The AASA International Seminar has taken us down under this year. We are visiting one of the top ranked independent schools in Australia, the 130 years old Abbotsleigh Girls School in Sydney. On two campuses, the school offers a pre-school to 12th grade program for students that can afford the $18,000 to $30,000 tuition, depending on grade level. Headmistress Judith Poole harkens from Southern New Jersey and has been in Australia since 1988.
The Junior School (elementary) campus accommodates 600 students while the senior campus holds 900 students. The school also offers boarding to over 200 students at both levels for some $45,000 per year.
For those that continue to say that money doesn’t matter—wrong!
The students at Abbotsleigh are receiving the best education that money can buy. An outstanding staff, teachers receive a starting salary of $80,000 per year and provide the quality education that we could only wish all kids would receive.
The former Prime Minister is an alumnus as are many other notable Australian women.
By the way, in Australia all schools receive federal aid regardless of whether they are government schools or not. Abbotsleigh receives $4,500 per pupil from the state of New South Wales.
Dan Domenech, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is blogging throughout the AASA People to People delegation, which is now in Sydney, Australia.
