Damson

Do you think that the future for children seems better in Oz than in the UK. With the university tuition fees set to rise dramatically potentially £7000 per year and there being massive difficulty in school leavers/graduates finding jobs, it's hard to see a future for our kids here. Our dream of living a cushie life in Oz is now dead (in fact our dream per se looks dead), but given the crushingly bad forecasts for our future here, do you think it's wise to bail? Our kids are 6 and 9 so we are a way of looking for jobs etc being a problem, but this is being termed the "unlucky generation" which suggests that this isn't a 3/4 year problem.

NKSK version 2

An interesting question - looking forward to the responses.

Other things being equal, I think that it's rosier in Australia but for how long and for who I don't know.
University is also in a state of flux here - with huge expansion and limited funding.

Amazulu

That's a pretty pessimistic outlook. UK will sort itself out eventually - especially if they bite the bullet now with these cuts. Students are, generally, adults so I agree with them funding their own university education - it is not a right. The alternative is to find a job rather than going to university.

I think that Australia has great opportunities for children - others disagree. Only you can make your mind up.

Sandra

I think children are given a great start from their parents the majority of time and I do not mean money. The country is not the prime factor. Attitude willingness to learn and seeking opportunities not expecting them.

University here is tough too and if international funding falls off as some expect from the fewer international students, fee could increase. I do not think we have all ridden out the impacts of this financial world downturn.

I would agree with Amazulu you are possibly being a mite pessimistic and need to have another look at what opportunities there are around. Australia is most defintely not the total answer for everything and you will not be failing your kids in anyway if you do not migrate.

Damson

Sorry I'm trying to do thi on my bloody phone and it's all going wrong!


Thank you for your considered responses. I've been so involved in the whole emigration process that I've become pretty jaded
especially now it's very possible we may not go. I've been pretty nonchalent about the state of the UK economy as we haven't been affected
up until now, but within the space of one week we are losing £130 per month on child benefit and potentially we are going to have to find up to £14000 per year
(more by the time it's their turn) to send the kids to uni if that's what they choose to do.
I never went to uni (although hubbie did) so haven't considered it essential but the way things are competition is going to be so fierce for jobs that degees are going to be more important than ever. It's all so bloody sad, not to mention scary and it's jusr a nightmare deciding what to do. It's one thing making decisions about your own future let alone that of your kids isn't it

Nelly Trolley

Hi Damson

We have similar feelings to you and are heading to NZ with our children.

My view is that University will no longer be the norm in 5 - 10 years as many people will be priced out of this option and there will be a return to the way it was back in tohe 70's 80's perhaps where a much smaller percentage of young people go to Uni.

I don't agree with charging high fees and expecting young people to start out in their adult lives with debt of any kind and a society that encourages this will have major repurcussions in the future.

Do what your instinct tells you.

Our extended family don't want us to go but are actively encouraging us as they believe it will be a better life for all of us than it would be here in the UK.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

killerhales

Whilst I disagree with some of the Browne review of university funding, my understanding is that no-one will have to find money up front for fees, however high they are.

Your kids would incur a debt which they would only have to pay back once they start earning a significant salary. Any debt remaining after a certain number of years (30?) is written off.

Whilst the concept of "debt" could put people off, it is not like a normal debt which HAS to be paid regardless, you only have to pay if you are earning sufficient funds, and the monthly repayments proposed don't seem too hard.

On the more general query, there is no question in my mind that Australia will be in better (economic) shape than the UK for many years, however, if China catches a cold that could change very quickly.

From my own experience, to make a success of emigrating to Australia, I would say that you have to feel passionately about wanting to come here, rather than seeking a destination to get you out of the UK.

Good Luck

jad n rich

Isnt there already talk of university place fees going sky high in OZ too. Was Melbourne University not recently in the media complaining bitterly about severe funding cuts. Both articles were in the last week.

You have to remember the UK media would have picked the highest possible fees/rises to quote and the aussie media would probably not even bother to research what the new fees may be.

I know from my eldest and middle son, finding work, further education places and apprenticeship was all extremely competitive. Last post I did on that was 15 year olds 4 interview, 5 week process to work in a large aussie hardware store in the capacity of trolley pusher/checkout dude while at school.

Aussies sky high property prices and cost of living wouldnt make any youngsters life starting out easy either

Probably no picnic in either country, UK seems to have come out and admitted its debt, faced it head on, aus seems to have a very sneaky government and even living here I dont really think I have any idea of the true state of the OZ economy, it seems very hyped up and overheated to be honest and the govt seems to be very reluctant to reveal its true state of debt.

I guess too if in reality your kids being so young you have no idea which country will be in a better state in 10 years.

One thing you should really research is education in OZ, some very real problems with funding and achievement, and a failed dud of an environment minister has just been put in charge of education so I dont see it getting any better.

Plus it all depends on your kids, one of mine has lapped up the ahumm relaxed education system, he had picked up it was a joke by age 10, worked it to his advantage and ended up in the top 2% of students in the state. Another one has dyslexia, and the total lack of help for these kids has been an absolute joke. So what suits one wont suit another, the eldest who probably loved OZ the most bailed out and went back overseas anyway.

So in a nutshell - who knows

Kids

Seneca21

Australia probably has a brighter future in general, but this does not mean that your personal life will be brighter in Australia.

Sandra

Ah - I must be an awful parent, my son is currently accumulating a nice HELP debt (Paying his own university fee here). I find it focuses his decisions when looking at things like extra tuition over summer and how long and what he wants to study. I possibly could afford to pay for it but don't. He will not have to pay it back until earning a reasonable amount so we will see how it goes.

He works two jobs and we give him use of a car and do not ask for rent, so feel we do contribute. University is something he wants to do. I personally do not feel the only way forward is to obtain a university degree in fact would think that increasing numbers at low value turnout could cheapen the value overall. He is currently looking for work experience in his field and if he achieves this will see if he can avoid going to honours and masters in study until later if he wants.

Seneca21

I agree with this. What has happened is that the Labour Government's insane policy to send everyone to university has ended predictably and inevitably in total disaster and chaos and brought down the entire HE system. Instead of admitting this, government is now trying to creep away from this policy by the back door, and that is done by restricting the number of young people who can go to university.

In 10 years - like you say - university will be a rarity again. The worrying thing about that is what is going to happen to the legion of people that work in British unis. Hundreds of thousands of people will no longer have jobs to do.

Amazulu

If your kids are going to study something vocational at university like medicine, law, engineering, accounting etc then it might be money well spent as they will probably have a well paid future. If, like the majority of students in the UK now, they are going to study something like art, media, golf, ceramics etc, then they are better off not bothering and getting jobs instead.

Seneca21

What jobs? There are no jobs. That's why Labour piled so many young people into uni - it kept millions off the unemployment stats and they couldmilk them for fees at the same time.

Grayling

I think you will find that policy started with the Tories

Grayling

So Australian Universities don't offer those type of courses do they?