2 Year Old Not Enrolled into a School. Too Late?

Just need suggestions from parents about schools in general. I am looking for good public schools around my area which is Chadstone VIC. My daughter is 2 years old and my friends and relatives get shocked when I tell them that we have not enrolled or started looking for schools for her.

We are in bit of a dilemma whether to send her to a good public school, catholic school or a private school. We cant really afford a private school with a high mortgage but if push comes to shove we can arrange some finance from the bank of mum and dad. But some people say private schools are better and some say public. We also want to look at Catholic schools which some say are in between public and private.

I did a lot of google search and filtered a few good ones around my area. But happy to move to rent somewhere close by if public schools are better there.

Please hit me up with suggestions if you have any experience or know about schools in this area. What I should look for in schools eg small number of pupils, good play grounds, amenities etc.

** Thanks for the awesome replies guys. Made me laugh and educated at the same time. A little bit relieved as well. 2 year old is sleeping a lot better as well ;)

Comments

  • +13

    My daughter is 2 years old and my friends and relatives get shocked when I tell them that we have not enrolled or started looking for schools for her.

    So those that you say appear to be "shocked" might be able to give you some pointers. Or do they not have kids themselves? lol.
    Age two is probably still early for most kids. Some parents do nothing until their kid is five and ready to go to school. So I wouldn't panic just yet.

    When choosing the type of school, you may want to have a look at your kid's personality as well because if a kid doesn't want to learn, it's not necessarily going to be helpful even if you paid $20K/year for private school. And those who have the natural ability to learn real quick can even do well at a local primary school. In other words, paying lots of money isn't necessarily going to be beneficial to anyone (other than the school's bank account, of course!)

    • +7

      relatives get shocked when I tell them that we have not enrolled

      Do they bring out their charter of human rights ?

      • +10

        I believe any conversations aren't going to help unless the parents have experienced both. Many of the comments are probably coming from private school only or public school only parents. There are also varying degrees of private schools as such public schools.

        Send your kid to a school you can AFFORD. Don't take out a loan to put your kid through school, kid will live a better life with happier parents that aren't under financial duress.

        I was educated in both public and private, the worst and best of public, the best of private. Facilities wise and resources you cannot beat the private system. Many of the comments here will be very anecdotal, and media headlines don't help.

        Many people are probably going to downvote you JV because they want to reinforce their own bias in their own beliefs and decision making about their children and they don't want to feel bad about it, like each persons opinion to their own.

        In regards to OP: You're in Chaddy, plenty of good public schools around there. Heaps of overpriced private ones too.

        One thing I noticed was that the conversation with parents and mindset was significantly different, and this reflected in the children's mindset too, not in private vs public, but more so the socioeconomic status of the parents in the area.

        If you're willing to spend the time with your kids and keeping a good positive mindset to pass on to your kids, you can't really go wrong with public or private.

        FYI I've found the parents who are doctors the most difficult to deal with lol.

        • -1

          Many of the comments are probably coming from private school only or public school only parents.

          and many have gone to both types of schools and have seen the differences first hand…

    • +1

      In other words, paying lots of money isn't necessarily going to be beneficial to anyone (other than the school's bank account, of course!)

      A good private or public school can help slower kids learn how to apply them self as they will be pushed in ways that most public schools wont. It can also help gifted students stay engaged as public schools can often neglect them. But you are right, it can be a waste of money for many, especially if the parent/s are not involved in the child's schooling.

      Many religious schools are on a similar level to average public schools.

      If OP is in the catchment for a good public school, or can move to one early enough to enroll, I highly recommend it. I have found decent religious schools 'starting' at $5k/yr in primary (+ fees), but that is still ~$200k per child missing from the mortgage to replicate a free government service.

      • +6

        A good private or public school can help slower kids learn how to apply them self as they will be pushed in ways that most public schools wont.

        What I was more referring to was a kid that doesn't want to learn, doesn't even want to be at school or doesn't care . Having someone that doesn't want to learn in a private school that provides lots of encouragement isn't necessarily going to make them want to learn any more. If anything, it might discourage them even more if they think they're already too far behind.

        Selective schools often do well, not only because they try take the brightest kids, but it is often the kids' attitude that makes a difference. Putting someone that wants to learn (regardless of how bright they really are) into an environment that encourages and supports them will almost always produce great results.

        So it really does depend on the kid.

