This posting is specially dedicated to kenkawan yang tengah plan nak ambik spouse program. The objective is not to discourage your effort BUT just to tell the "reality" of life. My writing will only applicable to sesapa with the following criteria:
1) planning to study at WA.
2) As mentioned earlier your hubby/wife pun buat PhD gak.
3) ada anak yang dah masuk high school (sekolah menengah).
4) ada anak yang belum layak untuk register for kindy @ government school (kena stay kat childcare).
Point to remember is when you are accepted in the spouse program , you will only get $400+ permonth. No other allowances (of course your tution fees will be paid by your sponsor). Alhamdulillah...eventhough the amount is small; amatlah membantu eg bole cover your travelling cost ke university..
Cuma , lets talk about reality ..kalau nak datang WA.
1) Cost umah kat WA adalah PALING MAHAL compare to other states in Australia. Current scenario dah berubah. Why? During recession last time , ramai moved to this side of the country(WA ni kan luas and ada industries and also lombong..) jadi you all mesti paham hukum demand & supply kan..
2) Umah plak kat sini very strict- bil bilik kena ikut bil anak..contohnya like myself I got 3 children, so umah paling korok pun must have 3 bedrooms. Harga paling murah is around $350-$400 PERWEEK!.
3) Nak dapat umah ,mesti apply thro estate agents. They really evaluate your financial ability. my experience 2 weeks baru dapat umah, itu pun minta university (international office) keluarkan surat to support our application. Luckily, tuan umah ni Malaysian. Dia simpati ngan kami yang dah 2 weeks blum layak dapat umah. Maaf cakap kat sini, kita punya financial afidavit masih belum meet estate agent punya minimum financial requirement to get a house here!!
4) Now kita citer bab University plak...most of us akan ending up ngan University yang ranking bagus (requirement of the sponsor and good for us too). But on the other side of it, university ni located at the city centre / elite area. Eg kat sini kalau pegi UWA...tak yah mimpi le org yang beranak 3 nak dapat duduk umah near University. So , alternatively you will end up cari umah yang jauh dari uni BUT ada plak travelling cost.
Like my self, I bukan student UWA, but my campus kat tengah bandar Perth. Jadi jgn mimpilah I berkemampuan nak stay kat ngan campus. Nak cari umah jauh sgt dari city pun payah gak coz travelling cost bole tahan beb!
5) Kalau dah dua dua study, anak yang lum layak masuk kindy@ govt school nak kena hantar childcare. Cost childcare AMATlah menyeksakan jiwa dan raga. Here, childcare yang university provide adalah yang PALING MAHAL (sebab they have better facilities and more trained staff- untuk jaga reputation University), jadi alternatively kena hantar kat private childcare (cam nursery kat Msia). Kononnya this is the BEST alternative for you BUT the cheapest is $80 PER DAY. Kat WA, sesapa yang holding student visa tak entitle to any reduction on this fees (Centrelink reduction). Jadi , you need to use you own pocket money to pay .
6) Kalau plak your child dah layak masuk high school (umur 13 thn ke atas le)...haaaa...fees kat highschool pun mencabar minda. We are talking about government school ye (the cheapest school). Yearly you kena bayar $400+ . Kalau you ada 2 org kat highschool...bila buka sekolah ...pensan!!!
Conclusionnya, kalau kenkawan yang ada ciri ciri mcm yang I citer kat atas tu...pikior lebih sikit le untuk datang ke WA. May be bole pikir pikir pegi ke other side of Australia or other country.
Kepada semua yang membaca, semua yang ditulis adalah my own experience..tidak ada niat lain selain dari memberi maklumat secara telus kepada kenkawan yang dalam dilema. The best part, kami (not many here) yang memegang spouse program ni, so far mencuba sedaya upaya untuk menghabiskan PhD dgn jayanya. May be tekanan hidup , membuat kami lebih kuat!! heeeee...
p/s: mamacrocs- sempena 26 june 2010- title kat atas tu pun ala ala dalam court...heee
