After teaching Primary School for nearly forty years, I relaxed and tried to really enjoy my time in the classroom. I’d let my students know that it was our home away from home and that we needed to care for one another. I tried to make sure that we all had a good laugh every day, and didn’t take ourselves too seriously. I loved teaching and am happily retired after 40+ years, but some days I’d really love to be back on the job…minus the admin!
@lucyg4848. By admin I mean reports, parent/teacher discussions, lesson plans, year level meetings, whole staff meetings, student teacher supervision etc. In general, anything that isn’t actual teaching and being with students. When I started teaching in 1974 we just got on with teaching, and left the rest to leadership, who were being paid far more than teachers were, and still are.
I have worked in schools in the UK and Australia (Sydney). I agree that the work in the UK is more advanced in each year. I think education in the UK works very well for the naturally bright child and leaves the less academic children behind very early in primary school. In Australia there is a higher focus on not leaving any child behind. This means less capable students don’t disengage as much as they do in the UK but at the same time the brighter Aussie students are often bored and not reaching their full potential. Personally if a decision has to be made I prefer the Australian system and its focus on the struggling student…. but of course more resources and time to truly differentiate lessons for every single student is what every teacher wants.
Australia is collective orientated in everything. The brighter and capable get inflicted with what is historically conditioned as the tall poppy syndrome. Where there is progressive coercion to bring those that stand out down to the same level as most. In school it is developed and carries on everywhere in adulthood. Boredom, frustration, sets in young.
I worked in the secondary and tertiary systems and although there is slight differences in primary, once you reach secondary level the differences are vast. Australian curriculum in Science, Technology, and Biotechnolgy is far more advanced because they are modelled on the first year University programs and Universities drive the year 11 and 12 curriculum development. This why Australia are world leaders in Biotechnolgy.
That is interesting if the work is harder in the UK because in all those OECD tests Australian students are ranked far higher than the UK in almost every subject. Maybe in the UK they run through work and don't really check if the students are understanding.
@@kerryryan5116 agree. In our son's high school in Queensland, Year 11 is actually Year 12 work. Year 11 also start diplomas towards University. Then Year 12 is about teaching kids according to their chosen pathway, University or other.
I moved to Australia from the UK in Year 8. I went to a grammar school in the UK and was one of the brightest in my year group. When I moved to Australia, everything was noticeably much easier and they put me in a Year 10 class for maths which they would never have done in the UK. So I would say at my school at least (private education) the bright kids were able to reach their full potential.
I think the lack of respect for teachers in Australia is a new-ish development, and reflects a lack of respect for adults generally. (This, of course, comes from parents, who often try to be friends to their kids these days instead of guides and sometimes disciplinarians.) When I was in school in the 70s and 80s, even the more relaxed and popular teachers had a way of letting the kids know who was boss. There were consequences if a kid stepped too far over the line!
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nope. hes a relief teacher. going through primary school in the 90's we never acted up with our techers. but when we had a relief. it was party time. thats always been like that. nothing has changed
As someone who graduated high school relatively recently, I can't say that (at least in primary school) there was disrespect for the adults. People still held the teachers in high regard rather than seeing them as too friendly. It's only between Year 8-10 that the students start to think they're on top of the world and annoy teachers a lot more frequently. However, around then, teachers are also starting to treat students more like adults which, combined with hormonal changes, probably result in students feeling like they're equals with teachers. Around Year 11, students start to act more mature and stop acting too out of place, but with the newfound knowledge that they are pretty much adults now, and in Year 12, students generally are a lot more chill around teachers, and, for the most part, teachers and students see each other on a mutual ground. Unless you're a crackhead.
Thanks for the video. I'm an Australian teacher and have also taught in the UK (secondary rather than primary). You have summarised the main differences very well. There is certainly a difficult culture in schools between the two nations, different attitudes to teachers and a different degree of formality. Both have their pros and cons, of course.
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It is absurdly difficult to get a permanent teaching job in Oz . It took the NSW Department of education 14 months to verify my nieces qualifications from a top college in England. The education bureaucracy in Oz is a nightmare, On the other hand it took 3 weeks for a private primary school to do all the vetting and offer her a job.
Same in UK. I would have had to get a job QTS qualification in addition to my Australian degree, grad.dip, 20 years experience and excellent references.
That was awesome! Thanks very much. I'm Australian, used to be an RN, now want to study Master of Primary Teaching. I like your attitudes, I think your kids are lucky to have you and you obviously enjoy your work.
There are differences between the states in Australia. As a late primary school child, I went from the NSW system to Qld. I sat on my hands for two years in Maths but had to massively upskill in English which included some grammar and Latin roots in Qld.
Yes. The first step in minimising the effect of harmful policy is to recognise that policy which is presented as ‘left wing’ is ‘anti-left’. The next step is to realise that there is often no clear test or rationale for deciding whether a policy is harmful or helpful. Many of the most harmful policies may be supported by argument which looks not only sound but conclusive. And many good policies do not have outcomes or results which can be easily tested or measured. In many cases we must ignore the glib - but overtly very strong - argument, and simply rely on our gut feeling. On the positive side you may find that the mass of the population support or share your gut feeling.
I wouldn't agree with that. I think it has its history in our more egalitarian nature. I know partners from the big accounting firms from the UK struggle initially. In the UK they are always Sir Blogs, Mr Brown, Mrs Smith. Here from the graduates, the catering staff they are called by their first name John, David, Mary.
NSW: The privacy requirements exist. There are restrictions on filming students. The T-shirts are for the Y6 graduating class towards the end of the year, but most schools wouldn't have family names of students on them. Y12 graduating students usually have a jersey with their own nickname choice (real names discouraged for safety reasons).
The local public school to me the year 6 shirt is given out at the beginning of the year and it has all the year 6's listed with their full name on the back. It is a polo and they can wear it as an alternative to their normal school shirt for the full school year.
@@amandamandamands Wow! Thanks for telling me that. I shouldn't have made a general comment, I should have just mentioned our experience with our kids, nieces and nephews. When they went through, their schools were far more careful - imagine going backwards on protecting privacy! I wonder if that's more widespread today then?
I'm not a teacher, but I coached tennis in schools in the UK and NZ. I found that kids in NZ were generally more polite than those I worked with in the UK. The big thing I noticed was that sport and exercise is taken more seriously in NZ. But also using exercise to help regain focus in the classroom, often I would see classes other than the one I was working with, out of the classroom doing a running or some other activity mid class, to provide a change of focus. It may be that they all had to run one lap of the field before returning to the classroom.
A slightly late response to your great vid. I'm an ex primary school teacher who worked both in NSW in Australia and for 2 years in the UK. You are correct about primary education expectations. The biggest difference I found is that in Australia they encourage children to enjoy learning, often at their own pace, whereas in the UK it tends to be essential to achieve the "outcomes" laid down. The NSW theory was that once the child embraced learning, secondary and hopefully tertiary education would be more rewarding and eventually totally fulfilling.
I totally agree and prefer the Aus approach. What’s the point in being ahead in year 6 if you hate school by secondary school? Thanks for your comment!
Thank you so much for your insight! Really appreciate it. I am an Aussie who went to the UK to train, and I remember all the little nuances of schooling back home - I am considering coming home to teach, and I have been blown away by the differences (some better than the UK!)
Brilliant. Great encapsulation of your range of experiences. Have taught in Melbourne 40 plus years, both Primary and Secondary. I wish you well. Surely by now you will be permantly employed.
This was very interesting. As an Australian educated in the 1950’s chatter would not have been allowed in school assembly. Also more respect was shown to teachers and to older people. As a student at Knox Grammar,Sydney things may have been a little different to other schools.
