Originally Posted by FrankB

Quite frankly, that's all shocking to me!!!

They won't have geographic, science, literacy, etc. at school? How do they expect them to grow up to young adults with a wider understanding and a sound judgement?
I am very very shocked by the response I got so far ... and must admit, it is all my fault. Before we came to Oz I did a research on life quality, work, life costs ... all that stuff but left out school for the kids.



I looked at the link and thank you very much for this. But even there they refer to maths quite good but no language, writing, reading and so on but not even a trace for science and geographic ... very disappointing.

So, another move will come up in one or two years because I am feeling responsible for a comprehensive education of my kids ... certainly the response improves my understanding of the qld society and why they sometimes act as they do (just look at the news)

Thanks for all that!
Frank

Originally Posted by fish.01

No. It was actually the great holiday destination of Lagos, Portugal. You know...the one that all the Brits go to. Early forties, had wife and 2 kids, very friendly, chatty, seemed sane, but had no clue (or interest in) where he was....which wasn't good because we met him due to sharing his table for the pub quiz. We didn't win.

Became clearer months later when I met my future English travel agent wife who often relayed stories of the level of "some" of her brochure holiday customers knowledge and interest in the world.

I do not judge the whole of the UK on these experiences as I know there are many switched on, interested and traveled people in the UK. I think this is evidenced by the large leap in the number of backpackers from the UK and Ireland arriving in Australia in the last decade. There might now be just as many coming from the UK as we have always sent there. This is great. But in both countries there is a percentage who never go anywhere and sometimes that's circumstance and sometimes lack of interest and sometimes lack of interest due to circumstance.

Originally Posted by fish.01

I was taught a lot more world history than Australian history in my schooling in Brisbane. And geography and science. What school did she go to - so I can make sure I don't send my kids there Top in every class and didn't learn science. Hmmmmm, I think claims is the operative word here...

I met lots of people in the UK who had no idea of world affairs, even the one's taking place right next door - even met one guy with his family in Lagos who didn't know what country he was in - just pointed at the brochure and said I want to go there obviously.

Just like here it totally depended on the demographic - most of my friends here in Brisbane all travel and are interested in the world - I found I mixed with a broader variety of people in the UK as a outsider than I would have at home - so even though I met a lot of British who didn't know, or care, much about anywhere else, I know there was another demographic tucked away somewhere that did. Now I know why I didn't meet them - they were all on PIO