gOD

Antipodeans have a reputation for working hard. That has more to do with it than education in my experince.. Especially in the IT industry. Again, going to NZ wasted two years of maths, economics and history IME... It is a shame because I do wonder what I could have do on to do if I had stayed in the UK. In many ways those first few years were a waste. Still, everyone has different experiences.

PeteY

Sweden has better weather than we do.....

Snow in winter, and 30+ in summer. And less rain. Uk mean annual is 950 mm, swedens is 770.

Carpenter

There does seem to be quite an attitude on this forum about tradesman.

Being a tradesman is not a dead end job. I spent 5 years re-educating myself got a Bsc hon degree then spent 5 years working in software development as an Analyst Programmer. Eventually I decided to go back to my previous career as a Carpenter for a few of reasons.

1. The money is better.
2. The hours are more flexible.
3. The people are much easier to get on with on building sites than the people that I met in offices.

jandjuk

gOD that is a cop out.....

don't blame external factors for what 'you could have gone on to do'.... if all the antipodeans can do it with their education, then there's no reason you couldn't

sandypandy

jandjuk

Just out of interest what job do you do over here, and did you find it easy to get the job in the first place with NZ qualifications?

Sandra

Jacqui

Our kids seem happy enough, we've been here just over a year now, but to be honest it's just as well they've settled down ok, if one was homesick and the rest of us weren't, we're hardly able to return back to the UK just like that are we? There's five of us, it would be so expensive to go back, not to mention all the hassle, let's face it, do the kids really get that much of a say in these sorts of decisions? When we broke the news to them about emigrating they were all excited, but as the weeks went by and they realised they wouldn't be seeing all their friends and relatives again for some time, they did sometimes question what we were doing, but you get so far along in the process, you're not going to change your plans because a nine-year old says they don't want to leave their friends. Likewise, we're not going to rush back to the UK because the kids are missing Nanny. Cold-hearted maybe, but one of our reasons for moving here in the first place was to give the kids a better lifestyle. If they turn round in ten years time or so, and tell us they want to move back to the UK, well so be it, we won't stop them once they're adults, just guide them in their decisions.

OK the education has been a bit disappointing so far, but this is just the school my kids go to, there could be a better one in the next suburb but I can't keep moving the kids from school to school until I find one I'm happy with! In the meantime though I'm asking around as much as I can about high schools, and am on the waiting list for a private school. Hopefully our kids will go on to university, even if it does cost us an arm and a leg, but I'm not thinking that far ahead at the moment.

Now as far as playing outside and getting plenty of fresh air, it doesn't get better than this! It's winter at the moment, but it's still plenty warm enough for them to be out and about on their bikes. There are loads of kids in our street of similar ages, they spent all afternoon playing together outside after school today. The PS2 didn't get put on until about 6pm, and that usually involves half the neighbourhood coming round to swap notes on the latest game, or to use the PC's because we've got ADSL and they haven't! Our kids have probably played outside more in this past year than they did in their lifetime in the UK. In summer it does get too hot at times, but they either play outside in the semi-enclosed patio or cool off in the pool, or at the beach. There are loads of sports they could take up, but we don't have the time (or money, or inclination) to sign them up for all that's going, but swimming for Mandurah City takes up plenty of time anyway and it's keeping them all fit and healthy. No doubt once they get to high school they will be introduced to a wider range of sports and might want to join other clubs. In the meantime, they are getting plenty of excercise outside on their bikes and seem quite content with life.

By the way Geoff, I see you're from St Neots, that brings back some memories for me - we come from Bedford, and spent many happy days cruising slowly along the River Ouse in a narrowboat when we were courting!

gOD

Maybe it is, but what I mean is, I spent two years, especially in maths, where I would do the entire lessons work in between 5-10min, and then spend the rest twiddling my thumbs. It would have been nice if the education system was challenging enough so that I wasn't in position.. I am not saying I would have gone on to do great things, but I think it might have made a difference in terms of final qualifications...

sandypandy

gOD
What age were you when your parents took you to NZ and where had you been educated before that? I am assuming that this was afew years ago (not implying that you are old!) but do you not think that the NZ education system may well have changed abit, as has the UK system which as vastly different to when I went to school?



Sandra

gOD

Yeah I am sure it has. But I am still in my twenties so it wasn't that long ago! I was eleven went I went to NZ and mainly educated in the UK before that, but also Australia as well...

Different educations concentrate of different fields. There are different philosophies and different priorities in different regions.

Someone from NZ going to the UK might just as well think the UK one was crap. It was just doing really, really basic geometry (like working out the combined area of an object shaped simlilar to two disparate rooms), or the basics of bodmas, or even basic algebra should be not challenging, nor even needed to be taught at a NZ secondary school IMO (remember they also have intermediate school).

When half the class in fifth-form economics can't even name the president of the US and PM of the UK, that is not good either. Don't get me started on history

All just my experience though. I am sure that people have horror stories about education in all countries, but I *personally* had/have severe doubts about the standards over there.

I hate sounding negative about it I really do, because I don't want to put people off, but just be prepared that your kids may well not be challenged for a while when they get there (just as with any move).

gOD

BTW, I have gone on to do much more than then average antipodean (without sounding too arrogant!!), so wasn't making any excuses, just an observation.

sandypandy

gOD

Did you go to Uni in NZ, or did you come back to the UK. Hope you don't mind all these questions but i am very interested in the education issue - with my eldest being 13 it won't be long before she has to think about what she wants to do. I don't want her to get to 18 and then try to get a place at a UK uni only to find her NZ qualifications are not enough.

Sandra

jandjuk

I agree with you to an extent gOD.... I'm not sure if standards are different in general as that largely depends on the school you go to in NZ.... but I think priorities are different. Sports are very important in NZ schools (which didn't suit me at all), but to be honest it is hard to get excited about european and american history and politics when it is all so far away....

having said that - I think NZer's in general are far more outward looking than many other countries - and would generally know more about world events than many other places.

sandypandy, I work in IT and no it wasn't too difficult to find a job here.

stavros

Wife and I are an Ozzie/Pom couple in our late 20s living in the H Counties. We came here 4 years ago and made friends with probably 20+ other Ozzies of a similar age group in the first 2 years. Of that group there are only 2 girls left both who got fixed up with Poms. We are returning to Oz ourselves next year.

OK some were working holiday folks but the majority are in construction, teaching, Nursing or IT and loved it here for 2-3 years and could quite easily have picked up a sponsor but I keep hearing that phrase "I am so over the UK"

I would say a much higher proportion of people return to Oz than stay in the UK.

gOD

No, I didn't go to uni, because of money issues really... So I can't comment on how they compare, or even how easy it is to get in!

To be honest, UK universities take students from all over the place so I don't think it would be too much of a problem, but I am not really qualified to make that kind of statement. It might be worth calling a few over here and asking what the requirements would be.

Not something I would be overly concerned about though. Good grades are good grades. Supporting your kids from over there will be hard though. Even supporting them over here sounds expensive!!

S/pick

God you are only in you're twenties and the way you talk about NZ education and time wasted is down to yourself. I'm 34 and it took me a long time to admit that I watsed a great opportunity to be educated by some great teachers and mentors. It's taken me the last 5 years to put right what I should have done in the first place. The thing is has you get older you realise your own mistakes and either correct them or get on with it. Some blaming the system.