Even in the 70s in a public school in Australia there was respect for the teachers. And definitely no chattering. This was the time of corporate punishment and getting six of the best.
Interesting video. When I went to school (western Australia) the class sizes were 30-33 students. I do know that a study found that (with regards to student learning) smaller class sizes were more effective than adding an assistant.
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In Australia the filming and being online is based on consent by the parents but in the case of a child being in foster care, you have to be very careful. As a foster carer I didn’t allow my kids to be photographed except at private birthday parties etc but in that case most parents already knew the child could not be online or identified.
I'm watching this in 2022! Thanks for this video, I'm a teacher based in the Philippines, we usually have 40-60 children in our class size. A lot of teachers are leaving the country because of various concerns. Thanks for this video, im having an idea now.
These points are definitely not the same across all schools, there are lots of variations within different systems, states, or are school-based decisions. EG We (at my school) don’t eat with our kids in class. We also have lots of classes at 30 or more.
I worked in Grade 1 at a Primary School in British Columbia, Canada in 1997 on the one year teacher exchange programme. It was the best year of my career. Similar experiences to you - less pressure. More resources. Specialist teachers for computing, music and PE. Smaller classes. Excellent training opportunities. Pupil start age for school older so more emotionally mature and ready for the challenges. Time off given to teachers for extra duties like for parents evenings, so could take a break during the day. More parental involvement. School buses could be used for educational visits. There was no religious education as such. It was a humanist approach, teaching children how to respect each other, other cultures and the environment. Reports were bullet points on one A4 sheet written every term, not 4 page rambling essays written in the final term here. Inspections were carried out by seconded teachers who ‘accredited’ a schools improvement plan and provided monetary resources for the area of improvement - not judgemental but supportive. I enjoyed the school intercom system. Thanks for your exploration of Australian schools. I really enjoyed watching it!
Nice summary of the differences. And yes, in some schools you have to work a little harder to gain the respect of the children at first. It's not always automatically given, especially to supply teachers. I hope you have found it rewarding nonetheless. There is also plenty of work for teachers in Australia outside of the capital cities.
In nz my middle kids class includes a run about half way through the long session between morning tea and lunch. There's that 5 min run around the school to reset and get the wiggles out. Works really well.
I'm in South Australia. We can film and take photos at my kids school but if other kids are in them that are not your own or you haven't asked permission from their parent you shouldn't post them on social media. It does still happen but the school has asked people not to and it is generally frowned apon if you do.
Thanks for sharing! I got the impression it was not really allowed but it’s nowhere near how strict and paranoid they get in the U.K. about having any data at all. I’ve been told before if it has their name on it needs to be password protected on a usb.
Come to Queensland and find out how much assessment and marking you’d have to do. Stress is very much a factor. We also only have bells at break times and beginning or ending the days. Teachers can usually decide when they timetable various lessons as well.
In primary school, yes. High school bells go at each lesson because kids change rooms, but I've noticed many of them are doubles where possible so there is less moving around.
I am an on going primary teacher and I 100% agree with you about the disrespectful attitudes of students. It’s definitely not every student but it certainly is very common.
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it's so interesting to hear this because I've heard the same said from US, UK and Australian teachers, and there's plenty of structural differences between countries but the same trend! I do think this generation demands more explainations and don't give automatic respect but I also think this is an interesting generational shift to navigate and gives an interesting opportunity to reevaluate what works and what does not.
Here we are in 2024 and in Australia the parents of a high school orchestra in Brisbane are not allowed to film the concert. I received an audio clip only to listen to re. my niece’s concert! So sad.
It's a shame. But I do understand the great risk for children in DV situations and online predators once footage is online... Unfortunately there are far too many very tech savvy predators these days.
I fully agree with how low linguistic and maths expectations are here in Australia. It is ridiculous. My kids are years ahead with about 20 minutes a week of international curriculum from home. It is a joke. It make sme sad for the kids.
In our school (in Wales) there’s birthdays on classroom Wales and leavers hoodies with children’s names on and parents can record sports day etc but are asked not to upload anything online and to try to only focus on their own child
I’m very interested to hear about the disciplinary aspect of schooling there, I’m from the South Africa, but have lived in the UK over 10 years.. the lack of discipline I’ve seen and heard from way too many other is shocking... one main thing that shocks me the most is the lack of consequences for children who bully, most of the time the child that is the victim leaves the school. In South Africa that is not tolerated at all and if the 2 warnings and suspension doesn’t work then it’s expulsion ( that being minor offences, otherwise is straight expulsion). I only ask because we are moving to Aus next year, and I’m curious as to what schooling is going to be like for my boys.. so far sounds very similar to SA besides the lack of respect towards teachers and adults in general. Great video. Look forward to hearing back
Personally (talking about public schools) I think the schools are slack when it comes to disciplining bullies both in the Top End of Aus and in South Aus. As the parent you have to constantly nag the school to see any action and if it’s a physical fight, the kid who was forced to defend themselves will still get suspended as well as the bully (my experience with my four kids). Having said that, if your kid has a learning disability or behaviour problems then they are very supportive. I believe the lack of respect is something he gets at primary school due to the fact that he’s a relief teacher, I’d say high school kids are more likely to be disrespectful than primary school kids.
As an aussie growing up in Australia I know one other thing - generally kids in the classes I've been in didn't respect the relief teachers as much as their regular teachers as they felt they could get away with more things. Often kids would say "oh but our teacher normally lets us do this". Again this could just be a thing in my school or schools everywhere, I'm not sure but that's just my experience. Although the chatter at assemblies also wasn't allowed in my schools which is similar to your previous experience One thing that surprised me was that back home you're not allowed to put kids names up in classes! Birthday charts were always something I remembered having throughout primary school and it helped kids always know when to congratulate someone (but I guess that's always pretty obvious anyway in primary school haha)
I have taught in the UK and in Victoria you got it pretty right, one small school I taught at just had a hand rung mounted bell which only rang three times a day - nice ;)
Ok...I am an Aussie teacher who taught in the UK for 5 years. The biggest negative in the UK was the need to do so much in case of an OFSTED visit, including the marking. Which makes you question, what do the kids get out of that? Overall, I felt the UK curriculum was more structured and better. Their maths curriculum was great. I loved their religion education that taught children about all religions. It leads to more tolerance. I didn't like teaching English in the uk. The whole structure expected (for OFSTED) lacks real flow. I like the flexibility to teach in your own style in Australia. Teaching History in the UK was an absolute dream! I also liked that stationery and text books were all provided for each child. No child is disadvantaged. It was sad the level of security needed in UK schools. Edit - it was sad that I had students in the uk who had tutors for their STATS exams.
Agree w some other commenters that its generally australian culture plus generational differences that cause young people to ask for justification. I think there is inherent respect (ie treat people kindly) but 'respect' when its used as a label for authority, isnt assumed now. Young people consistently ask for information and autonomy, and it makes sense in a world where they are inundated w social media and unchecked biases in almost all information presented to them
Very informative. I have taught vocational education for many years, which I know is quite different, but I do not have many good memories of primary and secondary education in the UK. (College was good) But talking to a rather opinionated and rude kid the other day, I am pleased that I don’t teach at that level. She believed that the whole point of going to school was to meet friends, not learning stuff, and would argue any point with me, showing little respect or appreciation.😮
Hey! Great video! What I learnt is that as we Sri Lankans still follow the British established education system, our classrooms are more like what you mentioned about British classrooms. I hope I will be able to be a good teacher when I come to Australia though. Please bring more videos of Secondary school teaching if you can. Best regards to you! 👼
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Hey! I’m a Sri Lankan too! One of the biggest differences I noticed when coming to Australia was definitely that students are less formal and ‘fear’ the teachers a little less over here compared to SL- which has its pros and cons. Although I went through school as a student in SL I get the sense that having good behaviour management skills would be more important in Australia due to this.
