In my travels overseas I am always interested to see local schools and I am often struck my the similarities and differences I observe to those back home.
As a lot of my blogland "friends" seem to be teachers or retired teachers I thought you might be interested to see what Primary schools are like in Queensland.
(
If you think you will be bored by this topic it's time to go off and visit another blog NOW ! )
..............................................................................................................
Our Primary school students begin school with Prep the year they turn 5 and most children are 12 when they finish primary school at the end of year 7.
Most Queensland schools are made from timber and the older ones are often what we call "high set" meaning the classrooms are often upstairs with empty space underneath which is used for eating lunch, shade and wet weather play.
In some more modern schools these areas have been utilised for classrooms.
The most recent design is for sprawling low set designs
modules, joined by covered walkways
often with flat rooves.
A very small number of older, usually inner city, schools look like this.
Inside I have observed classrooms look similar where ever you go,
with brightly coloured wall decoration and shelving, carpeted floors
and fans in place of heating. I'm very pleased to say that many schools now have air-conditioning.
I have very unpleasant memories of 36C temperatures and 28 hot eleven year olds crammed into their seats after lunch break. It doesn't matter how hot it is it seems children, boys especially, have to run around like lunatics in their playtime !!! ( sometimes the "perfume" from these hot bodies could knock you over when you enter a classroom !)
Furniture varies but is usually individual with a small storage drawer underneath each desk.
Outside is where the major differences become evident.
Our schools have large areas of outdoor, usually grassed, places to play.
These grassed areas usually comprise a large oval for football, cricket, softball, soccer
as well as all manner of athletic pursuits and treed areas for children to play all manner of games.
Trees are employed for shade
but shade covers are employed too.
Any sealed outdoor areas are used for all manner of purposes including basketball, netball and handball courts.
Some schools have their own swimming pool.
Lunch is usually brought from home and eating time is supervised in a shady area.
Every school has a "tuckshop" manned by mothers on a voluntary basis where children usually order from a menu and have their order delivered to their classroom in a paper bag. Tuckshops are often only open once or twice a week.
Most children wear school uniforms to school.
and they are designed to be comfortable in the hot weather.
There are usually several options to choose from with polo type shirts and shorts being the most popular choice for both boys and girls.
Teachers clothing is varied but usually fairly casual with more "dressy" options sometimes seen in city schools.
Hats are a very important part of school uniforms
with a " no hat, no play" rule usually in place in all schools.
Sunglasses are beginning to make an appearance too.
So there you have it, sort of in a nutshell. Hope I haven't bored you to tears.
Cheers.
PS. I know that there are issues with publishing photos of children on the internet but as all of today's photos are all from school sites on the internet I figure they are already out there.
