While the kids in the US are getting ready to enjoy a three-month summer vacation away from school, Aussie kids are in the midst of their winter school term. This is because Australia is in the southern hemisphere and when it's hot in the US, it's cold down under.
Australians go to school year-round from late January to mid-December before their seven-week summer break. While this is not much time off compared to the US, the Australian school system makes up for it by having numerous breaks throughout the year.
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| Students outside the Castle Cove Preparatory (primary) School |
The Aussie school year is divided into four ten-week terms. Each term is followed by a minimum of two to three weeks off. All schools shut down entirely then - even the administration offices are closed. These frequent breaks in instruction are called school holidays.
Supporters of year-round education allege students perform better with shorter breaks because they only have a little time to forget what they've learned. They also cite that pupils and teachers are re-energized after a break.
I'm writing this post in 2017, and the calendar below shows the regular school holidays for the current year. It highlights that there is a school holiday break for every season. In addition, schools are also closed for another 13 days each year for public holidays (e.g., Anzac Day, Queen's birthday, Boxing Day, etc.).
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ACT stands for the Australian Capital Territory
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Because school holidays occur frequently, Sydney parents plan their lives around them. And why not? One of the parents may have to take off work to be home with the children.
Most Aussies have passports and take family vacations abroad during school breaks. My grandson, Jethro, got his first passport when he was approximately three months old. Australian airlines consider these days away from school peak travel times and increase their fares by as much as 25%.
My son-in-law's mother is an English tutor, and I often hear her planning trips around school holidays. I hadn't thought much about them because they really didn't affect me until the autumn break interrupted my daily routine.
On the Tuesday before Easter break, a fellow parishioner and friend at my weekly Bible study told me the study would stop for three weeks during the school holidays so mothers could be home.
Everyone in Australia must adjust their schedules to accompany school days off.
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| Sign outside of Jethro's school (daycare) |
Jethro, attends Castlecrag Montessori School daycare.
I was stunned when my daughter told me that his school would also be closed for three weeks due to the upcoming school holiday.
Montessori Schools in Australia partner with public schools and, therefore, fall under the government school holiday schedule.
We didn't know this when we signed him up. We do now!
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| Jethro leaving school excited about his first school holiday. |
Finding childcare for recurring school holidays can be daunting for working parents, but there are solutions if they are willing to pay.
There are plenty of school holiday programs that offer kids a variety of activities, from sports to crafts to everything in between.
However, the average cost is $50 to $90 per day, depending on the program. When you add that up for two or three weeks, school breaks can exceed $900.00, or an arm and a leg.
Many Aussie adolescents attend pricey private schools. But even those who go the public route will have heavy out-of-pocket expenses, including school fees, computers, transportation, school excursions, sporting trips, and uniforms.
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| A student from Roseville Public School is carrying a school instrument. |
There are no yellow school buses in Sydney, so kids are driven by their parents daily or pay for public transportation, discounted for students in their compulsory school uniforms, which every child in Australia must wear.
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| These students are from Roseville College (high school), a leading nonselective Anglican day school for girls in Kindergarten to 12th grades. |
Uniforms can be purchased new or at exchange stores, where parents buy and sell secondhand school items. School uniforms include backpacks, button-down shirts, trousers and shorts, dresses or skirts, long socks, shoes, ties, and hats. They must also purchase uniforms for sports (gym clothes).
The classic Australian school uniforms, fashioned after those worn by British youth, were introduced in the early 19th and 20th centuries.
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Winter student uniform
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Over the years, the uniforms are reminiscent of an earlier time. have adapted to be more laid-back and suitable for the Aussie climate.
I love the uniforms and nothing is more stylish than a good hat!
It doesn't matter whether you go to a government school, faith-based or private. Broad-brimmed or legionnaires-style hats are an essential part of the uniform and must be worn outdoors to help decrease exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
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| Student from Chatswood Public School |
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| Kids outside at Castle Cove Preparatory (primary) school |
Most schools even enforce a 'no hat, no play, or play undercover' rule as part of their SunSmart policy all year round.
Sydney has a whopping 236 sunny days each year, with 2,592 hours of bright sun. By comparison, Phoenix, AZ, in the US, has 211 sunny days and 3,872 hours when the sun is glistening. Arizonans need to invest in hats!
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| School kids at the High Street markets. |
UV rays are powerful from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., school time. Australia once held the record for having the highest rate of skin cancers worldwide.
Now, New Zealand holds the title, and skin cancer for Aussies under 50 is on the decline, which is attributed to the many measures introduced at schools, childcare centers, the workplace, and government agencies to decrease exposure to UV radiation.
There is even a government ban on commercial tanning beds.
In the 1980s, a Slip, Slap, Slop campaign was introduced to Australians and New Zealanders, encouraging them to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat!
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| The year 12 students (seniors) above are from the Sydney Church of England Grammar School, known as "Shore" because of its location on the North Shore. Their hats are called "boaters." |
Putting on a uniform teaches kids to take pride in their appearance and school. And all Sydneysiders know which schools kids attend by their uniforms.
The boys pictured above are wearing their uniforms with distinction!
School shoes are purchased from specific stores and cost between $50.00 and $150.00. Although they are expensive, they are still cheaper than a new pair of Air Jordans.
At a glance, the shoes all look alike, but the styles vary. You can get away with buying a cheaper pair from any store just as long as they are black, closed, lace-up, and do not have a heel.
I can't tell the difference between the shoes worn by the boys and the girls, but something about them brings the entire uniform into order.
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| Boys waiting on the bus at the Chatswood Bus Interchange. |
Dressing uniformly levels the playing field. You won't have to worry about your outfit being associated with a gang or anyone stealing your shoes. Everyone looks alike!
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| Girls waiting on the bus at the Chatswood Bus Interchange. |
It's also hard to bully someone dressed like you. Which one of the students below would you want to pick a fight with?
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Parade of schools at Martin Place
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School uniforms make the students look disciplined, smarter, and innocent, even if they aren't. "When you look good, you feel good. Confidence with what you're wearing is very important. If you feel good, you will always perform your best without worrying about anything." (Maria Sharapova, the Russian athlete)
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| Picture of happy students. |
The next school holiday will be in July, and we've been thinking about what we will do with Jethro for two long weeks.
Luckily, we're in the southern hemisphere, where the winter temperatures are mild, and the beaches and parks are still inviting for some good old-fashioned school holiday fun!
Summer vacations in December . . .
Year-round school. . .
No hat, no play policy . . .
. . . I am NOT in Kansas.
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