Maplease

Hi,

Feeling a bit blurgh at the moment as I've upset my 7 year old by telling him I think he should move school. We've been in NS just over a year and he's at his second school which, quite frankly, seems as bad as his first one.

I'm worried that the education system here just isn't very good. For instance, in the last two days he told me that in maths he was colouring in gummy bears and today he was making rabbits on a piece of paper. I asked him if he was learning about shapes and he just doesn't know. I have turned into 'that mum' that is forever writing notes in his agenda and contacting the school. I'm just wondering what other people's experiences are and if I should be concerned. He just seems to be doing work that he was doing ages ago in the UK. I'm feeling really bad about upsetting him but am worried.

Thanks and be gentle with me. I'm feeling fragile

AmyDavid

My children used to go to school in NS. My eldest always received straight As and was top of the class according to her teachers. We were always concerned about the amount of time they spent watching movies and doing things that didn't seem to relate to education.

We moved to ON and it became very clear that my eldest was way behind children in the same grade in terms of handwriting and math, something she had always been credited with doing so well at in NS. I am very glad that my two don't go to school in NS anymore.

Maplease

Thanks for the response. I can see this becoming a major issue for me. I just feel there is no solution. I do work with him at home, but time is limited and I don't want him just working all the time. I'm not sure there is a solution to this

AmyDavid

It was one of the many reasons we had for leaving NS. Also the fact that we didn't see what NS could offer our children once they were older. I guess you could look into additional tutoring but that can be pretty pricey.

Howefamily

This is my worry too but honestly these children then go onto these Universities here which are highly regarded.
I am fortunate to work with adults that have lived here their entire lives and gone through the education system and they are amongst the smartest people I have ever worked with.....

colchar

Perhaps a private tutor might be a solution?

Jericho79

I agree with the above, and I'm afraid it's a similar story here in Calgary.

They seem to spend a lot of time doing non-productive stuff, and then too much gets downloaded on to the parents. e.g. they recently read Charlie and the Chocloate factory, which is fine. But then one of the homework projects was for each kid to design and make their own chocolate at home. Not particularly happy about this, but whatever. But for the following week, she didnt eat her lunch because they were eating chocolate every day.

Re watching movies- my kids are in french immersion, so i thought watching movies would be a good way for them to listen to proper conversational french.... except these are english movies, spoken in english. What's the f***ing point?

My experience so far with the education system in two provinces has been poor.

HGerchikov

This is a good point. I think the UK system programs us to expect a lot of very young children, the system over here (in all Provinces based on the posts on here) doesn't. We worried too about our kids when they were younger. I can remember my husband standing in the kitchen with his head in his hands saying 'the kid is 12 and he knows nothing, what did we do?' By the time 'the kid' was 18 though, he had caught up with everything we expected him to know by the time he left school and overtaken it in some areas. Do you know anybody with children that are in the final year or so of High School? Maybe talk to them and see how you feel about the end product of the NS system.

Piff Poff

And then when they get to High School and grades start slipping so you go into the school to talk to the head of year or whatever it's called you just get, oh that's completely normal, so you raise other concerns and you get, well she could pick better friends and basically I don't care, your the parent it's your problem.

So now I have a child that is regretting slacking off and the friends she picked and somehow she still came out with 2 decent IB grades.

Oh and you can forget the careers advice centre that the school she went to made a huge deal out of, they just let the kid float around and doss about.

ann m

I think in a similar way.

I think the earlier years were pretty easy - basic, no pressure, no homework, lots of "creative" time, making stuff and watching movies. Just such a different mindset to the UK parents' expectations I think. (My two were 7 and 9 when we came here).

The girls were relatively happy at school - it wasn't hugely demanding - and they excelled in some stuff and muddled through other subjects. They are bright enough kids and will likely do OK whatever the system.... however....

Mine are in high school now. I can't say it has been an enjoyable experience so far! The leap from middle to high school is large. The expectations for academic excellence are heaped on them, to the point of high anxiety levels and broad mental health issues across their spectrum of friends. The fear of not doing well is making them ill. I don't think they were at all well-prepared for high school and the academic requirements (essay writing, analysing text, etc,), and the constant ramming down of the message that if you mess this up, basically your life is over does not help either.

The way the subjects are divided up across the academic year I find weird. You do four core subjects for half the year, then another four the second half of the year. You might have done Grade 9 Maths from September 2013 to January 2014, and might not touch Grade 10 Maths till February 2015. That's a big gap! Again, it's all or nothing. If they don't particularly like three of the four subjects, you are stuck with an unmotivated child for 5 months of the school year.

However, my Grade 11 daughter talks to old UK friends - she is not envious that they are juggling 9 subjects at once and have 1-3 hours of homework almost every night. And does not like the idea of the pressure of GCSE's at age 16. But she does like the fact that in the UK you can drop your least-favourite subjects and focus on your 4 A levels from 16.

I think the set up of out-of-school extra curricular stuff here is odd too. It's so intense for a short period of time that the commitment required to join the basket ball team or play an instrument or perform in a play are all-encompassing. It's ridiculous. My two dance. It's their choice to do as much as they do (genre-wise) but the schedule leaves no time for anything else.

So in summary - it's just different!

A bright or motivated or nagged child will likely do OK in either country if college or university is the goal.

Maplease

Thanks for your thoughts. I guess I'm just going to have to keep plugging away at home and hope it helps. I'm pretty sure I've got a reputation at the school for being a pain in the proverbial, but that doesn't bother me. I guess I should be pleased that he at least likes school and has settled well.

Just an aside, but he told me his teacher was leaving early today to meet a new arrival in the family (her cousin's baby according to my son). He also had a supply teacher the other week as she had a long weekend away. She told the kids it was a holiday. Is this normal? I know I shouldn't keep comparing, but this wouldn't happen in the UK.

ExKiwilass

Can't comment on education in NS but I don't have any issues with the education here (Burnaby school district, BC) so far. So much depends on the school, school district and province, it's so hard to generalise. We're happy. Kid is happy. She didn't learn to read until 7 (and we didn't care) but was reading fluently 6 months later. I dunno. Seems like cuturally, british parents have different expectations to canadian parents when it comes to schooling.

Oink

You're right to be worried, there is a general lack of intensity and rigour in most schools in Canada. I doubt it will be different if you move schools. You could move back to the UK or do this.

Oink

No, and the principal should be reported to the school board office if they allowed it and if they didn't know, then they should.

colchar

She could have told them it was a holiday because it was none of the kids' business. If she was having a medical procedure and needed the day off she shouldn't have to tell the kids.

And even if it was a holiday, so long as it is allowed under their employment contract there is nothing that can be done.




In the UK parents seem to need the school's permission to keep their kids out of school. At least here the parents are responsible for their children, not the school!




Why should it be reported? If it is allowed under their employment contract they can do it if they wish. And of course the principal would know as they are the ones who arrange for the supply teacher.