I am an American living in Australia (with my Australian partner). I am not a teacher, but these were my experiences as a student at a low-income elementary school (from Kindergarten for 5-year-olds up through Grade 5 for 10-year-olds) in the 90s in Atlanta: • Class size of ~32-35 students and no TA. My elementary school had around ~800-1000 students (for comparison, my high school had ~3500). • Lunch was provided in a large cafeteria. Teachers generally did not stick around for this. • No recess or breaks. Instead, we had daily PE class, which the teacher was not involved with (we were handed over to the PE coach). • Students were expected to be quiet and obedient. (However, some teachers really struggled to control the class and things could get out of hand, so most teachers tended to be quite strict and dealt with problem students by sending them out if the classroom to ISS, or in-school suspension.) • Tests and exams were common, but not overwhelmingly so. (I understand they are much more frequent now.) • Compared to the schooling experiences of various Australians I know, we were exposed to more advanced math and English material at a younger age, and a higher level of achievement was expected of us. Even my low-income school was more academically challenging in math and English than my partner's very expensive and highly reputed private school. • The higher expectations were coupled with more tools that aid learning, such as a bigger focus on phonetics and sentence diagramming. (On the other hand, some of the things we learned with mindbogglingly bizarre; our teachers were forced to try to teach us matrix math, for example - I think this was around 5th grade? - which was something we never grokked and never used again. To those who don't know what matrix math is: in most places, this is usually taught at the university level AFTER calculus, if it is taught at all.) • History class was much less focused on "great men" and memorizing dates (compared to my partner's schooling) and more focused on social history and broader shifts. On the other hand, it was also much more focused on local history, with little effort to connect to a broader worldwide context. Much more insular. • Literature class was less focused on "great literature" and much more focused on improving reading fluency and cultivating an interest in reading (compared to my partner's literature classes). Less classic literature, more Goosebumps. Also lots and lots of creative writing. Literature class was taught like art and music: it was meant to be fun and relaxed. • Science class was abysmally poor (compared to what my partner got). It was very dry and taught out of a textbook. No experiments, no equations to solve, etc. - just rote memorization of facts. Just extremely bad and perpetually everyone's least favorite subject. (This did improve at higher grade levels, but it was honestly a waste of time at the elementary level and poisoned students' attitudes toward it.) • We were exposed to more technology. For example, even though most people had little exposure to computers in the 90s, we were already using them (e.g., to type stories on and then print out for literature class) starting in 1st grade, whereas my partner did not touch a school computer until until high school - even though his school was very wealthy and could have easily afforded it. My school was poor, so the hardware we got was very outdated even at the time (Apple II computers and dot matrix printers), but it was considered non-negotiable than children should grow up comfortable with SOME kind of technology that vaguely resembled what would become commonplace in the future. • All classes (math, English, science, history/social studies, etc.) happened at the exact same every single day. All were taught by the same teacher, except for PE and music. (Speaking of music class, a funny similarity with Australia: learning to play the recorder in 4th grade.) • Gifted students were never moved up a grade (as happened with my partner). Instead, there was more separation of students into different classrooms by ability: classes for students not fluent in English, classes for students with different learning disabilities, classes for students of different giftedness levels, etc. • No uniforms. No fees. Free transportation via school buses (but you're waking up extra early to catch it). Textbooks and other supplies (other than consumables, like paper and pencils) were provided for free. Breakfast and lunch could be purchased inexpensively from the school, or provided for free to low-income students. I don't know how widespread these trends were, and I also don't know how much they hold up today. I actually think the biggest differences between American and Australian education is at the tertiary level, however - something that has potentially major implications for Australians interested in immigrating to US. Most importantly, an Australian Bachelor degree takes just 3 years (as opposed to 4-5 years in the US) and is not recognized in the US unless the student has an Honours degree (which is classified as just a regular Bachelor's degree in the US). An employment visa to the US requires a Bachelor degree, so this education difference presents a major immigration barrier for many Australians.
When I was in UK the unions were much stronger and the competition between unions meant that you could pick the one that was more powerful in your school. At the time there was a 'one meeting per week' policy. I work in an Aussie school where there are between one and two meetings per week plus directed professional learning time virtually every week.
I heard this from a friend in Oz and they said children due show less respect for teachers. Talking in assembly is not on really. Shows that of respect and discipline. I love the fact that children in the U.K. still wear uniform too.
My grandsons moved from S A to WA and what a different. They went to a Catholics school the oldest went from year 3 to 5 missing year 4. The young grandson started school with a disability his teacher went out of her way to find out more. In SA there was a 7 ignorance or not important. In their school there was a teacher and assistant teacher which didn't exceed in SA and may not even now.
In Aus my year 3 child told me that with maths each child can select their own difficulty. "spicy" seems to be the standard, but there are also lower levels like "mild" if you feel you struggle. He tries "hot" or "extra hot" when he finds the basic "spicy" maths too easy. I guess this is a way to let kids move at their own pace.
Thought it is relatively easier to get a teaching job in Aus but is it not? Or is it just in Melbourne that competition for a permanent teaching job is difficult?
The system in the UK is just far too much, so much stress on the Teachers. Australia has better road layout too as shown in the walk along video above. This is great to see the education comparison in UK and AU. Try Teaching in new Zealand and the USA next.
In Australia parents sign a form when they start at a school whether they agree to have there child in school photos or video etc So if someone did agree to this a teacher would be made awhere. I don't think many actually tick the no box.
it may be the schools.. With the school I went to the children were not allowed to chat during assemblies once it started but yeah during line ups and with going place to place etc kids weren't expected to be quiet. Some schools do not allow the kids to be filmed on school grounds. Children here often do not respect their relief teachers as much as their normal teachers. Relief teachers can sometimes get treated horrifically by them. It's like adults more so need to earn the respect of Aussie kids, it doesn't happen just automatically
Just as an FYI ….not ALL classes are only 22 to 24 students. I work in both primary and high schools in Western Australia and previously Tasmania as well as my son doing all his schooling like me back home in Queensland. They all averaged 30 ….some 28 some up to 32. ☺️
Just to let you know Australian schools are different from state to state so the rules are different from what you said NSW is more like the uk teaching basing all schools on Melbourne standards .
I think the eating with the teacher thing is to make sure the kids eat their lunches. They didn't do it for the first year when my kids were at primary school and the number of times my daughter came home with her lunch still in her bag and she excuse was that there was a game happening or she was doing something and didn't have time. I went to primary school in the UK for a couple of years and I found it a huge culture shock, good and bad things, but I found the teachers were harsher on the kids.
I left U.K. state system teaching and spent most of my career teaching in international schools in East Asia. I got paid on average twice as much as I would have got in the U.K. and had a much more pleasant time. I worked with lots of colleagues from Aus, NZ, US and Canada and it sounded like teaching in those places was no better than in the U.K.
Just found your channel. Thanks a lot for sharing. I am from Indonesia and currently pursuing my master's degree in teacher education in Finland. I am graduating next month and trying to find job opportunities everywhere, including in Australia. However, apparently I have problems with my teaching qualification as my goal is to work in the early childhood setting 😕
Hi I am from India . And I am trying to go abroad for higher education as a teacher could you please help me by letting me know about the scope of this job in Australia
This is your experience, a lot of Australian teachers would disagree. How long have you actually been teaching in Australian school and be interesting to know which schools you've taught at, makes a big difference. But it is nice to see a teacher who is not disheartened.