    • Exactly, we didn't really send our boy to school still 5yo. He has more benefits stay at home, either spelling, reading, some math, manner and especially the bonding time with us…

  • +42

    Don't waste your money in private or catholic school.
    Just do some research about a good public school nearby.

    • Goals

      • +1

        Marcellin College and Parade College have great sports programs…

      • +26

        with better facilities and better teachers

        Well that’s up for debate

        • +8

          You really gonna debate the facilities and teacher quality of a public school with a very limited budget compared to a $20k/year private school?

          • +5

            @[Deactivated]: You sometimes wonder whether some of the people commenting here have even finished school…

            • +9

              @jv: Yeah we all get that feeling…

            • @jv: Wrong.

              Should read " or started school"

            • @jv: Oh I thought it was "over-educated lefties", I guess it depends on your comment.

          • +3

            @[Deactivated]: Private schools here are mostly religious and require people content with forcing supernatural views on children to work there. I don't know how that makes teachers any better in your eyes

        • +1

          up for debate? seriously? facilities wise no it isn't up for debate. teacher wise "maybe", but those better facilities help even average teachers provide a better education. That doesn't mean you can't get a good education in the public system, I went public and have done very well (well enough that I can easily afford the private system). Really though go for what you can afford and realize though the best schools do have queues of people wanting in both public and private so planning ahead and early enrollment is important if you want the choice.

        • better facilities

          that ain't up for debate. Private schools have better facilities.

          • @dsar: mine didn't. some/most do

          • @dsar: it really is (coming from someone who went to private and public schools)

      • +3

        Private schools are proud of not being as accountable for the welfare of your children as public schools. That should worry you as a parent.

          • +5

            @jv: Most child sex abuse and school coverups of abuse come from private schools, the Royal Commission found.

            • -1

              @AustriaBargain: Lots of examples from public schools too…

              Also, many of the people found guilty started their careers in public schools.

            • +1

              @AustriaBargain: Are there unreported cases at public schools?

              I once worked with someone who grew up disadvantaged and she was telling me stories about sexual abuse happening where she was growing up. But the victims (and their parents) didn't report it, and may even keep the baby, due to strong religious beliefs inducing shame paired with low education levels or poor-quality education. It's sometimes even the parents coercing the victim to keep the baby. So the child becomes a teen mum with a history of severe trauma. The cycle repeats.

              I can't help but wonder if that kind of abuse extended to the disadvantaged schools in her area but was kept silent. What about the amount of shame for male victims?

              When all you know is mistreatment, it begins to feel normal and thus accepted, even though it is not normal and is unacceptable.

            • @AustriaBargain: Many private schools have boarders where the ability to abuse is (massively) increased.
              My understanding is that there are limited (few) boarding 'public' schools.

              It would be interesting to see the stats and compare them with orphanage system and find out which one had more abuse.

      • +3

        A serious question for you JV - do you go out of your way to come across the way you do, or does it come naturally? My goodness you dribble some crap sometimes…

        • +1

          Nicely said. That fool is one reason why I actually stop reading forums on ozbargain.com.au - a seemingly uneducated loudspeaker who musn't work an actual job and spends all his time trolling on this site.

          • @hearitfromhorse: Probably an idle-landlord type who got his big start from the bank of mummy & daddy. Those types love to boast about how they got a big ticket $5K deal for $3K, cuz wealth is about shopping smarter, right.

      • +1

        Better teachers? Ha. Private schools refuse challenging kids because their teachers are not up to it.

        I'm married to a principal and can tell you that the number of teachers who get performance managed out of public school only to go into private would shock you.

  • +17

    2 years old still too early for enrollment.

    • not for 3yo kinder…

      Enrolments usually start Jan/Feb and if you want you 1st preference, you need to get in early in many areas… Otherwise you may end up taking them to a kinder that is further away, or not your preferred one.

      • Yep, mine opened 3 days ago to enroll my young one in 3yr old Kinder. Have to get in quick, but they give you many preferences. Best to get in early.

  • +63

    way too late op, sorry to say. you will need to stock up on wood and rocks and teach the child primitive weapon & tool making and release into the wild

    • +18

      game over man game over

      start on the next kid, for 2030, and enrol now!

    • Isn't it too early to prepare for an apocalypse?

    • +1

      yep, definitely agree. like wanting to buy bitcoin at $1k.

    • Just watch Doomsday Preppers as home schooling. It really complemented my schooling and university.

