Mercer Voluntary: Fill & Download for Free

My view is that, more to the point (and with no disrespect, this is a particular problem in the USA, though the UK and other countries are by no means blameless) we should remove the NECESSITY of tipping for the waiting staff to be able to put food on their own table and pay their bills. They should be paid a decent wage in the first place. That said, I wouldn’t oppose the voluntary giving of a little extra for someone who went the extra mile.

Q. I got a job in Australia. Is child education free in Australia?A. Education and studying in Australia: an overviewWhat will it cost?Government/public/state schoolsPrimary school fees: AU$70 - AU$300 per year (voluntary)High school fees: AU$250 - AU$800 per year (voluntary)Variety of open, sports, performing arts, languages or academically selective schoolsMainly coeducational, some single sexGovernment schools are run by their respective state or territory government. They technically offer free education; however, schools do ask parents to pay a voluntary contribution fee, plus school camps, excursions and extracurricular activities require additional (voluntary) funding.Government high schools can be either open or selective. Open government schools accept all students from their defined catchments or feeder areas. Selective government schools have wider accepted catchment areas and are considered more prestigious than open schools. They only offer placements to the top performers in the Selective High Schools Test undertaken by students during Year 6.These schools are intended to provide a more academically stimulating and educationally enriched environment for students who have been offered a placement. Likewise sport, performing art or language high schools offer an enhanced learning environment within these categories.Catholic schoolsPrimary school fees: AU$2000 to AU$3000 per yearHigh school fees: AU$3000 to AU$6000 per yearMainly single sex, some coeducationalDaily mass is conducted and religion taught as a subject; however, Catholicism is not the main focus, hence students of other religions also attend these schoolsThe Catholic school system receives substantial funding from the federal government as Catholic schools are considered to be a vital education system outside the public sector. Fees are compulsory, with school camps, excursions and extracurricular activities as an additional cost. The higher fees generally afford these schools a higher standard of school and sporting facilities than most government schools.A Catholic school is a good choice if you are unable to afford a private school education but would like to see your child offered more choices than what some open government schools can offer. However, do research on the schools local to the area in which you are moving to as some public schools have great reputations.Private schoolsPrimary school fees: AU$2000 to AU$2500 per yearHigh school fees: AU$12,000 and AU$20,000 per yearMainly single sex, some coeducationalPrivate schools also receive government funding; however, fees charged are much higher than those charged to attend government or Catholic schools. As a result, private schools enjoy a prestigious reputation with academic results, school grounds and facilities, sporting and extra-curricular activity options considered to be amongst the best in the country.Private schools are competitively priced when compared to schools in Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. A William M. Mercer survey of tuition fees charged by secondary schools found that Sydney schools were less than one third the cost of equivalent London and Tokyo schools, and more than 60% cheaper than New York schools.Boarding schoolsBoarding and education fees: AU$30,000 to AU$40,000 per yearMix of international, rural and interstate studentsSingle sexThere are approximately 170 boarding schools around Australia, which are mainly private schools. Boarding schools in Australia can be termed semi-boarding schools in the way they are part day school and part boarding school. These schools take in day students as well as full time boarders, and in some cases semi-boarders who go home on the weekends.

Okay, I don’t normally do this kind of heart-spilling on Internet sites, it’s not the way I’m made. But I want to say thank you to Terry. He is my boss, but he has become my best mate - it’s platonic, but it’s special.When he first met me I had had a spell of homelessness and sleeping rough. A lot of it my own fault, some of it bad luck, some of it a series of sad events - and to anyone who says it can’t happen to them, believe me, it can.So there I was, housed, at least (except there’s no “at least” about it - you only realise the value of a roof over your head if you’ve had a spell without one) in temporary accommodation and on benefit. I’ll be frank here. I only originally started, in a voluntary capacity, for the charity I now work for, because they got off your back at the Job Centre if you did voluntary work. I was defensive, apathetic, had absolutely no self-confidence.But Terry, the manager, saw something in me. He took me on. He became my mentor and my dear friend. The term “surrogate dad” is a cliche but there’s more than a bit of truth in it. He believed in me. Thank you, Terry!We are now five years down the line. I still have my issues. I still over-think things and put things off and tend to give up too easily. But oh, the progress I have made! He never judged me, but didn’t hesitate to tell me what he was thinking even if I didn’t always want to hear it - but it ended up with a laugh and a hug and me feeling better. Thank you, Terry.At the moment he is seriously ill and I am worried sick. But the Charity Hub that he had built up and cherished for many years is allowed to open this lockdown - it wasn’t last time. And people need us. And somehow I am able to find the strength and motivation to keep going. Thank you, Terry!Please send him your thoughts and, if you’re a person of faith, your prayers. Thank you all!