I remember one of my kids teachers saying that a noisy classroom is a good thing as there is lots of interaction going on. Also our kids are kind of taught to question things which may account for the perceived lack of respect. It's not just accepted that the adult is also right. On the point of chatter. Try getting us parents to shut up at assembly 😄
Jesus if that was the case the Covid over reach wouldn’t have happened in this country every boomer lined up and if you thought critical you where a conspiracy theorist
I’d say most schools now in UK don’t do much marking. Ofsted made it clear they’re no longer interested in it. Most schools I know do live marking with the children.
I think that there will be a backlash against parents "being friends" with their children. It doesn't set an appropriate standard of respect to those in authority, and it doesn't set them on the right path in preparation for the workplace. It is fine now, where jobs are aplenty. However, when the economy reaches the status quo, I think parents will be trying to more adequately prepare their children for the workplace, where a person can take instruction from an employer without questioning each instruction.
My biggest disagreement with these points is the stress level. All teachers I know are very stressed and always are. I’m in NSW, and we have new curriculum to get used to all the time, and we have to write our own programs, which I know is not the same in every country. We also have to have minimum PL hours, enter & evaluate them for accreditation with NESA.
Yeah, but you have school holidays which you are also paid for and only have the children until 3 pm max at 4 pm. Plenty of time to catch up cry me a river 😂 I dare you join to the real world you would be eaten alive.
Hey man, great video - it's difficult to research and read this kind of first-hand experience information. I'm a primary teacher in the UK looking to move to Aus. With the supply work, does it work much in the same way as here (through an agency and possibly placed all over the place)? Are you able to get short-term placements or mainly daily work? Thanks
Hi, yes it’s similar. The most important thing is to register as a teacher before you arrive as that can take up to 4 months. There’s an annual fee to be registered as a teacher. After that, you can work either via an agency or go directly to schools. More money directly through schools but it’s harder to get. Pay is 320-360 Aus dollars per day.
I don't know if you are high school or primary. I'm a retired primary teacher and very rarely had a class size under 25. The usual was over 30. I taught in the UK on a working holiday. I was so bored at lunch time - one whole hour! Although it gave you more time for lesson preparation and other tasks. I found English children to be much better behaved.
I remember meeting you when I was working as a supply teacher at Corpus. You were always very kind and helpful, which I really appreciated! I was so curious about your decision of leaving UK and going to Australia. Working in a different schooling system can be great, you learn so many lessons and acquire so many tools from each school and teacher that you interact with. I do agree with you regarding the aspect of respect towards the figure of the teacher... it's something and quite often think about now that I am back in Spain... Glad to see that the Australian adventure worked out;)
Oh hey! That’s so kind of you to say :) being a supply can be lonely so I always wanted to try and make you feel welcome. Glad you enjoyed the video! I think about my time in Aus all the time… teaching around is such a necessary experience!
Found this very interesting. I think Australia followed British education culture for a long time. I went primary school in Queensland in t 0:19 he 1960s and silence was a thing. In my government school (years 1-4) corporal punishment was in force. Maths was very important. Racism was rife. Switched to private school year 5 and grammar was a thing. And we learned either French or German ( very Eurocentric). Funny thing is I can still read French aloud phonetically even f I don't t understand it all!
Love your video!!! So helpful. I'm in Melbourne, too. I'm considering to study Bachelor in Early childhood education and Primary. I'm an educator in a child care at the moment. Can I ask which Uni you studied with in Australia please? I'm looking at Swinbourne Uni cause it allows me to study online 100%. Thanks mate :)
Hi, how did you find the process of finding a job and getting a Visa in Australia? I'm a teacher training student in the UK and looking to move to Australia in the future but have heard that it's hard to get a job as primary teachers aren't in demand. Thanks!
Hi Emily, Visa wise; I'm on a working holiday visa which is pretty easy to get if you're under 31. Long term if you want to move here you'll have to look at permanent residency applications. Registering as a teacher depends on each state. Here in Victoria you need to register with VIT which is worth doing in advance. You have to send them a load of evidence and it takes a few months to process. You also need to have done a PGCE, they don't accept the 3 year Primary undergrad degree. Getting a job, there is less demand for sure but you can work as supply pretty easily. Hope this helps!
i feel like the lack of respect for adults by kids in australia ia a generational thing. when i was at school it was a big no no to talk back or question someone in authority, especially at primary school age. these days i find kids have fewer manners than they once did.
I don't know about England, but in Australia it is a unionised protectionist racket for permanent staff. Contracted staff are left transient and vulnerable. Don't believe me? Come and see for yourself.
Good video. However, it’s a huge no no to photograph or film children in public settings without express permission in Australia. If that has been allowed at the schools at which you have taught then they are in breach of contemporary standards.
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You were doing well up until 2:30, but eating in the classroom? Absolutely NOT the norm in Australia. Exceptions are sometimes made on very bad weather days.
ESOs, Education Support Officers are appointed to work with funded children with special needs. It's hard to get the funding, so often ES staff only work part time hours.
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Mate! From one teacher to another, please STAY here in Oz!!!! We are running short of good teachers, and you seem like a really good one!
In Austria, as the children enter the classroom, they say good morning to the teacher and shake the teacher's hand
After teaching Primary School for nearly forty years, I relaxed and tried to really enjoy my time in the classroom. I’d let my students know that it was our home away from home and that we needed to care for one another. I tried to make sure that we all had a good laugh every day, and didn’t take ourselves too seriously. I loved teaching and am happily retired after 40+ years, but some days I’d really love to be back on the job…minus the admin!
Which admin specifically??
@lucyg4848. By admin I mean reports, parent/teacher discussions, lesson plans, year level meetings, whole staff meetings, student teacher supervision etc. In general, anything that isn’t actual teaching and being with students. When I started teaching in 1974 we just got on with teaching, and left the rest to leadership, who were being paid far more than teachers were, and still are.
Give this man a medal. Very informative video. Wish OFSTED and UK headteachers should listen and learn.
Thanks! If only the DfE or OFSTED had any perspective...
LOL, yeah anyone who works 1.5 solid hours without a recess deserves a medal. GMAB
You gotta love that sunny, well-kept Melbourne neighborhood!
Was just thinking that. They have pride in their areas
I have worked in schools in the UK and Australia (Sydney).
I agree that the work in the UK is more advanced in each year. I think education in the UK works very well for the naturally bright child and leaves the less academic children behind very early in primary school.
In Australia there is a higher focus on not leaving any child behind. This means less capable students don’t disengage as much as they do in the UK but at the same time the brighter Aussie students are often bored and not reaching their full potential.
Personally if a decision has to be made I prefer the Australian system and its focus on the struggling student…. but of course more resources and time to truly differentiate lessons for every single student is what every teacher wants.
Australia is collective orientated in everything. The brighter and capable get inflicted with what is historically conditioned as the tall poppy syndrome. Where there is progressive coercion to bring those that stand out down to the same level as most. In school it is developed and carries on everywhere in adulthood. Boredom, frustration, sets in young.
I worked in the secondary and tertiary systems and although there is slight differences in primary, once you reach secondary level the differences are vast. Australian curriculum in Science, Technology, and Biotechnolgy is far more advanced because they are modelled on the first year University programs and Universities drive the year 11 and 12 curriculum development. This why Australia are world leaders in Biotechnolgy.