  • 2 Year Old Not Enrolled into a School. Too Late?

    I'm afraid it is too late.
    Best to just try and find them a government job now…

    • +6

      I want a government job! I hear it's laid back with lots of perks/leave…easy money.

      • +3

        …and you get a pay rise to work from home…

        • +1

          and you get a rise from people not in gov job

        • I've been in various State goverment positions for 19 years and never heard of that one!

      • +4

        There's always the exceptions, but those aren't the working conditions of most public servants. Staffing cuts and constant restructuring create a lot of stress, and there's job security any more, even if your role is 'permanent'. Generally higher wages in the private sector, too, which is why public servants leave to become consultants to their old units.

        • +3

          Agreed. It's not all beer and skittles. What I find with the public sector is that there are some that work really hard and there's some that cruise or are protected. And there's some who are just bad employees who are too hard to fire.

        • +1

          "which is why public servants leave to become consultants to their old units"

          My experience was that they become consultants because they get paid 50% more to do their old job, irrespective of whether they ever did it well.

          • @[Deactivated]: But that's a fair cost to reduce the number of visible FTEs so the public don't complain about the size of government, right?

  • +31

    Private schools only perform better because the students are on average from a higher socio economic background, and students from high socio economic backgrounds do better no matter what school they're in.

    Have a look at https://www.myschool.edu.au/ for schools in your area, this site tells you whether a school is performing better than you would predict based on the socio economic profile of their students, or worse. It compares that school with other schools in other parts of Australia where the students are of the same background.

    Before you shell out for a private school, even if they're good (compared to other schools with students of the same background) consider what you could otherwise buy with that money: sports, music lessons, overseas trips, tutoring. The school on its own would have to be better than a public school plus lots of extra curricular activities.

      • +19

        There are lots of kids from poor families that excel, and lots of kids of wealthy families that do poorly…

        That's true, just like there's people that have smoked for 50 years without a hint of cancer or vegetarians who die of heart disease. But statistics show children from families of greater means on average do better than kids from poorer families.

        • -5

          But statistics show children from families of greater means on average do better than kids from poorer families.

          Do the statistics then go into the main reasons for this?

          • +11

            @jv: No, like all other statistics. It is just numbers.

            I can hazard a guess though. Poorer families might be undergoing more stress, children might have greater responsibilities like caring for their parents or siblings, and there would be fewer resources in the home like books, computers, internet access.

            • +1

              @Quantumcat: One of the big ones is parental time spent on education tasks.
              Richer parents usually have the time to read to their kid (one parent is stay at home).

              I think even more important is attitude of the Parents/Society to education.
              Thats why some races do so well, and others don't.

          • +6

            @jv: There are studies on this… this is not controversial.

    • consider what you could otherwise buy with that money: sports, music lessons, overseas trips, tutoring.

      Yep, that's where parents have a choice whether to spend their money for their own enjoyment, or whether they prefer to create more opportunities for their kids.. We are lucky to live in a country where we can freely choose
      It's a personal choice and to be quite honest, I have very little time for those arrogant people that think we should not have choice…

      • If you are considering shelling out thousands of dollars a year on school fees chances are you are fine with spending money on improving your child's education. Otherwise private schools wouldn't have been on the table in the first place.

        • If you are considering shelling out thousands of dollars a year on school fees chances are you are fine with spending money on improving your child's education.

          Correct, it's all about what financial sacrifices you choose to make for you kids future…

          • +1

            @jv: You probably are already conscious of this, but even if you do consider private school fees or other money spent on kids as money you could have spent on something else and ‘sacrificed’, I feel it’s important that kids don’t see it this way and aren’t told about all the ‘sacrifices’ made for them. It might make them feel guilt or pressure. Kids don’t ask to be brought into the world.

            • +1

              @morse:

              Kids don’t ask to be brought into the world.

              oh no - you sound like one of those that would sue their parents for bringing them into this world! 🤣

              • +2

                @bobbified: Haha - no I was more meaning in relation to my attitude to raising my kid.

                I wanted to have a kid, he had no choice in the matter, he owes me nothing. Hopefully one day he’ll be grateful for his life, but any sacrifices I make are my choice.

                Don’t get me wrong he gets told no, is learning to clean up after himself and be kind to others etc - but I don’t want him to feel guilty for existing.

