ABCDiamond

With padlock ? Yes, I am a Dad with a daughter too.

ABCDiamond

My comment on that would be regarding employment first.

If you currently have a secure job, I would suggest not gambling a move at the moment.

If you have a guaranteed job to move to in Australia, then it may be worth considering.

With unemployment increasing in Australia, your first priority has to be around the financial side of things.

homewardbound

I have already bound home... i grew up in au, was in uk for 14 years and finally returned 'home' to australia last year with 2 children. I came back because i really wanted my children to grow up here, I missed australia for 14 years and desperately wanted to be here... been here 9 months now and my only regret is not coming sooner... but my situation is different to yours.

bourbon-biscuit

I'm a bit lost by the aggresion in your post. You said kids not coming to school for the last couple of weeks of the year/term bothered you and I wondered why it would bother you- you could either leave them in school or take them out for the week- either way I think it's a win-win. I guess if it was the majority of kids taken out so the teachers then repeated the lessons, then that would be annoying as it makes leaving them in school for that week or two only worth it if it's a childcare neccessity.

If you took offence to the tone of my post I apologise, but I certainly didn't intend to offend

BB
NSW
In the real world

steve`o

hardly aggressive,
more sarcasm with a hint off piss take and just a pinch of humour

do we get to kiss and make up now ??

either way enjoy whats left of your weekend

regards steve

carolinephillips

No, in my experience as a teacher in the UK you are wrong. It is very common in the UK for parents to book holidays in school term time especially over Christmas and the start of the summer. They are not supposed to do it, but I think by law are allowed a max of 2 weeks term time absence or they get put down as truants and the education office are notified. In my area it was mainly the affluent parents who thought that rules didn't apply to them unless it was to their advantage, rather than the poorer ones who would not be able to afford a holiday at the extortionate summer holiday rates. You know, the chealsea-tractor drivers who park on the zebra crossings and abuse the lollipop lady because they can't walk more than 10 feet in their Manolos and certainly don't want to be seen hanging around with the hoi-polloi.

steve`o

o their not away on holiday, they are at home or wander in to school at lunch time for a chat, the parents dont send them as they just carnt see the need or point to send the kids in at the end of term as "they dont do anything"

carolinephillips

sheeeet- sounds like the parents need educating then!

steve`o

thats what i mean by the "she`ll be right mate" attitude

when on site i convert it to english as "fluckit it`ll do" attitude

imanaussie

This 'lets not go to school for the last week of term' is purely a Qld thing. Our kids have attended school in Tas and NSW and NEVER have we had this problem in those states. I thought my kids were trying to pull a swifty when they told me that nobody went to school for the last few days of term!!.....but no, its a real culture thing here in SE QLd, but NOT a typical Aussie 'She'll be right mate' thing, its a Qld thing, and certainly never practised in Tas or NSW, dont know about other states though. Not real fair to say its a whole of Australia attitude as its not. Cheers

daddyofthree

Playing Devil's advocate I would partly agree with the Aussie philosophy. In the UK it's far too serious. Schools have now adopted the stupid idea of moving up a year early, ie the year 6's start year 7 in June / July. Wont go into the for and against reasons but too me sums up why us Brits want to go to Aus in the first place ie its more relaxing. Let us not try to change things in Aus like they are over here otherwise we might as well all stay over here!!

It's a little strange because in the past 12 months I have met quite a few Aussies over here on work permits. When I ask them what they do / don't like here, they are always positive and wont critisize the country.

homewardbound

Not strictly true... My cousin teaches in campbeltown near sydney and she says last end of term there were 2 kids in her class turn up in that week... she said end of terms are always the same at her school... it is parents to blame for not making kids go and schools for not enforcing.

ABCDiamond

And not all schools in QLD either

My daughter has been to 3 QLD schools in 6 years, and we have never even heard of it.

moneypenny20

Each year my girls say they don't have to go for the last week before christmas and I say oh well, you'll have the place to yourselves then Strangely enough, being as I work there, I see most of grades 8 and 9 still there, with the exception of the last two days. It's not a QLD thing or even a SEQLD thing, it's an individual school thing as I do remember the same issue happening at the secondary school in the UK as well though. Last few days, less and less kids left on campus.

arkon

I do, poly is cheap and takes no effort to maintain. just what the Australians like best. (poor quality and no effort needed)