Preschool

[AutumnLane]

So I'm sending my 3 1/2 year-old off to her first year of preschool on Monday. (My eyes are currently filling with tears). she will be going three days a week only in the morning. Costing about $200 a month. I was wondering if you could tell me what age did your child start preschool? How many times a week? How long throughout the day? I live in America.... the north east. Thought it would be neat to compare the differences.

[franklymydear]

My 2.5 year old just started going to "school." She goes twice a week, for two half days while I work. It's $70 a week for the two days, so $280 a month. She likes it, and I think it's good for her. But I'm probably going to look for a cheaper option. I'm in Florida.

[Emcee]

So I'm sending my 3 1/2 year-old off to her first year of preschool on Monday. (My eyes are currently filling with tears). she will be going three days a week only in the morning. Costing about $200 a month. I was wondering if you could tell me what age did your child start preschool? How many times a week? How long throughout the day? I live in America.... the north east. Thought it would be neat to compare the differences.

Im in Oregon, and my son also starts preschool on Monday. He's 3 and a half years old, as well. We are paying $175 a month, and he'll be going Monday through Thursdays from 11:30 to 3:30 (only because they didn't have any morning spots left).
I'm so nervous for him, but Monday we will get to stay all day with him.

[scarlett_tyler]

Because I can't afford the costs of childcare, I get it for free for my three year old son. He's three years old and goes 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, 9 in the morning until 12 in the afternoon. They start preschool at around two / three years old here in the UK, but some parents do choose to pay for education, if they are working or whatever else. :]

[Medic]

Is preschool the same as like kindergarten? Where I live in Canada (fairly small town) it goes Juniours kindergarten. Senior kindergarten then grade 1 etc.


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[AutumnLane]

Thanks for all the replies ladies.

Here in the States basically it works like this.... Preschool starts anywhere from ages 2 to 4. Depending on where you live or parents preference. At age 5 they start pre-K "pre-kindergarten". At age 6 they usually start in public school (kindergarten) or private if parents prefer & pay the cost. Where I live everything was recently changed from half day kindergarten to now full day kindergarten. As a child I only went for a half-day. Most public schools in America are k-12.

I hope that made sense lol

[briannaspeaks]

Is preschool the same as like kindergarten? Where I live in Canada (fairly small town) it goes Juniours kindergarten. Senior kindergarten then grade 1 etc.


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In most of the U.S. we have mandatory k-12. Your senior kindergarten is our regular kindergarten (which starts at roughly 5 years old). We also have pre-k or sometimes called pre kindergarten. Pre k however is not required, at least in most places and it starts at roughly 4 years old.

Preschool is before our pre kindergarten and kindergarten, it's usually for children 2-4 years old.

[Medic]

Okay I think I understand. JR kindergarten starts when your child is four or will be turning four before the calender year is over and then it goes SR kindergarten grade 1 -12 then the option of a fifth year in high school ( grade 13 ) if you need higher marks or failed classes. You can take a fifth year if you graduated already or if you haven't graduated,
Pretty sure JR kindergarten at age 3-4 is mandatory could be wrong so don't quote me. It's just what everyone does here. Never heard of preschool around here but I'm in a small town we don't have middle school either in my town.
Does the mandatory school like public school cost you guys money every month like preschool does?


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[AutumnLane]

Public-school is free BUT if you own a home you pay school taxes which vary from school district to school district.

[Medic]

Yeah same as here then. Cool I love learning about new things


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[blackbetty]

Even if you don't own your home you pay school taxes. You just never see them because they're passed on to you by the landlord as part of the rent.

[Travelmom]

I pay about $250 a month for 5 days a week regular school hours. It is really reasonable here.

[thegooseiscooked]

My kids went to 3 year older kindergarten, my son was only just 3 when he started and my daughter was 3 1/2. The school year here begins in late January/ early February.

From memory, my son went for one morning and one afternoon per week and each session went for 2 1/2 hours. By the time my daughter started, the kinder had had so many requests for increased hours so I think she went 2 days a week from 9 to 1.

The following year they went to 4 year old kindergarten. This was 3 days a week from 9 to 2.

It cost roughly $400 per term for both years so $1600 a year.

The first year of proper school is called Prep here in Victoria (it's a different system from the rest of Australia) and they build up slowly to attend 5 days per week 9 to 3.30. Grade 1 is actually the second year. In public schools you are asked to make a voluntary contribution of around $300 per child per year. It's called a "voluntary" contribution but you pretty much have to pay it. This covers the cost of specialist teachers such as Art, sport, music and language. If you don't pay the contribution, your child is excluded from those classes. You are also required to pay for your child's stationery, books and printing costs and uniform. Public school probably ends up costing $1000 a year per child. My kids go to private school, that ranges from roughly $10,000 for lower primary years to $25,000 to $30,000 for senior school.

Religious education varies from school to school. Very basic classes are offered at public school and are optional. My son's school has compulsory religion classes plus a chapel service twice a week. My daughter's school is non-denominational and doesn't offer religion at all although she can do it at my son's school (they're next door to each other) if she chooses to later.

[FLOSSY77]

I will never complain of school fees after reading what goose pays for private. Mine started around 3 twice a week at a church. Now they are in middle and Highshool. They give them Macbooks, $100 deposit plus a million other school fees, lockers, PE clothes .ext. We moved to get them in these public schools. Really good nice schools.They wear uniforms. Goose we start in August and end in May.

[thegooseiscooked]

Australia is ridiculously expensive. It's become a bit of a joke. The only people who can afford anything are the Chinese. They're buying up Melbourne. Shop windows and street signs are starting to be printed in Chinese with English translations. Soon the English translations will stop. I have no problem with Chinese people, just don't like being a minority in the city where I was born.

Desperately want to move to London. Not that it's much better there. They have loads of problems. But at least it's not the ass end of the world, as Ava Gardner once famously described Melbourne.

Off topic again, Goose! Slaps own wrist.

[thegooseiscooked]

I will never complain of school fees after reading what goose pays for private. Mine started around 3 twice a week at a church. Now they are in middle and Highshool. They give them Macbooks, $100 deposit plus a million other school fees, lockers, PE clothes .ext. We moved to get them in these public schools. Really good nice schools.They wear uniforms. Goose we start in August and end in May.

That's per year too, floss, not total.

[FLOSSY77]

Oh, I got it. Wow.Luckily we have good public schools. Like I said, my complaints of a few hundred are over. My husband grew up going to private Catholic school. We didn't like the ones in our area. But they were half that. Wow.

[thegooseiscooked]

Yeah, public schools are crap here.

[FLOSSY77]

Why are the Chinese invading? I don't care if that sounds bad. What is going on?

[thegooseiscooked]

Chinese government is encouraging people to move to Australia. Gives people interest free loans to do so. They can outbid Australians on every property. They're doing it suburb by suburb. Paying $2 million for a $500,000 property. Who can compete?

Some properties are not even advertised in Australia. They go straight to the Chinese market.