Fam trip to Australia!

Hi, I'm Stephanie von Aswegen, Program Manager in the Cologne office for the High School Program. I  had the wonderful opportunity of going on a fam trip to Australia from March 21st to April 5th. The first week was organized by Education Queensland and I was on my own, visiting various schools on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast as well as schools near Brisbane. I was shown around by the lovely Education Queensland staff. The second week I spent in New South Wales. This was a tour organized by a group of agents from five countries. Here as well, I received a warm welcome and we were shown the most beautiful spots in and around Sydney.

Gold Coast

Townesville

Visiting the schools in person gave me a chance to see the setting, to get a feeling for the location, to see teachers in action, to find out what subjects are on offer and to see the many facilities. Students have a huge variety of subects they can choose from, be it academic subjects, vocational training, marine studies, art and drama, music, and above all sports. Most students think of the beach when they think of Australia. So, to really get us into the mode, the New South Wales staff booked us a lesson at a surf school on Bondi Beach. This was an unforgettable experience and it showed all of us who hadn´t done a workout for a while that this is indeed hard work!

What is most appealing for the students coming from Germany is the opportunity to find out what their talent is. I met one young man from Germany at a school in Queensland, who had joined the boy´s choir at his school and who told me that he didn´t know he could sing. He was always afraid to try, but in Australia he felt enoucraged to go for it. He has been enjoying singing in front of an audience which would have been daunting to him before. Others have discovered a talent for art, industrial design, textiles, hospitality, film making and theatre. The Australian school system aims not only to educate students, but to build personality. Students learn for life and the goal is to turn them into responsible young adults.

Music lesson at a High School

What impressed me also was the hospitality I encountered almost everywhere, as well as the relaxed, easy going way of dealing with things (I guess the good weather helps). This is definitely a worthwhile travel destination and spending 1,2,3 or 4 terms in Australia is a wonderful opportunity for the students to encounter many new things and to discover themselves.