fishfinger

Can you explain why my 8 year old son's education and ability has gone downhill since he arrived in Canada 3 years ago? When we first arrived he could write joined up, read and spell correctly, now he can't spell and nobody can read what he is writing.

My 11 year old used to write stories that were 3 A4 pages long (when he was 8) and now he can barely write 1 exercise book page.

I feel I've let my kids down by moving to Canada.

oceanMDX

That's very strange indeed.... they're going backwards! At that rate, in another 3 years, they'll be crawling on their hands and knees with a soother in their mouth.

You need to speak to the school's principal.

fishfinger

The school principal is more concerned about 'social responsibility' than academic ability, it's a lost cause.

oceanMDX

Tell him he's being socially irresponsible by not being more concerned about their academic ability.

hot wasabi peas

I've never been able to do that joined up writing thing... maybe that's why I was in therapy for 2 years.

dingbat

Geez. I have friends round for a beer and our resident flag waving MEXICAN resident expat gets all Tim Hortons on us. WHEN (yes I am yelling) was the last time you were in the UK? Or Abbotsford? WHEN did you put kids through the school system in BC? C'mon, you have no "freakin" idea. (Please excuse the language ) I am so sick of people who do NOT HAVE KIDS IN THE SYSTEM passing comment. Go back to your double double and discuss the hockey.

dingbat

Er...no. Not remotely. I came over here after having trained badly educated Canadians in the UK for the new federal tax regime that was coming in in Canada....I was not required to re-train at all. Most of the dummies on the courses I ran spent their five weeks in London in shock. I had a letter of employment when I emigrated..even help with housing....a Union intevened at the 11th hour and I was left with no job and no way of supporting my kids AFTER arrival. Lawyers even intervened on my behalf, it did not resolve the issue. I was neither "chagrined" nor "shocked". Screwed over, oh yes. Beaten? Oh no. I found another way of supporting my family, one which has got me home at last. I had the last laugh, but to tell the story here might cause repercussions I cannot afford.

oceanMDX

Actually I spend half the year in BC, and much of that time is spent about as far out of Abbotsford as where you live. It should be obvious to anyone who is familiar with Abby that Sikhs don't make up anywhere near the majority of the population. I still can't believe that you thought they did!

While the conclusions of the PISA report are meaningful, individual student results will vary. If your kids don't measure up to the Canadian average, perhaps they should accept the responsibility for that.

I don't have kids in the school system in BC. I'm not a chicken, but that hasn't disqualified me from knowing what an egg is all about. My knowledge about the educational system in BC (and Canada) comes from objective international studies regarding the matter. Whereas, your comments are subjective and narrowly based because they are primarily derived from your personal experience. That difference explains why I post references backing my comments and you can't.

BTW, did you know that the University of British Columbia is ranked by Newsweek as the 27th best university in the world?

http://www.ubc.ca/global/index.html

oceanMDX

This is some of what you stated in prior posts on this forum:

1) "I wish I had known that years of schooling and work experience would count for bugger all, I would never have come here. "

2) "I got pretty much the same treatment when I arrived 8 years ago and have had to go back to University and get another degree (which was so easy compared to my UK one) to get anywhere. I was a commodity tax consultant/fraud investigator and a qualified teacher when I came - neither qualification was recognised as the tax training was all UK government based and the PGCE was over ten years old."

You say you did your research before coming to Canada, but it's the quality of your research/critical thinking that I'm questioning.

If you want to be highly critical of the educational level of Canadians, I think you open your own abilities and decisions up for critique.

startwin

I'm not sure what the problem is here, I can only speak from my own experience, and I have two grown children who went through the education system here in BC, and have done very nicely, thank you. Both well educated, and one did some studies in the UK after graduating from college, before uni. She was on a par, if not ahead, of her friends there. They didn't go to school in Abbotsford, but in the lower mainland - it's all much of a muchness.

To the person who can't speak to the principal - why not? Just do it anyway, and state your opinion and concerns. If it was my kids I'd be wanting some pretty good answers. And consider moving schools.

glenn morrison

thanks dingbat & hudman for the info taking it all on board before we make a decision. cheers

fishfinger

I have spoken to the principal and as I said, he is more concerned about promoting 'social responsibility' in his school than learning.

Also my eldest son went to a different school and the teaching was worse there so my experience of the education over 3 years in BC has been crap. I don't just sit back and do nothing about it!

We've decided that we are moving back to the UK this year for lots of reasons but education is a big part of it.

Rich_007

I have witnessed 'da yoots' on both sides of the big water.

Canada: education designed to develop fully rounded young people, small adults prepared for later life, able to understand others views, listen and learn. Young adults can interact with real adults, conduct a conversation, make a contribution. Focus on activity, see the little ones outside in snow and bitter cold having run, running about, playing games. Politeness and civility is bred into them at influential ages. A kind of 'slow-burn' education designed to develop people, not consumers. Values which recognize people more than just their house/car/job status/salary/postal code, value the world around us.

UK: Focus on boffin-training, cram as much information into these little organic computers as possible. Develop children into self centred little "me-me-beings". Kids often grunt, produce monosyllabic answers, avoid adult company at all times. Breed into them that they are all important, to ignore others at all costs and that violence, brutality, selfishnes, always gets you what you want. Teach kids to make most noise = greater success in life. An education designed to create 'consumers', create generations of perfect little drones for entry into 'industry' to make noise, succeed in a self-centred manner. All or nothing, make it big or you're worth nothing attitude.

Of course, there are plenty of Paris/Britney types here, dumb as dishwater with purrfect teeth bright as the sun, and plenty grouchy sullen goth yoots. Day to day though, there's a marked difference in manners, ability to conduct a conversation, and overall attitude, between UK and Canada yoots.

Rich.

Rich_007

Don't worry, it's very overrated.

Rich.

suecakes

Hi Glen,

Have just read through this whole thread an people are getting very heated about the whole thing, but in answer to your question:-

We have just moved to Abbotsford in January, after much research and trips here to have a good look around, we decided it was a good place to start, there is plenty to do for children, there are two large recreation centre's offering swimming, gym, ice-skating and plenty of clubs that use the centre. There is a ten pin bowling centre (although its a bit old), plenty of shopping available, good library's (one of which is open all week including Sunday), tons of places to each out at a very reasonable prices, lots of parks, one of which we have visited (Mill Park) which is lovely, you can walk right around it, and there is a great play area for children with a water area under construction, and there are regular leaflets produced with the free papers offering fun things for children to do.

As far as education is concerned my two girls have gone into grade 9 and 11 (ages 15,17), they are about a year ahead of their peers but their courses have been adjusted accordingly, when we visited the school the one thing that struck me we how quite it was, no shouting or swearing, children actually working in class is a calm effective manner. Our experience of the school has been that they really care about their students, the girls have had all the help they needed in settling in and the other kids are very friendly - a complete contrast to the UK. What Rich said is absolutely true.

In a nut shell we really like Abbotsford, and no its not 53% Sikh, there is a good mix of different nationalities. Abbotsford is far enough from Vancouver to be more relaxed but near enough if you need to get work there.

We think for a family its well worth a look.

Hope this helps.
Sue