Many parents wish to give their child in early age the opportunity to attend a language course in an English-speaking country. This may help the child improve their pronunciation skills. However, the early age is an important period when the value is learned and the personality is formed; a young child needs special attention and care from the parent(s). Therefore, a primary school student should be accompanied by a parent who could talk, help and support him/her.

On the other hand, if a student comes in Year 10 or later, it would be difficult to prepare the university entrance while their English skills still need to be improved. In some cases, a student joins a class in the Year lower than his/her equivalent, so that they could have time to focus on their English skills. Teenagers often disobey to the parent(s) or guardian(s). They also need special attention and care. A student with behavior issue or self-management problem could be tempted to the worse in Australia; special and customized care should be taken, for example, the student could apply for a boarding school.

Most popular questions asked by parents include: ‘Which school is the most prestige school?’ or ‘Does this school have high university entrance rate?’ However, these questions can be inappropriate in many cases.
If a student's English skill is excellent and he/she is ready to prepare the university entrance right away, then finding a prestige school with high university entrance rate may be a good idea.
However, if a student is required to enroll in a language course first and he/she needs special attention and care as well, the followings should be considered carefully before choosing a school.
beginner level students:
Small sized school where the staff could pay more attention to international students. Like ESL, where a student can focus on improving their English skills.

Outgoing students: A country side, more than one hour distance from Melbourne will be a great place. Avoid the inner city areas where there are many other students from the same country. Let the student make Australian friends instead.

In the first or second year of arrival:
Put the student’s name in a waiting list of a prestige school and enroll in a public school or a semi-private school (with less expensive tuition fees) meanwhile. It is recommended to improve English skills first and transfer into a private school or a prestige school later. In the early years, regardless of the school, most students are not completely ready; tutoring could be an option to help international students effectively.

Australian schools have 4 terms in a year; they accept students every term, however, the end of January and July could be a wise choice in many aspects. If a student is required to complete a 20 weeks of language course, it is recommended to come to Australia at least 6 months prior to the intake date of the school of interest.

Many parents give their child too much allowance. Parents might think they know their child the most, but sometimes it could be the least. Having a trustworthy guardian or close relatives is very important. It is often better to give extra money for the homestay provider and make sure they take good care of the child, than giving the money directly to the child. Letting the homestay mother give the allowance to the child could be a good way of supervision as well.

Too much is as bad as too little.