Education & Work Melbourne - Which school and why?

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Luca, 16th Dec, 2019.

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  1. Luca

    Luca Well-Known Member

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    Big dilemma as the toddler is growing and having moved to Australia 10 years ago from Europe we are not really into the private schools mindset.

    There are few posts on this subject, I am more into which school and why (Melbourne).

    We are rent investors and I don`t see us buying in the next future hence we can move wherever a good public/private school is.

    1) We would like to have our kids attend a school more oriented to Sports and STEM;

    2) Don`t think we will be able to afford the top private schools, more the $10k/$15k ones if we decide to go private. We would prefer something with a Catholic sort of set up, not sure if there are public schools offering it?

    3) I heard there is a lot of competition in the top public/private schools and students get private tuition anyway to perform better. Don`t like much this sort of set up. Studying is important but also enjoying life. We don`t want a kid studying 24/7 and stressed by the scores he gets.

    4) Sometimes I think: $15k for 10years -> $150k. Is this really the best way to spend money for my kid? Isn`t better invest that money and give it to him later? This brings another dilemma I have: “You Are The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With”. Now, studying and growing with the X son of X CEO/Business man, is it really going to make the difference on the mindset and open up to more opportunities? Does this apply to us parents too? Looking for more real life examples than discussion

    Assumed that each kid is different and we really don`t know what they will be like while growing up, we need to try to take the best decision with the info we have available as per today.

    Main question is:

    1) Which private school in the $10/15k region would you recommend and why?

    2) Which public school would you recommend and why?

    We live in a Northern suburb so ideally North East, East, North and North West however happy to move South – West if need to.
     
    Luca, 16th Dec, 2019
    #1
  2. LibGS

    LibGS Well-Known Member

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    I went to a selective entry high school, Melbourne High, in the 80s. Good STEM, sport and music opportunities. The competition to get in was tough then and it is crazy now, so tuition for the exams is necessary. I'd love for my boy to attend there. The other option for us is Nossal High in Berwick.

    The other thing about "elite" public/private schools isn't just the level of education. In later life you have connections and that can help.
     
    LibGS, 16th Dec, 2019
    #2
  3. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    My daughter spent some years in an Anglican school and a couple of years in a Catholic school. Religion was a part of both systems, though it was far less heavily emphasised in the Anglican private school. In the Catholic school, where she started in year 8, it was really pushed heavily, and she had trouble because it assumed a detailed knowledge from previous years.

    We found the private school was excellent in encouraging talents which weren't a part of the normal academic stream, this particular Catholic school was much more concerned with mainstream achievements (academic and sport). The private school however missed the bullying which her sister endured, and which we only found out about ourselves years later.

    Canberra private schools are far cheaper than those in Sydney and Melbourne.
     
    geoffw, 16th Dec, 2019
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  4. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    But if you're not in the same "class" you won't keep those connections.
     
    geoffw, 16th Dec, 2019
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  5. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I see this personally with friends and their children. I see the parents networking way more than the children, and any connections or leveraging into a good first job in the law firm belonging to the parent's friend (in my experience) is coming more from the parents, paving the way for the kids as they move through high school and into the world of uni and then the workforce.

    But of course, the children are a product of the parents, and that ability to pull strings here and there will have been witnessed throughout the life of the children, and likely will carry on as they move into the workforce.

    We chose a cheaper Anglican school (great reputation) due to our oldest having been bullied, because of the better likelihood that bullying would be handled well (and it was). Whilst there were some very wealthy families at this school, I'd say most were fairly ordinary families, looking for a school that perhaps offered a little more than the local high school. The wealthy ones kept it to themselves.

    Local high schools must take the local kids. As it was our son's bullies also went to the same high school (that backfired), but the bullying stopped the day after we reported it. Perhaps this may have happened at the local high school too, but they just don't have the same power as the private schools (in my opinion).

    Our local high school didn't have a great reputation when we were faced with this decision. It now is a school of excellence, and much sought after.

    Had we not had a son who we were sure would be bullied, and had his teachers not suggested he would be better suited to a private school, we would have sent him to another local high school (also highly sought after now, and even back then) and saved our money.

    Kids will study and work hard wherever you send them... or they won't. You can take a horse to water etc...

    I've found private and/or elite school kids can still behave as badly as public school kids, but their parents have more contacts to get them out of trouble. I've seen this first hand.

    We're fairly garden variety, ordinary parents and had we sent our boys to the elite Anglican school, we would have been excluded from the "elite" set anyway (and happy to not be part of that whole shebang).

    I may sound bitter, but I hope not. I'm a realist.

    I see parents who network, and those who don't. And I know two families who sent their sons to an elite school to give them good opportunities to do well and to mix with a cohort who were on a certain path, but they didn't fit in with the other kids well enough to be fully accepted (socially different levels).
     
    Last edited: 16th Dec, 2019
    wylie, 16th Dec, 2019
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  6. willair

    willair Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    That's something you want to factor in,because i don't think private or public is any different if they need extra tuition then it will be another extra cost because if you don't then they will be left behind ..
     
    willair, 16th Dec, 2019
    #6
  7. LibGS

    LibGS Well-Known Member

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    I've never found that to be case in my situation. But as an example.

    Bill Kelty,Secretary of the ACTU from 1983 to 2000
    Lindsay Fox
    Solomon Lew

    Talk about different outlooks on life. Yet they are really good friends (so I'm told) because they were friends at Melbourne High.
     
    Last edited: 16th Dec, 2019
    LibGS, 16th Dec, 2019
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  8. lifecompetitor

    lifecompetitor Well-Known Member

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    Honour the work!

    Melbourne High is a great option. Great standard of education and a fraction of the cost.

    It is a selective school but this option is best if your son can get it.
     
    lifecompetitor, 16th Dec, 2019
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  9. See Change

    See Change Well-Known Member

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    Close friend , not from " that class " , mid level banking and moving up . Kids to private schools .

    Very good net worker . ended up on school board and then as chairman and having new ( multimillion dollar ) building named after them

    They are now "of that class " .

    In Australia , you can determine what class you want to get to by your actions . The limitations that exist are set by yourself .

    Cliff
     
    See Change, 16th Dec, 2019
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  10. Luca

    Luca Well-Known Member

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    Thanks guys, getting more confused day by day ;-)
    Any name from people living in Melbourne?
     
    Luca, 16th Dec, 2019
    #10