That is interesting if the work is harder in the UK because in all those OECD tests Australian students are ranked far higher than the UK in almost every subject. Maybe in the UK they run through work and don't really check if the students are understanding.
@@kerryryan5116 agree. In our son's high school in Queensland, Year 11 is actually Year 12 work. Year 11 also start diplomas towards University. Then Year 12 is about teaching kids according to their chosen pathway, University or other.
I moved to Australia from the UK in Year 8. I went to a grammar school in the UK and was one of the brightest in my year group. When I moved to Australia, everything was noticeably much easier and they put me in a Year 10 class for maths which they would never have done in the UK. So I would say at my school at least (private education) the bright kids were able to reach their full potential.
I think the lack of respect for teachers in Australia is a new-ish development, and reflects a lack of respect for adults generally. (This, of course, comes from parents, who often try to be friends to their kids these days instead of guides and sometimes disciplinarians.)
When I was in school in the 70s and 80s, even the more relaxed and popular teachers had a way of letting the kids know who was boss. There were consequences if a kid stepped too far over the line!
Interesting! Thanks for sharing.
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nope. hes a relief teacher. going through primary school in the 90's we never acted up with our techers. but when we had a relief. it was party time. thats always been like that. nothing has changed
@@SevenCostanza same in the 90s in England!
As someone who graduated high school relatively recently, I can't say that (at least in primary school) there was disrespect for the adults. People still held the teachers in high regard rather than seeing them as too friendly.
It's only between Year 8-10 that the students start to think they're on top of the world and annoy teachers a lot more frequently. However, around then, teachers are also starting to treat students more like adults which, combined with hormonal changes, probably result in students feeling like they're equals with teachers.
Around Year 11, students start to act more mature and stop acting too out of place, but with the newfound knowledge that they are pretty much adults now, and in Year 12, students generally are a lot more chill around teachers, and, for the most part, teachers and students see each other on a mutual ground. Unless you're a crackhead.
Thanks for the video. I'm an Australian teacher and have also taught in the UK (secondary rather than primary). You have summarised the main differences very well. There is certainly a difficult culture in schools between the two nations, different attitudes to teachers and a different degree of formality. Both have their pros and cons, of course.
Loved the chatty style of this video. Almost felt like I was on a walk with you! Such an informative video as well. Thank you!!
Thank you!
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It is absurdly difficult to get a permanent teaching job in Oz . It took the NSW Department of education 14 months to verify my nieces qualifications from a top college in England. The education bureaucracy in Oz is a nightmare, On the other hand it took 3 weeks for a private primary school to do all the vetting and offer her a job.
Same in UK. I would have had to get a job QTS qualification in addition to my Australian degree, grad.dip, 20 years experience and excellent references.
You can't get a teaching job at all in Ireland. They only employ their own. So don't complain about Australia.
That was awesome! Thanks very much. I'm Australian, used to be an RN, now want to study Master of Primary Teaching. I like your attitudes, I think your kids are lucky to have you and you obviously enjoy your work.
Thanks Lee!
There are differences between the states in Australia. As a late primary school child, I went from the NSW system to Qld. I sat on my hands for two years in Maths but had to massively upskill in English which included some grammar and Latin roots in Qld.
I’m a teacher in the US and this was great insight.
Great video, most informative. By the way, Welcome to Australia., so happy to see you here and I hope we can make it a lifetime of joy.
100% the lack of respect for adults and increased entitlement is becoming a problem in Australia.
Yes. The first step in minimising the effect of harmful policy is to recognise that policy which is presented as ‘left wing’ is ‘anti-left’.
The next step is to realise that there is often no clear test or rationale for deciding whether a policy is harmful or helpful. Many of the most harmful policies may be supported by argument which looks not only sound but conclusive. And many good policies do not have outcomes or results which can be easily tested or measured. In many cases we must ignore the glib - but overtly very strong - argument, and simply rely on our gut feeling.
On the positive side you may find that the mass of the population support or share your gut feeling.
I wouldn't agree with that. I think it has its history in our more egalitarian nature. I know partners from the big accounting firms from the UK struggle initially. In the UK they are always Sir Blogs, Mr Brown, Mrs Smith. Here from the graduates, the catering staff they are called by their first name John, David, Mary.
Ok boomer.
@@aussiegooner😂 clichekid
Get off my lawn
I got exhausted just watching you walk the Melbourne streets, brother. Great insights!
Cheers mate!
@@corbinsofftheradar3085 😊
I am Japanese female. I am interested in teaching in Australia.
I enjoyed your story. Thank you:)
NSW: The privacy requirements exist. There are restrictions on filming students. The T-shirts are for the Y6 graduating class towards the end of the year, but most schools wouldn't have family names of students on them. Y12 graduating students usually have a jersey with their own nickname choice (real names discouraged for safety reasons).
The local public school to me the year 6 shirt is given out at the beginning of the year and it has all the year 6's listed with their full name on the back. It is a polo and they can wear it as an alternative to their normal school shirt for the full school year.
@@amandamandamands Wow! Thanks for telling me that. I shouldn't have made a general comment, I should have just mentioned our experience with our kids, nieces and nephews. When they went through, their schools were far more careful - imagine going backwards on protecting privacy! I wonder if that's more widespread today then?
I'm not a teacher, but I coached tennis in schools in the UK and NZ. I found that kids in NZ were generally more polite than those I worked with in the UK. The big thing I noticed was that sport and exercise is taken more seriously in NZ. But also using exercise to help regain focus in the classroom, often I would see classes other than the one I was working with, out of the classroom doing a running or some other activity mid class, to provide a change of focus. It may be that they all had to run one lap of the field before returning to the classroom.
A slightly late response to your great vid. I'm an ex primary school teacher who worked both in NSW in Australia and for 2 years in the UK. You are correct about primary education expectations. The biggest difference I found is that in Australia they encourage children to enjoy learning, often at their own pace, whereas in the UK it tends to be essential to achieve the "outcomes" laid down. The NSW theory was that once the child embraced learning, secondary and hopefully tertiary education would be more rewarding and eventually totally fulfilling.
I totally agree and prefer the Aus approach. What’s the point in being ahead in year 6 if you hate school by secondary school? Thanks for your comment!
Thank you so much for your insight! Really appreciate it. I am an Aussie who went to the UK to train, and I remember all the little nuances of schooling back home - I am considering coming home to teach, and I have been blown away by the differences (some better than the UK!)
Brilliant. Great encapsulation of your range of experiences. Have taught in Melbourne 40 plus years, both Primary and Secondary. I wish you well. Surely by now you will be permantly employed.
I'm a teacher in Ireland but trained in England 25 years ago. Really enjoyed this video, thank you
This was very interesting.
As an Australian educated in the 1950’s chatter would not have been allowed in school assembly.
Also more respect was shown to teachers and to older people.
As a student at Knox Grammar,Sydney things may have been a little different to other schools.
Even in the 70s in a public school in Australia there was respect for the teachers. And definitely no chattering. This was the time of corporate punishment and getting six of the best.
Interesting video. When I went to school (western Australia) the class sizes were 30-33 students. I do know that a study found that (with regards to student learning) smaller class sizes were more effective than adding an assistant.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing!
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100% the ideal class size is 16 students. I think Finland may have this in some schools. Their teachers are practically geniuses though lol
In Australia the filming and being online is based on consent by the parents but in the case of a child being in foster care, you have to be very careful. As a foster carer I didn’t allow my kids to be photographed except at private birthday parties etc but in that case most parents already knew the child could not be online or identified.
Thank you for fostering kids. I can't imagine how daunting life seems for kids in foster care.
