Government co-ed, both primary and secondary. This has always been what I wanted, and my wishes would not change if I won lotto.

We're not religious, so no religious education for us. Ruth does quiet reading when they have RE at school. I can't understand why they are allowed to have RE in Government schools, and I suspect it may be unconstitutional or something. I'm sure I read somewhere about a right to secular education meaning no RE, but all the primary schools seem to have it. Few of the locals here are from Christian cultures anyway, but they try to get around it by saying its to help understand the local culture. It's not my local culture, and I don't see them teaching
Aboriginal, Islamic, Hindu, Tao, Jewish or any other culture. If they teach one they should have to teach them all!! (in government schools) (Grrr)

Co-ed I like because I think genders need to learn to be around each other, seems more natural etc. I've heard that girls do better in single sex schools, but they won't have that advantage when they leave, and I too would want siblings to attend the same school.

Government schools for a few reasons. I like the idea of free and equal education for all and want to be part of it. Also, when I was school age, the private school kids I met (some of them my boyfriends) were 'snobby'. Another reason is that I've heard that although kids from private schools get good VCE results & get into uni, it's not always so easy for them when they do get to uni and have to fend for themselves. Private schools have been known to nudge kids out it it looks like they're not going to make their stats look good.

Having said that, I did go to a lot of trouble to make sure eldest would be going to the best government school available to us, and we moved into the zone 1 1/2 years ago especially.

Happy to say she started high school this year and we're very happy with our choice. Her father (ex husband #1) says he's "not racist but there are too many Asians there" Easy to see why I divorced him. The kids' friends are Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian.........from what I can see mostly lovely hardworking conscientious kids from lovely hardworking conscientious families - a good environment for studying in. And the advantage of being familiar and comfortable with the reality of our multicultural society.

Of course your choices can be restricted by where you live. I had a friend who lived in the country & chose the catholic school because the government one was a shocker! And you can get wonderful and awful teachers whereever you go. Good teachers are undervalued and absolutely the backbone of the country, like good nurses.

Must....stop.....talking............now.

edited to say we moved here 1 1/2 yrs ago