      • +7

        Lol what judgement. I dont care if you do (or later decide to) send your kids (if you have or plan to have them) to a private school. But seriously, you are not a better person, or care more about your kids because you 'sacrifice' and send them to private school. Honestly, most private school kids would have been better off in life, if there parents invested their school fees, sent them to public and used the 200k+ of private school fees on a house deposit or something for them.

        The top schools are generally public, followed by a 10-15 private schools, then a bunch of great public schools also start appearing in the rankings. You'll also see that once you leave the top 5 or so schools in a state, their scores and performance are pretty close. So honestly, unless you are sending them to one of the top 5 private schools, you are just spending money that would have got them an equivalent education at any decent public school. That doesnt mean there might not be a good reason to do private school still, location, sport program or something. But seriously stop trying to make yourself feel better about your life choices.

        • -4

          But seriously, you are not a better person, or care more about your kids because you 'sacrifice' and send them to private school.

          I did not say they a better or worse.

          The make their own choice based on their own values.

          Some people choose to spend more on themselves, and that's fine by me…

          • +8

            @jv: Come off it, your post is dripping with judgment just as your reply.

            By not choosing private school, doesn't mean they are spending the difference on themselves.

            Your value is apparently overspending on schooling and judging others for not also wasting their money.

            • @modiika:

              dripping with judgment

              examples ?

            • +1

              @modiika:

              By not choosing private school, doesn't mean they are spending the difference on themselves.

              That is what Quantumcat said in the first comment that i responded to.

            • -2

              @modiika:

              judging others for not also wasting their money.

              You are making false claims that it is a waste of money.

              All the private schools in our area have much better facilities and the kids perform way better than the public schools.

              The parents that send their kids to either, are from similar socio-economic backgrounds. The main difference is that some parents choose to make a financial sacrifice to give their kids more opportunities and a better learning environment.

              Feel free to send your kids to a public school. What you do with your money is your choice. That is not a judgment.

              • +1

                @jv: I think the problem with your posts is not that you are necessarily wrong. But that you are speaking about your specific area. That doesnt apply to your whole city, nor all of Australia.

                I think in many cases it makes more sense to move to an area with good public schools than do private. There are certainly bad private schools.

                Whether having better facilities produces meaningful improvements in results is doubtful. While your intention may not have been to be judgmental in your previous posts, it clearly presents that way. Maybe you are right about some of the people in your area, maybe not, but the general statements you made make it seem like it applies to everyone.

                • @modiika:

                  But that you are speaking about your specific area.

                  Yes, which has a good choice of many private schools and a few public schools…

                • @modiika:

                  Whether having better facilities produces meaningful improvements in results is doubtful.

                  Better sports facilities, better science labs, better art rooms, better libraries all add to a more positive learning experience, so it goes without saying that this will increase the kids's interest in school and learning and generally should improve their results. Sure, there will be some exceptions both ways, but in general, they will have more opportunities to do better.

                  • @jv:

                    Yep, that's where parents have a choice whether to spend their money for their own enjoyment, or whether they prefer to create more opportunities for their kids.. We are lucky to live in a country where we can freely choose…
                    It's a personal choice and to be quite honest, I have very little time for those arrogant people that think we should not have choice…

                    I think you should have clarified you were talking about just your local area. Even so, i'd say you are unlucky enough to live in an area where your choice is send your kids to a subpar public school or sacrifice and go to an expensive private school. Most countries in teh world have that option, its not specific to Australia. Although, the large subsidies for private schools from government are somewhat unique though.

                    Also, my other problem with your posts, particularly not qualified, is it perpetuates the myth that private schools must be better because you pay more. There's a wide variety of private schools just like public schools, some of them really suck and some are really amazing, more amazing.

                    Better sports facilities, better science labs, better art rooms, better libraries all add to a more positive learning experience, so it goes without saying that this will increase the kid's interest in school and learning and generally should improve their results. Sure, there will be some exceptions both ways, but in general, they will have more opportunities to do better.

                    I think thats pretty subjective. I went to an expensive private school and a top public school. I didnt find the nicer ovals in the private school motivated me to do better in school work. There was some slighlty better tech, but i dont think you would think its missing unless you went to a private school and then went to a public school and realised it wasnt there.

                    Also libraries were barely relevant when i went to school in the 90s and early 2000s, they are nice places to hang out in and study. But they are hardly essential. I didnt notice a meaningful difference between the library in the public and private schools I went too.

