She's been living in Sydney for 15 years, and these are the differences from US schools. Kids wear a uniform in both public and private school, and the summer break is shorter.
Courtesy of the author
I was born in the US but have lived in Sydney for 15 years. My children are ages 12, 10, and 8, so I have experienced being a parent only in Australia.
When my children became school-age, culture shock hit me. I can't help but compare how it is here with not only my experiences at school but also what my siblings and friends experience with their children.
There are many differences, but three stand out.
Most schools — public and private — in Australia require some sort of uniform. This isn't about being posh; some uniforms are as simple as a pair of khakis and a polo.
Every year, I breathe a sigh of relief when I compare my school-shopping list with my friends' in the US. Each of my kids gets one set of pants or a dress, with white shirts for the week, plus a sport uniform.
Having uniforms in public schools in the US would be a lifesaver, both financially and in terms of saving time — and headspace.
Even if my children dislike their uniforms, there's nothing to be done about it. There aren't other options, which is freeing for me as a parent. And even though the upfront cost of a uniform can be a lot, I know that's all I'm going to have to buy for at least a couple of terms.
The school year in Australia is broken up into two semesters, both with two terms. There can be breaks of two to eight weeks between terms.
The school year starts in late January or early February and ends in December. So the big summer break is in December and January, since seasons in the southern hemisphere are opposite from the seasons in the northern hemisphere.
There are benefits to the Australian system. School has a high frequency of shorter breaks. In some ways, it's nice to know that a break is always just around the corner. On the other hand, for parents and careers, that means always needing to plan activities and childcare options for the breaks.
I prefer the US system. There isn't the same sense of closure here at the end of the school year. It's as though the years roll into each other. The end of the last term always feels so rushed to me because end-of-school-year activities are combined with the hustle of preparing for the December holidays.
Australian students take an exam at the end of year 12. This exam can be very stressful for students because the result play a significant role in determining which university course they are granted admission into.
The year-12 exam is starting to play a somewhat smaller role in college acceptance in the pandemic era, but going in "undecided" isn't really done here. Universities offer students places in particular courses.
I'm a sessional lecturer at several universities in Sydney, and I think the US system comes out ahead with this one. While the Australian higher-education loan system is probably better, the pressure of knowing what you want to study at such a young age is intense. Students can change their course of study, but since they enter directly into a program, classes taken before a change often don't contribute to the degree.
