Tasmania secondary schools

[Blackbird2020]

We are considering a move to Tasmania, possibly in the next 12 months, and are currently researching schools for our 10 year old DS.

We are trying to find a school that teaches German (DS can speak German and we'd like him to continue) and so far have only come up with Launceston Church Grammar and The Friends' School. The Calvin Christian School also teaches German but seems too religious for us.

Can anyone give their opinion on either of these schools? Unfortunately I can't find any TAS parent forums online that might give me a little more insight.

Thanks in advance!

This is the - not very well know outside of Australia - most popular forum forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/80
You should try to ask the question and hopefully someone will come forward.

We are a French expat family in Sydney. Our previous postings have been on other European countries and like you, I was keen in continuing exposing the children to the languages they have learnt. I visited a couple of school on my discovery visit, even so called bilingual school and the level was ridiculous, so in the end, we opted for the normal school and my kids went for a while a the community language schools on Saturday until it interfered too much with their sports and activities. Sadly they do not exist in TAS www.communitylanguagesaustralia.org.au
They did those languages at school but were/are with such beginners that they have been accelerated in their studies but still, their classmates are learning the name of food etc... They we the level is low low low. Only when you reach the "extension " for HSC does it become worth it.

I started teaching French in a primary school and slowly have abandoned it in favour of Ethics. You don't really teach the language, more "situations", the greetings, the "school" description, the hobbies and so on. No structure, a big NO on grammar, it is more conversational.

IF one of you speaks German as well, the best option is to be the one speaking German with him constantly. That's what we ended uo doing and selecting Netflix shows which offer the option of other languages.

Sydney has a German school... if Sydney can be an option or contact the Goethe institute. www.goethe.de/ins/au/en/spr/unt/ber.html

Select the school you like, not the one that offers German. As a secular French I was shocked by the level of religiosity in schools here ( and single sex!!! and religious single sex schools!!)

Thanks for all the information, I’ll have a look at the Whirlpool forum.

DH is a German/Aussie dual national and I’m British. We’re thinking of moving to Tasmania to be closer to DH’s family (they live in Queensland - too hot for us!). DS has been in the German system since kindergarten, so although I know we won’t be able to find any German schools in Tasmania I was hoping he could benefit academically from his fluency in German (much as he does here with his English classes in Germany). I have to admit it doesn’t look very promising, especially after reading your post! Maybe he could take German as an additional exam in his senior years, without formal study in school. Hmmm... much food for thought.

I have just worked my way through the list of private schools in Tasmania and almost every single one has religion as the centrepiece of their educational ethos I didn’t expect that at all! I thought maybe 50/50... I am curious to understand how these strong religious themes might also affect student accessibility to LGBTQ topics, for example?

I haven’t yet looked at state schools, mainly because I was searching for German language classes, but I’d appreciate it if anyone has any recommendations!

The LGBTQ reference is quite right. Our previous posting was Barcelona where same sex couples walk in the street holding hands or even kissing. Here I haven't seen a single couple and during the referendum campaign for the same sex marriage I couldn't believe the crap on the radio. If left like the 1950s.

I am on the Northern beaches and one of the first question asked by mums at new school was : "where do you go to church" and one day I was greeted by another with " have you felt the love of Jesus today " in a freaking public primary state school! This is specific to the Northern Beaches and wouldn;t happen in Bondi I think.

We have lived in several countries including Italy (which has the Pope living there in his tiny Vatican enclave) and Spain (with a Saint being carried in the streets every week) but nowhere is religion as prevalent as here. It was a shock to me. They even start every single parliament session with the Lord's Prayer!!

So you don't have family or friends in Tasmania? What are you going to do all day? Count sheep? Melbourne is cooler and I have to say, Sydney is not as hot as you might think , see picture of my weather app for today.
I only remove my duvet for maybe 10 days a year, whereas I would sleep with a sheet in France, Italy and even Switzerland for the summer months.
Melbourne has a German school and so does Sydney in Terry Hills (in the northern beaches!) I would invite you to consider Melbourne for your own sanity and at least some multicultural exposure for your son. I have to say the Mona museum in Hobart is great and so is the Nature but how lonely.

Australian for a Parisian is alienating enough, the prospect of Tasmania without a reason to be there even more. Unless you are a very outdoor-y family who loves to hike ( in the rain) .
Be aware of the heating issues we have here with no boiler-radiator heating system but rely on air con and if you are lucky a gas bayonet for a Rinnai heater. Houses are freezing in Australia.
Where we are it gets to 6 degree in winter which isn't very cold on paper until you wake up at 5 in a freezing house and put a zillion clothes on while waiting for the aircon to heat the rooms (inefficiently ) .

Sorry for depressing post. I am grumpy this morning as I miss my friends and family. Normally we would be in Europe, but borders are shut even for leaving. Australia is so so far from everything and everyone

So you don't have family or friends in Tasmania? What are you going to do all day? Count sheep?

We are very much the outdoorsy type. The plan would be to buy a plot of land and build our own home, potentially off-grid. I'm hoping that a lot of the problems of living in a colder climate could be managed by building to our own specifications.

I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time of it right now. Christmas and New Year is a particularly hard time to be away from family and friends .

Good luck!

I'm originally from Sydney, but have friends/family in Melb, Adelaide and Western Australia and spent significant times all around the country. I personally have never been asked about religion/my church etc! Maybe there are certain areas this is more prevalent, or maybe school mums?

A cousin has just moved from Germany to Tasmania, although they dont have kids. They are finding their fairly new home (but remote) very cold and the lack of culture staggering. I would check the daily weather and averages, so you really know how cold and bleak some parts of Tassy can be. It can also be very insular, with people referring to 'holidays to the mainland' as the trip of a lifetime. The mainland, being Melbourne!

There are some stunning parts, but I too would worry about the lack of diversity and opportunities- for schooling and work. I too would consider Melbourne, but an outlying suburb or more rural town. Still cold weather in winter, skiing in the mountains, but far more options IMO.

The Adelaide hills and surrounds have several regions that were originally settled by Germans. I dont know to what extent this continues, but I recall Lutheron churches and several German themed stores. Some places to look up are the Barossa Valley and Hahndorf.

I loved Adelaide. It really felt like Europe, a small town in Germany or Scandinavia. Everyone going about on bikes or trams.

I should add that barossa is a large wine making region, and Hahndorf is very touristy, so these areas are likely more exensive than the average. Other than Melb/Sydney, I cannot think of anywhere else more rural that 'might' have a German school/classes available.

Living off the grid is a very romantic idea but often the reality is brutal.
Being a teenager living remotely might be hard.

Thanks for all the advice!

I’ll keep an open mind to other areas. As soon as the borders open we’ll be over for a long research trip