      • We are lucky to live in a country where we can freely choose

        Ehhh that's up for debate. Due to our complex (e.g. Private, Public, Religious, Selective) it creates a bigger divide between funding in schools, policies. My (rusty) understanding of other education systems internationally with only public schools mean better-funded and equally funded schools for everyone.

        • -1

          with only public schools mean better-funded and equally funded schools for everyone.

          Oh, like in the USA…

          • @jv:

            Oh, like in the USA…

            Um, you know you wrote the USA, right? The country with privatised healthcare. You don't think they have private high schools? Here's the best ones!

    • You realise private schools teach to those tests. While plenty of public schools won't. Private schools then use it to gain funding.

      I know of multiple private schools who have been known for telling families of 'dumb' kids to stay home on the testing days too!

  • +3

    Are you sure it is school and not long day care?

    If it is a public school, you don't/can't enroll them until the year before they can start school. You ought to be able to check VIC's education site for when your kid can start school.

  • +6

    Unless you want them enrolled in "that school" you'll have no problems. While I'm sure there are some limitations, my understanding is that the public schools are effectively obliged to accept children from their relevant catchment areas.

    • enrolled in "that school"

      Why wont you name it? Is it that bad?

      • +1

        It's that bad.

      • Ashwood… it's really bad. Quite a lot of academic rejects from other catchment zones got sent there back in the day.
        I know a few of them, they ended up getting good money doing manual labor jobs later on in life so it's not all doom and gloom.

  • Chadstone VIC

    First problem

    • +7

      lack of parking?

  • Enrolling a 2yr old? You mean in daycare?

    • 3 yo kinder…

  • My kid is almost double the age of yours and still not in school. Don’t care what others think, not good for the mental health.

    • +7

      not good for the mental health.

      Learning by playing with other kids is not good for mental health???

      • Pretty sure cloudy is referring to the parents mental health. You know, stress less and all.

  • -1

    2 Year Old Not Enrolled into a School. Too Late?

    First understand yourself: Do you succumb to peer pressure (especially uninformed ones) readily?

    Then do some research - e.g. ages kids play to/start learning in different countries; important considerations for their development

    Then go from there.

    • Then do some research - e.g. ages kids play to/start learning in different countries

      At what age do you believe that kids should start to play with other kids???

      • Asap if they want to. Good opportunity for parents to teach them about sharing/taking turns vs mine, mine, mine, bitting, whacking, etc.

        Other kids include brothers and sisters.

      • There's different types of play. Initial play with other children is parallel play (playing separately next to each other).
        Kids develop differently but generally are still doing parallel play at age 5

        • My kids started off by playing in serial (play one behind the other) before they moved onto parallel play… Realising it was much faster…

          • @jv: LoL - a shocking joke there :)

  • +10

    Many public schools in VIC are zoned to the area you live in. Further, schools HAVE to provide a spot to you if you live there so there's no concern about that. Now if you wanted to get your child enrolled in an elite private school, then you'd be having issues right now but public schooling? No issues!

    • this comment is best.

    • +1

      Yeah, break out the tiny violins for the worried well. File it alongside "Oh No The Injustice I Must Pay For My Own Supermarket Plastic Bags Now".

      I'd save the concern (and all the government funding that currently goes to their voter base's private schools & wealthy tax breaks) for the council childcares which are usually much much better than the private ones (particularly for babies and toddlers) and often have huge waiting lists particularly in urbanised areas.

      Furthermore, private schools receive SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT (yes, 75%) of ALL GOVERNMENT FUNDING ON SCHOOLS IN AUSTRALIA. That's only 25% spent on state schools. Personally, I find that absolutely disgusting and only justifiable with an ideology that believes in actively upholding their own class entrenchment.

      Only Mexico, Columbia and Turkey spend more of their proportional budget on schools on private schools amongst OECD nations.

      65% of Australian children go to state schools, but receive 25% of the funding. The on-average wealthiest 35% receive 75% of the government funding. Probably much of the same ones who think it's socialism that people struggling to find work should get a liveable allowance (the dole here was until recently lowest in the OECD, now second lowest behind Greece).

      Study after study shows that money matters most in education amongst disadvantaged communities. For the affluent, there is not much difference in educational outcome between different spending levels. (However, snobbery means your private school resume is most likely to land you the job that keeps your class position.)

      This information was brought to you by the most basic of web searches.

  • Might be too old for some private schools definitely not public.
    I know someone who was enrolled in private school before they were even born.

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