the way, Henley, as you mention, is a great example of some public schools being funded ten times as much as other public schools. Being a specialist sporting school, the government throws an incredible amount of money at it. Students at other public schools are very disadvantaged at this.
Cheers

[Ian]

but on average I would have ................................., 25-30 at Years 8-10.
Cheers

7 classes of new year 8's at my sons school, 25-27 per class.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Private for me. Full stop.

Kids are taught discipline,manners and respect at private schools. Kids are actually FAILED at private schools if they don't perform and don't leave the system not being able to read and write or put a sentence together in conversation because they've slipped through the cracks.

Maybe we're just lucky, our kids both went to (my daughter still does) a public primary school that has discipline equal to and facilities better than most private schools.

Delusional at best, western suburb public schools are training grounds for future Finks & the advanced course in correct removal of ram raid bollards.
At least if you applied for the public school over here your kids would learn how to wear their beret the right way round & the correct placement of healing crystals.
Speaking of which, the Prospect fair is just around the corner, if you'd like to come along again. We'd better be early before the couscous organic burger stall runs out though.

[zipzap]

Yes, there is a class divide within the public system!

Having gone from a pretty tough country school to Port Adelaide and now to a 'leafy green' suburb school I must agree with you there, in a sense.

However it is amazing how much parent expectation can dictate how good a school can be. In those areas where the parents, if they exist at all, don't give a toss then it's a real struggle for the local school to establish a good reputation. Inevitably it and the teachers get the blame for the kids' lack of social skills and academic motivation and the cycle of shite continues.

But in schools where the parents are active participants and have higher expectations everyone is motivated to go forward together. As a for instance, start-of-year open nights at previous schools might attract a handful of parents at best. At my current school it is standing room only every time.

So yes, while there is a class divide as such, it's not like public schools in toffier areas get more funding than say a northern suburbs school. In fact the reverse is often true (unless you have a specialist program such as sport at Henley, ag studies at Urrbrae or 'special education' provisions). IMO a public school can only be as good as the local community demands it to be.

[bulldogproud]

Possibly true, zipzap. However there is little doubt that Norwood-Morialta, Marryatville and Unley receive a lot more funding than schools in the northern or southern suburbs. It also depends on whether the school is deemed to be a specialist school in any discipline (e.g. sport or music). Then it gets much more heavily funded.
Cheers

[Mic]

Yes, there is a class divide within the public system!

Having gone from a pretty tough country school to Port Adelaide and now to a 'leafy green' suburb school I must agree with you there, in a sense.

However it is amazing how much parent expectation can dictate how good a school can be. In those areas where the parents, if they exist at all, don't give a toss then it's a real struggle for the local school to establish a good reputation. Inevitably it and the teachers get the blame for the kids' lack of social skills and academic motivation and the cycle of shite continues.

But in schools where the parents are active participants and have higher expectations everyone is motivated to go forward together. As a for instance, start-of-year open nights at previous schools might attract a handful of parents at best. At my current school it is standing room only every time.

So yes, while there is a class divide as such, it's not like public schools in toffier areas get more funding than say a northern suburbs school. In fact the reverse is often true (unless you have a specialist program such as sport at Henley, ag studies at Urrbrae or 'special education' provisions). IMO a public school can only be as good as the local community demands it to be.

You are right in saying that 'tougher' schools, such as those in Elizabeth, get good funding (often better than 'less tougher' schools). Also, staff collegiality (sp?) and programs are often better in those schools as well.

I certainly don't agree that a school will only be good if parents put pressure on it and "demand it".

[zipzap]

I certainly don't agree that a school will only be good if parents put pressure on it and "demand it".

Not the only factor for sure but surely you'd agree that heightened parent involvement, interest and expectation would only improve a school's standing in the community? I'm at a school now where parents are there from 8:00am running the cricket nets, volleyball / basketball in the gym and on Friday mornings are invited to bring their instruments and play with the student band before school! I've never seen anything like that before and to me it speaks volumes about how they value the school.

[am Bays]

I must also add that my primary education was at Salisbury Park Primary School, about as public as they come.

I raise you Smac, Munno Para Primary

However, if someone wanted to throw in an Elizabeth Downs or Smithfield Plains Primary, I will concede

You want public, I'll give you public....

DARWIN High.....

[zipzap]

Possibly true, zipzap. However there is little doubt that Norwood-Morialta, Marryatville and Unley receive a lot more funding than schools in the northern or southern suburbs.

You may well be right but is this just a hunch of yours or a fact? I don't believe there is a sliding scale of govt $ based on location! Extra $ to support specialist facilities sure, but Unley HS doesn't get any more because it's in Unley.

Ingle Farm for instance gets heaps of funding because of its new arrivals program. If Henley has a specialist PE program it will get heaps too. Has nothing to do with leafy green v other suburbs though.

[Dirko]

I raise you Smac, Munno Para Primary

Munno Para !! I went there for two years (prep - Year 2), them Mum and Dad moved to Panorama , and finished my schooling at Clapham Primary..

Daws Road for the High School ( luckily my Greek skills were good )...

As for my kids, they go to a Catholic School around the corner mainly due to convenience and plus we like it. For High school either Henley, St Mics or St Marys depending on how they are going and what they are interested in....