boom_meringue

We applied pre july so have waited a long time for our visas to come through. From starting to get the information together it has taken us nearly 3 years to get our visas granted, in that time we have had alot of second thoughts mainly about finding jobs and finances.

I think waiting longer for our visas has made us more sure that this is what we want for the future.

NKSK

My own feelings about this are a little different.

I think that in the UK we have become obsessed with 'performance' at primary schools - to such an extent that the joy of learning has to a considerable extent been removed. The Australians have a much more relaxed approach (as do most of the Scandinavian countries and Germany) to primary education and yet there is little evidence to suggest that attainment in Australia is any lower.

OECD figures (freely available on the web) place Australian kids - if memory serves - 4th and 5th in the world (ahead of Britain) for Maths and English and 7th (below Britain) for Science.

There is also the feeling that many teachers have, that a year or two travelling or living in another part of the world more than makes up for any drop in 'progress' through the National Curriculum (you may gather that I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to measuring 'performance' through SATS!! I'd much rather have a child engaged in learning through wonderment than a child who has jumped through a politicallly inspired SATS hoop!)

Jamesy

Just returning to this site we were granted our visas in Oct 03 and still havent made the move but i find your messages uplifting

sackofspuds

Sorry, but I don't think the UK has it right in terms of primary education; I think the Australian schools look excellent. The problem for me is that my kids are both summer babies and therefore the youngest in their classes.

For us, going for a year or two on the basis of coming back if things didn't work out, would be very difficult because the kids might be "behind" their UK counterparts and would find it hard to catch up. If not "behind", they would be out of sync.

Yes, I am none too keen on all these SATS tests, but I get the impression that previously it was easier for kids just to fall through the cracks as it were.

NKSK

Other than my own kids' experience, I don't have any real insight into this but doesn't the 'being behind' bit assume a linear route through school - i.e. knowledge and understanding of one block building on the one below?

I know this may seem obvious but I'm not sure that, apart from maths (and even then I'm not convinced) many subjects aren't 'topic' based. (In the classic sense - "we're now going to look at the Romans." "Now we're going to look at The Skeleton" etc etc). In which case 'being behind' won't be as much of an issue as you at first think.

If you find out that Australia is not working out, assuming you've got enough notice, couldn't you find out which 'key areas' they've missed and either teach it to them yourself or get a private tutor to make up the difference? I doubt it would take long.

Please don't take this reply the wrong way - if it really is a problem for you then it will be a problem for all of us. I'm just trying to solve the problem!

sackofspuds

Yes, you have a point there. There are some excellent text books around that would help with this; the CGP series.

I have no direct experience of this, but an Australian friend came here a few years ago (no jobs in Oz ) and brought his teenage daughters with him. They were 16 and 17 I believe. The eldest wasn't able to keep up, despite having done well in Oz. This is all very anecdotal, I know. Personally, I would really try to avoid moving chidren of that age. I feel they need some consistency after 14.

The plain truth is, though, that we'd not intend returning at all.

NKSK

I agree with the consistency after 14.

About to enter a minefield but in spite of the perceived dumbing down of A-levels (I'll not give my own opinion on this!), they remain in my opinion, one of the toughest exams in the world for students of that age (16-19). Certainly, Australian teachers that I've met who have taught A levels have been surprised by the rigour of the course - so I'm not surprised that a wholly Australian educated 17 year old would find the course difficult (having said that UK students are often gobsmacked by the difference between GCSE and A level).
Australian students tend to 'catch up' whilst at university.
Good luck with your decision making - I've followed your posts and completely understand your apprehension.

SMC

Hi

With us hopefully wouldn,t be too much of a problen as kids 10 & 8. I also understand all the concerns about the education side of things and also agree with route that the education system here is taking.
Surely if we are all going through the 'move' (eventually) then we shouldn't look at it as a couple of years as at the back of our minds there be that little voice say "never mind we can go home in 2 years". If you think this is it we have to make it, will you will find youself putting more in to it?? This is the way I intend to approach the situation when it arrives.

Simon

NKSK

I think this depends on the type of person you are.

Having gone through the whole process, there's no way that I'm not going to have a great shot at it. I believe it will work out but.....you always need a Plan B.

I can't understand people who put all this effort into securing the visa and then don't put 100% into making it work once they arrive. Our Plan B will only come into action if the whole thing goes belly up.

sackofspuds

Yup, that's why I said, "The plain truth is, though, that we'd not intend returning at all".

Things would have to be pretty bad for us to return. We're in Berkshire now but have no family here. Closest UK family are my wife's in Cardiff. My mum and stepfather are in Adelaide. It would be pretty awkward to return.

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A 12 year old friend of the family had a geography text book that looked pretty tough to be - even like GCSE standard. I was actually impressed at the breadth and depth of the content.

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