QUOTE(Gnappster @ Nov 11 2006, 02:47 AM)
I know one asked but in Canada, there is Kindergarten through Grade 8 which is elementary and Grades 9-12 are highschool. Some provinces have junior high.
Do a lot of kids opt out of Grade 11 and 12 in Australia. Technically you can quit school after grade 10 here but most people don't anymore.
Probably 15-20 years ago very few people stayed on to years 11 and 12, only those desperate to go to university (which is nowhere near as big a deal here as it seems to be in the states).
In the last 5-10 years the majority stay on even if they have no desire to further their education. The only ones to really drop pout at the end of year 10 are those starting trade apprenticeships (carpenter, plumber etc) so they can start learning their chosen trade!
I stayed on until year 12 because the parties were fuckng ace and I had no idea what I wanted to do for a living (I still dont I guess)
QUOTE(closeup @ Nov 11 2006, 08:24 AM)
With spending your whole school career in only two school there must be really strong cliques. They same groups hanging together for years. They must seperate the kids for sports, you can't have a 5 year old playing against an 11 year old, just because they're from the same school and play the same sport. How's that work?
Yeah you are right. Groups form and stay pretty solid throughout your school life but it is still amazing at how when school finishes, you basically dont see 80% of those people again. The GANG culture isn't really here in Aus like it seems to be in the USA but there are exceptions.
Sports are competed at age level. I played Rugby league throughout school and played under 14s, then 15's, then 16's etc