Hello!
Welcome to my blog.
I work for the Department of Education (public system) and also in the private sector with VCE and IB. I coordinate the language team that writes the Year 12 exams.
As a professional and teacher, I can tell you that education here is good, the standards to practice are high, but it all depends a lot on your children, your family, and how they are accustomed at home.
The system in Victoria depends heavily on your children’s needs and the direction you want to give their education. For example, there are Stanner Schools, neurodivergent schools, co-ed, and single-sex classes. This is different from whether they are public, private, or Catholic schools. A private school isn’t always better; it depends a lot on what you’re looking for, the school’s culture, and the driving force behind the leadership team.
In my opinion, a school that is academically top-level in Year 12 can be difficult for many children and can cause stress and levels of depression. I have encountered situations of suicides due to the high level of demands. Sports on weekends, music, math, languages, training every day after school.
Here, the only exams that matter are the Year 12 exams, so being in a school that prioritizes well-being during the process but also has an excellent ATAR is something worth considering. However, many of these schools are selective and top-level, and the child needs to be advanced by 1 or 2 years to get in.
What is better? It’s a difficult question to answer because there are many factors to consider, such as costs, among others. In my personal experience, my children are 2.5 years and 8 months old, and they are already on the waiting list of two elite schools in Melbourne with an excellent ATAR. Although I believe that some public schools are very good, many private schools have smaller class sizes and more personalized education because it’s paid for. In public schools, I have classes of 26 to 30 students, and in private schools, they are between 12 and 20, which makes a huge difference in the teaching and learning process.
I believe that when it comes to choosing, it is vital to be zoned for good schools, both public and private. Because, as I have considered, my children are on the list for an international school in case they decide, like me, to do high school and university in another country and spread their wings away from me. Now that they are young, my husband and I will decide, but if one day my children decide to do the same as we did and travel to make their life overseas, our decisions will have to adjust.
This topic excites me a lot, so I could go on, but for now, I’ll leave it here briefly.
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