I'm watching this in 2022! Thanks for this video, I'm a teacher based in the Philippines, we usually have 40-60 children in our class size. A lot of teachers are leaving the country because of various concerns. Thanks for this video, im having an idea now.
I can’t even imagine teaching 60 children. 🤯
@@bf3noobkiller1 In Egypt we might have 120 children in the same class 😃
These points are definitely not the same across all schools, there are lots of variations within different systems, states, or are school-based decisions. EG We (at my school) don’t eat with our kids in class. We also have lots of classes at 30 or more.
Yes , sorry my points are quite broad. I was just very excited to experience any different system to the U.K.!
I worked in Grade 1 at a Primary School in British Columbia, Canada in 1997 on the one year teacher exchange programme. It was the best year of my career. Similar experiences to you - less pressure. More resources. Specialist teachers for computing, music and PE. Smaller classes. Excellent training opportunities. Pupil start age for school older so more emotionally mature and ready for the challenges. Time off given to teachers for extra duties like for parents evenings, so could take a break during the day. More parental involvement. School buses could be used for educational visits. There was no religious education as such. It was a humanist approach, teaching children how to respect each other, other cultures and the environment. Reports were bullet points on one A4 sheet written every term, not 4 page rambling essays written in the final term here. Inspections were carried out by seconded teachers who ‘accredited’ a schools improvement plan and provided monetary resources for the area of improvement - not judgemental but supportive. I enjoyed the school intercom system.
Thanks for your exploration of Australian schools. I really enjoyed watching it!
Very thorough discussion - Very important topic.
Nice summary of the differences. And yes, in some schools you have to work a little harder to gain the respect of the children at first. It's not always automatically given, especially to supply teachers. I hope you have found it rewarding nonetheless. There is also plenty of work for teachers in Australia outside of the capital cities.
In nz my middle kids class includes a run about half way through the long session between morning tea and lunch. There's that 5 min run around the school to reset and get the wiggles out. Works really well.
I'm in South Australia. We can film and take photos at my kids school but if other kids are in them that are not your own or you haven't asked permission from their parent you shouldn't post them on social media. It does still happen but the school has asked people not to and it is generally frowned apon if you do.
Thanks for sharing! I got the impression it was not really allowed but it’s nowhere near how strict and paranoid they get in the U.K. about having any data at all. I’ve been told before if it has their name on it needs to be password protected on a usb.
Come to Queensland and find out how much assessment and marking you’d have to do. Stress is very much a factor. We also only have bells at break times and beginning or ending the days. Teachers can usually decide when they timetable various lessons as well.
I’d definitely be interested to see what it’s like. It was still a factor in Melbourne but nowhere near like the U.K.
In primary school, yes. High school bells go at each lesson because kids change rooms, but I've noticed many of them are doubles where possible so there is less moving around.
I am an on going primary teacher and I 100% agree with you about the disrespectful attitudes of students. It’s definitely not every student but it certainly is very common.
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it's so interesting to hear this because I've heard the same said from US, UK and Australian teachers, and there's plenty of structural differences between countries but the same trend! I do think this generation demands more explainations and don't give automatic respect but I also think this is an interesting generational shift to navigate and gives an interesting opportunity to reevaluate what works and what does not.
Here we are in 2024 and in Australia the parents of a high school orchestra in Brisbane are not allowed to film the concert. I received an audio clip only to listen to re. my niece’s concert! So sad.
It's a shame. But I do understand the great risk for children in DV situations and online predators once footage is online...
Unfortunately there are far too many very tech savvy predators these days.
Thanks, very informative. This year in WA, the year 6 leavers don’t have any names on their shirts.
Oh wow, really?
Not all schools, the one I work in does!
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I fully agree with how low linguistic and maths expectations are here in Australia. It is ridiculous. My kids are years ahead with about 20 minutes a week of international curriculum from home. It is a joke. It make sme sad for the kids.
In our school (in Wales) there’s birthdays on classroom Wales and leavers hoodies with children’s names on and parents can record sports day etc but are asked not to upload anything online and to try to only focus on their own child
I’m very interested to hear about the disciplinary aspect of schooling there, I’m from the South Africa, but have lived in the UK over 10 years.. the lack of discipline I’ve seen and heard from way too many other is shocking... one main thing that shocks me the most is the lack of consequences for children who bully, most of the time the child that is the victim leaves the school. In South Africa that is not tolerated at all and if the 2 warnings and suspension doesn’t work then it’s expulsion ( that being minor offences, otherwise is straight expulsion). I only ask because we are moving to Aus next year, and I’m curious as to what schooling is going to be like for my boys.. so far sounds very similar to SA besides the lack of respect towards teachers and adults in general. Great video. Look forward to hearing back
Personally (talking about public schools) I think the schools are slack when it comes to disciplining bullies both in the Top End of Aus and in South Aus. As the parent you have to constantly nag the school to see any action and if it’s a physical fight, the kid who was forced to defend themselves will still get suspended as well as the bully (my experience with my four kids). Having said that, if your kid has a learning disability or behaviour problems then they are very supportive. I believe the lack of respect is something he gets at primary school due to the fact that he’s a relief teacher, I’d say high school kids are more likely to be disrespectful than primary school kids.
Hi did you make the move? In Australia the teachers fear parent teacher might not the kids!
As an aussie growing up in Australia I know one other thing - generally kids in the classes I've been in didn't respect the relief teachers as much as their regular teachers as they felt they could get away with more things. Often kids would say "oh but our teacher normally lets us do this". Again this could just be a thing in my school or schools everywhere, I'm not sure but that's just my experience.
Although the chatter at assemblies also wasn't allowed in my schools which is similar to your previous experience
One thing that surprised me was that back home you're not allowed to put kids names up in classes! Birthday charts were always something I remembered having throughout primary school and it helped kids always know when to congratulate someone (but I guess that's always pretty obvious anyway in primary school haha)
I think that's just kids in general. Only listen to their OWN parent (or teacher)
I have taught in the UK and in Victoria you got it pretty right, one small school I taught at just had a hand rung mounted bell which only rang three times a day - nice ;)
Coming from the UK as a kid and entering the Aussie school system I felt dumbed down. Please stay!
Only in Melboring. They eat lunch in the playground in WA.
Lunch in playground in Tas too
Not everywhere. I've been in schools (in WA) where the children eat in the classroom.
Ok...I am an Aussie teacher who taught in the UK for 5 years. The biggest negative in the UK was the need to do so much in case of an OFSTED visit, including the marking. Which makes you question, what do the kids get out of that? Overall, I felt the UK curriculum was more structured and better. Their maths curriculum was great. I loved their religion education that taught children about all religions. It leads to more tolerance. I didn't like teaching English in the uk. The whole structure expected (for OFSTED) lacks real flow. I like the flexibility to teach in your own style in Australia. Teaching History in the UK was an absolute dream! I also liked that stationery and text books were all provided for each child. No child is disadvantaged. It was sad the level of security needed in UK schools.
Edit - it was sad that I had students in the uk who had tutors for their STATS exams.
Agree w some other commenters that its generally australian culture plus generational differences that cause young people to ask for justification. I think there is inherent respect (ie treat people kindly) but 'respect' when its used as a label for authority, isnt assumed now. Young people consistently ask for information and autonomy, and it makes sense in a world where they are inundated w social media and unchecked biases in almost all information presented to them
Very informative. I have taught vocational education for many years, which I know is quite different, but I do not have many good memories of primary and secondary education in the UK. (College was good) But talking to a rather opinionated and rude kid the other day, I am pleased that I don’t teach at that level. She believed that the whole point of going to school was to meet friends, not learning stuff, and would argue any point with me, showing little respect or appreciation.😮
Hey! Great video! What I learnt is that as we Sri Lankans still follow the British established education system, our classrooms are more like what you mentioned about British classrooms. I hope I will be able to be a good teacher when I come to Australia though. Please bring more videos of Secondary school teaching if you can. Best regards to you! 👼
Thanks! All the best for your move.
