derryck

I am stepping really gingerly around the "uni versus trade" pillow fight here ....(it feels as if there are some ricks inside the pillows) - we expect our kids to find occupations that will enable them to live happy and fulfilled lives.

All (3 of them) were born in Canada. We made them dual citizenship, so they have options. They travel back often - hopefully, they'll be aware enough of both places to be able to make "good" decisions about where they want to live when they grow up. Most over here think of them as English kids, most over there think of them as Canadian kids.

Acid test, for H20, two of them say "Wadder", and one says "water".

For me it is a mixed bag. As things stand, I think that they will have a better standard of life here (Canada). It seems to me as if there are more activities for kids to engage in here (sports, etc) - I think that spelling, grammar (and writing quality) provide insight into education quality, and by that token, I think that they'd get a better university education in the UK, having seen the graduate standard here. I can provide copious examples of this, as I deal with it every day. I worry about the pervasiveness of North American culture in Canada (mostly in urban centres).. by that token, Nova Scotia sounds nice!
In recent trips, I have noticed that the UK is also being "pervaded" by North American culture. Driven a lot by the media. I think of it as being (in some senses) a few years behind Canada.

My wife is an educator, and she teaches in the grade 11/12 zone - she has similar sentiment, except that she thinks that the kids would have a better secondary education in the UK. I only qualify that by saying, "... if we can get into the right post code/catchment area".

Overlaying all that, I think that (in large part) the extent to which you can control the company your kids keep is the extent to which their outlook on life/chances/aspirations/etc can be guided. No matter where you are.

Finally, most people who I know (who've lived here and there) seem to think that kids here have more options that in the UK. Whether it is good or bad, I have noticed that in North America, there are far less rigid career paths than in the UK, so there are many more opportunities to switch career or re-invent yourself. Many first hand examples are available.

RedMonsk

I don't think you have to be uni educated to be a bright, articulate and well rounded person! If my children want to go to uni when they are older, that would be great, but it will never be something I push them into.

Having a degree doesn't make you any brighter, it only proves that you can apply yourself!

I have worked for many university educated people who were ignorant, couldn't spell for toffee and didn't have one ounce of common sense!

derryck

Hear, hear - I would not go so far as to say "apply yourself" - notable exceptions, branson and gates. However, I will say. that in general graduates are able to think at a more abstract level - that may (or may not be) useful in real-world work situations.

I am a stikler for speling. And I see tons of bad spelling and grammar in my day-to-day existence - from graduates.

When all is said and done - most of us go to work to earn the money to help us to do what we really enjoy doing. By that measure (for those who have the stomach and mindset, being a mobster, pimp or drug dealer is an extremely wise career choice!)

Still, I remain envious of my friends who just down their tools at the end of the day - and can just switch off until they next "punch in". Most of them are in "the trades". Actually, recently (I think for similar reasons) an enterprise architect at my company quit to take up a career in truck-driving. In canada, for a career like that - the horizons are endless... Literally.

RedMonsk

I have yet to impress on my husband the values of the 'work to live' mantra, he still 'lives to work'!

My husband is dyslexic, but has carved (excuse the pun ) a very good career for himself as a carpenter (actually a qualified cabinet maker) and earns more than some of our university trained friends. Not that he is particularly bothered about the money, if we won the lottery tomorrow he would still continue to work.

God, if only he see me writing about him in such glowing terms - he wouldn't believe it! I could certainly write him a brilliant reference for any future Canadian employer!!!!

dbd33

Australia? Chile?

RedMonsk

New Zealand, I'm sure the list goes on but there are slightly to far away from family and friends!

derryck

So - redmonsk - what have you concluded from the preceding 10e5 posts? Have you decided to take the plunge? Have you already taken the plunge?

I do not have any real experience of raising kids in the UK, and especially now - I find the comparisons of nephews and neices very interesting, and maybe as close as possible to an "apples-to-apples" comparison that we can get.

dbd33

But it's a stretch to include Canada, are you counting beaches on lakes?

Biiiiink

I'm not sure you can get a state education in another language, leading to an IB in the UK? But I'd be lying if I said that was the main reason for coming here, just a happy coincidence.

bazzz

I know you don't like to include BC in you definition of Canada but the Vancouver beaches are actually surprisingly nice. Unless the people who clean them go on strike.

dbd33

Mine did that, the IB in French while living in English Canada, but I don't think it's commonly offered, could your child take such a course?

(I assume you mean French, it's offered in Spanish across the border but I don't think that's the case here).

dbd33

I was waiting for redmonsk, it had to be Vancouver, bad skiing or bad beaches.

RedMonsk

Excuse my ignorance, what's an IB?

derryck

My wife's school is getting into IB, but it is not widespread in Ontario yet - and she does have a few reservations about it (mainly because of the way that it creates a "rarified atmosphere" type of bubble for the ib kids versus the "non-ibs" when it is in a mixed school.).

I have seen/heard/read that ib is also being taken up in the uk.
Funnily enough, I was also reading about a move in the uk to allow macdonalds to offer "a-level" equivalent qualifications... What is the world coming to?!?!

Biiiiink

I didn't mean doing his IB in French, I assumed that would be in English as he's in French immersion - although having received some of my education in another language I'm acutely aware of terminology issues when being examined in another!

It remains to be seen if he's academically inclined anyway. I just think it's great to have state access to the IB. As I've said before, if we were still in Scotland that would only be available to him at Fettes