School is back in session after “summer break” here. Remember the seasons are reversed, so it’s hot at Christmas for them. Interestingly enough, you can get a certificate at the 10th grade, or if you’re going to go on to college you go to the 12th grade and get a diploma much like we’re used to. Most everyone sees a diploma as the minimum for any type of job any more.
All school kids, whether public or private, wear uniforms. Not just that they have one of a set list of colors of polo shirts and a choice of pants – they wear skirt, long or short pants and a shirt or blouse, some with a necktie and some with a hat. Not much variation there. High School students do get to help in the design of their uniforms, though, so some are pretty sporty, being put out by companies that make surf-wear and board shorts. Who says cross-marketing won’t work?
Uniforms aren’t mandated on “sport day”. Every high school student takes a “sport” of some type. This can be pretty broad in that it generally means an “activity”. In some locations, that can be grape growing and wine making. Here, surfing is offered as a class.
When you graduate high school, you get a ranking between 1 and 100. This determines which schools will let you in, the higher the number generally the better the school. Australian citizens who want to go to college can get HECS student loans. They seem to work much like loans in the US.