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Hey! I’m a Sri Lankan too! One of the biggest differences I noticed when coming to Australia was definitely that students are less formal and ‘fear’ the teachers a little less over here compared to SL- which has its pros and cons. Although I went through school as a student in SL I get the sense that having good behaviour management skills would be more important in Australia due to this.
@@Mariahhlatywayo Hey, thanks for the comment! Great to see Lankan over here!! Do you work now , are you a teacher? 😶 sorry for questions.
@@kavee163 I work as a singing teacher and love it, but I do a bit of primary classroom relief from time to time 😊
I am an American living in Australia (with my Australian partner). I am not a teacher, but these were my experiences as a student at a low-income elementary school (from Kindergarten for 5-year-olds up through Grade 5 for 10-year-olds) in the 90s in Atlanta:
• Class size of ~32-35 students and no TA. My elementary school had around ~800-1000 students (for comparison, my high school had ~3500).
• Lunch was provided in a large cafeteria. Teachers generally did not stick around for this.
• No recess or breaks. Instead, we had daily PE class, which the teacher was not involved with (we were handed over to the PE coach).
• Students were expected to be quiet and obedient. (However, some teachers really struggled to control the class and things could get out of hand, so most teachers tended to be quite strict and dealt with problem students by sending them out if the classroom to ISS, or in-school suspension.)
• Tests and exams were common, but not overwhelmingly so. (I understand they are much more frequent now.)
• Compared to the schooling experiences of various Australians I know, we were exposed to more advanced math and English material at a younger age, and a higher level of achievement was expected of us. Even my low-income school was more academically challenging in math and English than my partner's very expensive and highly reputed private school.
• The higher expectations were coupled with more tools that aid learning, such as a bigger focus on phonetics and sentence diagramming. (On the other hand, some of the things we learned with mindbogglingly bizarre; our teachers were forced to try to teach us matrix math, for example - I think this was around 5th grade? - which was something we never grokked and never used again. To those who don't know what matrix math is: in most places, this is usually taught at the university level AFTER calculus, if it is taught at all.)
• History class was much less focused on "great men" and memorizing dates (compared to my partner's schooling) and more focused on social history and broader shifts. On the other hand, it was also much more focused on local history, with little effort to connect to a broader worldwide context. Much more insular.
• Literature class was less focused on "great literature" and much more focused on improving reading fluency and cultivating an interest in reading (compared to my partner's literature classes). Less classic literature, more Goosebumps. Also lots and lots of creative writing. Literature class was taught like art and music: it was meant to be fun and relaxed.
• Science class was abysmally poor (compared to what my partner got). It was very dry and taught out of a textbook. No experiments, no equations to solve, etc. - just rote memorization of facts. Just extremely bad and perpetually everyone's least favorite subject. (This did improve at higher grade levels, but it was honestly a waste of time at the elementary level and poisoned students' attitudes toward it.)
• We were exposed to more technology. For example, even though most people had little exposure to computers in the 90s, we were already using them (e.g., to type stories on and then print out for literature class) starting in 1st grade, whereas my partner did not touch a school computer until until high school - even though his school was very wealthy and could have easily afforded it. My school was poor, so the hardware we got was very outdated even at the time (Apple II computers and dot matrix printers), but it was considered non-negotiable than children should grow up comfortable with SOME kind of technology that vaguely resembled what would become commonplace in the future.
• All classes (math, English, science, history/social studies, etc.) happened at the exact same every single day. All were taught by the same teacher, except for PE and music. (Speaking of music class, a funny similarity with Australia: learning to play the recorder in 4th grade.)
• Gifted students were never moved up a grade (as happened with my partner). Instead, there was more separation of students into different classrooms by ability: classes for students not fluent in English, classes for students with different learning disabilities, classes for students of different giftedness levels, etc.
• No uniforms. No fees. Free transportation via school buses (but you're waking up extra early to catch it). Textbooks and other supplies (other than consumables, like paper and pencils) were provided for free. Breakfast and lunch could be purchased inexpensively from the school, or provided for free to low-income students.
I don't know how widespread these trends were, and I also don't know how much they hold up today.
I actually think the biggest differences between American and Australian education is at the tertiary level, however - something that has potentially major implications for Australians interested in immigrating to US. Most importantly, an Australian Bachelor degree takes just 3 years (as opposed to 4-5 years in the US) and is not recognized in the US unless the student has an Honours degree (which is classified as just a regular Bachelor's degree in the US). An employment visa to the US requires a Bachelor degree, so this education difference presents a major immigration barrier for many Australians.
When I was in UK the unions were much stronger and the competition between unions meant that you could pick the one that was more powerful in your school. At the time there was a 'one meeting per week' policy. I work in an Aussie school where there are between one and two meetings per week plus directed professional learning time virtually every week.
You do have to sign a form, regularly to allow your child to be filmed and to go on line.
I heard this from a friend in Oz and they said children due show less respect for teachers. Talking in assembly is not on really. Shows that of respect and discipline. I love the fact that children in the U.K. still wear uniform too.
Really interesting as a South African teacher. We sound like we fall in the middle of these two countries.
That's crazy you can't get a permanent teaching job here in Australia! There is a shortage of teachers here too.
My grandsons moved from S A to WA and what a different. They went to a Catholics school the oldest went from year 3 to 5 missing year 4. The young grandson started school with a disability his teacher went out of her way to find out more. In SA there was a 7 ignorance or not important. In their school there was a teacher and assistant teacher which didn't exceed in SA and may not even now.
In Aus my year 3 child told me that with maths each child can select their own difficulty. "spicy" seems to be the standard, but there are also lower levels like "mild" if you feel you struggle. He tries "hot" or "extra hot" when he finds the basic "spicy" maths too easy. I guess this is a way to let kids move at their own pace.
Thought it is relatively easier to get a teaching job in Aus but is it not? Or is it just in Melbourne that competition for a permanent teaching job is difficult?
The system in the UK is just far too much, so much stress on the Teachers. Australia has better road layout too as shown in the walk along video above. This is great to see the education comparison in UK and AU.
Try Teaching in new Zealand and the USA next.
In Australia parents sign a form when they start at a school whether they agree to have there child in school photos or video etc So if someone did agree to this a teacher would be made awhere. I don't think many actually tick the no box.
it may be the schools.. With the school I went to the children were not allowed to chat during assemblies once it started but yeah during line ups and with going place to place etc kids weren't expected to be quiet. Some schools do not allow the kids to be filmed on school grounds. Children here often do not respect their relief teachers as much as their normal teachers. Relief teachers can sometimes get treated horrifically by them. It's like adults more so need to earn the respect of Aussie kids, it doesn't happen just automatically
Just as an FYI ….not ALL classes are only 22 to 24 students. I work in both primary and high schools in Western Australia and previously Tasmania as well as my son doing all his schooling like me back home in Queensland. They all averaged 30 ….some 28 some up to 32. ☺️
I went to a private school in australia and that were very strict more like as you describe what the uk is like but a tiny but more relaxed
Sounds like you are coping very well. And enjoying the experience too. Hope you continue to have fun with living "down under"
A big difference is that blue stuff behind you, above the houses. We don’t have that in the UK
Wait Till you hit ‘high school’ my wife is marking all the time!!!!
