Back to school headaches...
First off, I want to say that so far I'm very impressed with the Australian primary education system - honest I am. Classes are so well staffed that last year I gave up asking the names of all the different classroom assistants I encountered after a while, settling instead for a nod and smile. And the 11-year-old girl (AKA 'the tweenager') - following a series of interviews and auditions last year - has been offered a place in a high-school dedicated to the Arts for 2014. This is very good news considering the fact that many people send their children to private schools for their secondary education, and the school in question is not just of good repute, but also free. Winning! Teachers here are well-paid and well-accommodated as far as I can tell (many work part time, sharing classes with other teachers for one or two days a week), and mercifully - apart from a brief mention in the school creed - they generally keep God out of the classroom. Like anywhere, the stand...