sals

I'm still in a quandry then! I had to bribe my son with the possibilty of getting him a car when we arrive in Queensland to get him to agree to do Y12 God knows how I would get him to agree to going back a year and doing Y11 and then 12!
It seems so unfair that he worked so hard and got good grades and he has been working away getting distinctions at college, even when he knew he wouldn't complete the qualification because we are moving to Oz and now it's worth nothing!
Are the kids in Y11 16 or 17? and the ones in Y12 17 or 18? It seems so complicated, or is that just me and my brain is completed addled after the immigration process!
I have got to the point now where rather than hoping things will work out, I just want someone to tell me exactly what to do, rather than have to make a decision.
I have emailed so many schools and also the local TAFE but they just keep saying come and see us when you've arrived. Unfortunately the school are shut for summer when we arrive and therefore we can't see anyone until the new school year starts and then what? We make a decision and A has to miss the first few days and will not start with everyone else!
Maybe it would be easier if he had a definite career focus but I'm afraid he is still really unsure what he wants to do! The only course that is anywhere near similar to what he is doing in the UK is in Brisbane and no where near us!
Sorry for the long post I'm just panicked about doing the right thing.
Maybe I sould leave it with fate and see what happens when we arrive and hope she'll be right mate! lol

kevinbloomfield

Age doesn't really have much to do with yr 11 or 12 as the schools are flexible. So our 18 year old is now finishing yr 12 but some of his mates are 17.
As to getting a car, that's a good bribe and if he's passed his test already he'll soon make some friends :-)
Whereabouts are you heading for when you get here?

sals

He's frantically taking lessons and swatting for his theory test next week! We are both hoping he passes before we arrive as I think it will be easier for both of us if he does. At least he knows the roads round here.
We are off to Townsville, Northern Queensland.
I think I need to sit down with him and have a long chat about what he wants to do for a career and what courses are available and take it from there. He's so up for moving and I don't want to ruin his future.

poppyjasper

Hi Sals
I think we need to treat yr11 & yr12 like our A-Levels, as when they've completed them they can then go to Uni or wherever.

What is your son doing at college now? Could he not go to TAFE and do something similar?

I know what you mean about arriving during the hols though, we get there on 4th Jan which is why I'm (like you) trying to get as much info now. Also, we have no idea where we're going to live either!

Sam x

sals

Yeah I think that's probably a good way to look at it. He is in the second year at college, so half way through Y12 I suppose. He is doing a BTEC National Diploma in Public Services (uniformed). There's nothing like this at the TAFE in Townsville, the only course we could find that bears even the slightest resembalance is a course for fire fighters but it's in Brisbane and we will be nearly 2000kms away. He doesn't want to leave home when we have just arrived and I can understand that. We leave UK 6th Jan but go to Bali for a week so arrive 15th Jan. I have found a site called my future (www.myfuture.edu.au) which helps them to choose a career path using assessments and then gives tips on which courses to do to follow that career path. It uses psychometric testing as well to give them advice on which career would suit their personality so I'm going to get him to sit down and see if we can at least get a direction! Then maybe we'll make some progress. At least I know where we are going but even so doing the right thing is such a daunting task. Good luck to you and yours. I'm sure it will all work out in the end! well that's what I keep telling myself anyway.

Sandra

I can only give my childs experiences in NSW but year 11 and 12 are the A levels - but the HSC is separate from the UAI results and kids have to plan in year 10 for what choices they make in year 11 so they can plan in year 11 for what they might need to gain acceptance into a course of their choice.

You need to choose carefully - exactly like A levels if you are doing the schools options. But this is not to say there are not other options as a route to uni.

As far as age is concerned, when kids get to year 11 and 12 it really is not the same issue as itmight have been earlier, my son is 17 and just finished his HSC exams. He is one of the youngest in his year and spent most of his intelligence on making fake passes this last year! His mates are 18, 19 and in the same year.

Car is a great idea........my son drives and past his test at 17 after spending a year on Ls here in NSW as prescribed.

We bought him a car as a bribe/thanks for staying on/being you present. Now he has to pay petrol - Uni and living at home seems a better option!

Who knows what the lovely little sods will want to do - we can but try!

cheers

sals

Thanks for your view Sandra. It's always good to hear how others have done it. I have persuaded my son to sit down and seriously think about his career choices. Then we are gonna try and map out some career pathways to see which is the best way to go.

mary1967

It's a lot to take in and when you're dealing with everything else, it's just something else to worry about - think i'm experiencing migration overload!
From what i've read my daughter will probably go straight into year 11, i've not told her that little gem yet, but that doesn't sound too bad. I still want her to take her GCSE's next year just in case things don't work out - don't want to sound negative before we get there but you just never know. I guess we just all want what's best for our kids, probably why most of us are putting ourselves through all this, so getting this part right is essential. Thanks for all the information, making y11 and 12 the equivalent of A levels makes it easier to understand.

I'm hoping my daughter doesn't get involved with anyone during the next year, at the moment she wants to move to oz, thank god! but i couldn't do it if she refused to go................very difficult decision, hope it works out for you.

sals

I know how you feel. I had a little word right at the start of the process with my son. He wasn't seeing anyone at the time, thankfully and I suggested to him that it would be better if he didn't start up any new relationships before we moved. Not just for his sake but I discussed with him how unfair and selfish it would be to the other person to start a relationship knowing he would be leaving at some point. Seems to have worked!

Smartinis

Our second son was in a similar situation when we arrived 2 years ago, told he could just do year 12 as his gcse's were really good, but advised by the school, (private) that he would do better and get a better ENTER grade if he did both years, which he did and is just now completing year 12. He hasn't regreted it for one moment. First year in Oz went so fast, made great friends and loved it but would have been under such pressure if doing full VCE, he took 2 subjects (year 12) last year which meant he only had to do 4 this year so plenty of study time. He spoke at his valedictory assembly recently and said his only regret was that he couldn't have had more time at the school!!!! This from a lad who swore blind that you wouldn't get him in those stripey blazers and at some posh snobby private school!!! (which they are not here by the way). He said that these had been two of the best years of his life, I could have cried!!! Do the 2 years, you won't regret it, the friends she makes now will see her through.