Just to let you know Australian schools are different from state to state so the rules are different from what you said NSW is more like the uk teaching basing all schools on Melbourne standards .
I think the eating with the teacher thing is to make sure the kids eat their lunches. They didn't do it for the first year when my kids were at primary school and the number of times my daughter came home with her lunch still in her bag and she excuse was that there was a game happening or she was doing something and didn't have time. I went to primary school in the UK for a couple of years and I found it a huge culture shock, good and bad things, but I found the teachers were harsher on the kids.
I left U.K. state system teaching and spent most of my career teaching in international schools in East Asia. I got paid on average twice as much as I would have got in the U.K. and had a much more pleasant time. I worked with lots of colleagues from Aus, NZ, US and Canada and it sounded like teaching in those places was no better than in the U.K.
Just found your channel. Thanks a lot for sharing. I am from Indonesia and currently pursuing my master's degree in teacher education in Finland. I am graduating next month and trying to find job opportunities everywhere, including in Australia. However, apparently I have problems with my teaching qualification as my goal is to work in the early childhood setting 😕
Hi I am from India . And I am trying to go abroad for higher education as a teacher could you please help me by letting me know about the scope of this job in Australia
Are you too overqualified?
This is your experience, a lot of Australian teachers would disagree. How long have you actually been teaching in Australian school and be interesting to know which schools you've taught at, makes a big difference. But it is nice to see a teacher who is not disheartened.
So helpful ! Thank you
I’ve just finished my PGCE, would it be possible for me to go and teach supply in Australia without experience?
I remember one of my kids teachers saying that a noisy classroom is a good thing as there is lots of interaction going on. Also our kids are kind of taught to question things which may account for the perceived lack of respect. It's not just accepted that the adult is also right.
On the point of chatter. Try getting us parents to shut up at assembly 😄
Good points!
Jesus if that was the case the Covid over reach wouldn’t have happened in this country every boomer lined up and if you thought critical you where a conspiracy theorist
Simplistic.
I’d say most schools now in UK don’t do much marking. Ofsted made it clear they’re no longer interested in it. Most schools I know do live marking with the children.
I think that there will be a backlash against parents "being friends" with their children. It doesn't set an appropriate standard of respect to those in authority, and it doesn't set them on the right path in preparation for the workplace. It is fine now, where jobs are aplenty. However, when the economy reaches the status quo, I think parents will be trying to more adequately prepare their children for the workplace, where a person can take instruction from an employer without questioning each instruction.
My biggest disagreement with these points is the stress level. All teachers I know are very stressed and always are. I’m in NSW, and we have new curriculum to get used to all the time, and we have to write our own programs, which I know is not the same in every country. We also have to have minimum PL hours, enter & evaluate them for accreditation with NESA.
Yeah, but you have school holidays which you are also paid for and only have the children until 3 pm max at 4 pm. Plenty of time to catch up cry me a river 😂 I dare you join to the real world you would be eaten alive.
I enjoyed your take on this topic! Thank you!
The kids in Australia run the classrooms, not the teachers. It’s very sad. Very very sad. You are so correct.
That's only true of poor teachers, of which there are quite a few, admittedly.
Hey man, great video - it's difficult to research and read this kind of first-hand experience information.
I'm a primary teacher in the UK looking to move to Aus. With the supply work, does it work much in the same way as here (through an agency and possibly placed all over the place)? Are you able to get short-term placements or mainly daily work?
Thanks
Hi, yes it’s similar. The most important thing is to register as a teacher before you arrive as that can take up to 4 months. There’s an annual fee to be registered as a teacher. After that, you can work either via an agency or go directly to schools. More money directly through schools but it’s harder to get. Pay is 320-360 Aus dollars per day.
I don't know if you are high school or primary. I'm a retired primary teacher and very rarely had a class size under 25. The usual was over 30. I taught in the UK on a working holiday. I was so bored at lunch time - one whole hour! Although it gave you more time for lesson preparation and other tasks. I found English children to be much better behaved.
Would love to see a comparison between England and Wales 😅 particularly early years
So its harder to get a job in AU? Why does the news always say theres shortages but in reality we struggle...
I remember meeting you when I was working as a supply teacher at Corpus. You were always very kind and helpful, which I really appreciated!
I was so curious about your decision of leaving UK and going to Australia. Working in a different schooling system can be great, you learn so many lessons and acquire so many tools from each school and teacher that you interact with.
I do agree with you regarding the aspect of respect towards the figure of the teacher... it's something and quite often think about now that I am back in Spain...
Glad to see that the Australian adventure worked out;)
Oh hey! That’s so kind of you to say :) being a supply can be lonely so I always wanted to try and make you feel welcome. Glad you enjoyed the video! I think about my time in Aus all the time… teaching around is such a necessary experience!
Found this very interesting. I think Australia followed British education culture for a long time. I went primary school in Queensland in t 0:19 he 1960s and silence was a thing. In my government school (years 1-4) corporal punishment was in force. Maths was very important. Racism was rife. Switched to private school year 5 and grammar was a thing. And we learned either French or German ( very Eurocentric). Funny thing is I can still read French aloud phonetically even f I don't t understand it all!
Love your video!!! So helpful. I'm in Melbourne, too. I'm considering to study Bachelor in Early childhood education and Primary. I'm an educator in a child care at the moment. Can I ask which Uni you studied with in Australia please? I'm looking at Swinbourne Uni cause it allows me to study online 100%. Thanks mate :)
Sorry, I studied in the U.K.! Glad you enjoyed the vid :)
Yes they do have teacher aides in Victoria!
Hi, how did you find the process of finding a job and getting a Visa in Australia? I'm a teacher training student in the UK and looking to move to Australia in the future but have heard that it's hard to get a job as primary teachers aren't in demand. Thanks!
Hi Emily,
Visa wise; I'm on a working holiday visa which is pretty easy to get if you're under 31. Long term if you want to move here you'll have to look at permanent residency applications.
Registering as a teacher depends on each state. Here in Victoria you need to register with VIT which is worth doing in advance. You have to send them a load of evidence and it takes a few months to process. You also need to have done a PGCE, they don't accept the 3 year Primary undergrad degree.
Getting a job, there is less demand for sure but you can work as supply pretty easily.
Hope this helps!
i feel like the lack of respect for adults by kids in australia ia a generational thing. when i was at school it was a big no no to talk back or question someone in authority, especially at primary school age. these days i find kids have fewer manners than they once did.
Australians are generally disrespectful with a jovially bullying nature...they think it's funny...
I don't know about England, but in Australia it is a unionised protectionist racket for permanent staff. Contracted staff are left transient and vulnerable. Don't believe me? Come and see for yourself.
Rough schools in London of which there are many have very little respect for teachers
Good video. However, it’s a huge no no to photograph or film children in public settings without express permission in Australia. If that has been allowed at the schools at which you have taught then they are in breach of contemporary standards.
Nice to contact you MR,,,may your channel be always influencing us..great
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Now too to a high-school and see what that casualness turns into.
“My class has 30 children but I’m In Australia”
You were doing well up until 2:30, but eating in the classroom? Absolutely NOT the norm in Australia. Exceptions are sometimes made on very bad weather days.
Essentially Aussie schools are a little bit more “she’ll be right mate” haha
No, there are child safeguarding policies in place in Australia.
ESOs, Education Support Officers are appointed to work with funded children with special needs. It's hard to get the funding, so often ES staff only work part time hours.
Interesting, thanks for sharing!