Hello,

My partner has just been offered a job In Vancouver which is lovely. The problem is they want him to go along with myself and my 2 children in August but our oldest son is in year 10 and will be going into his last year at school doing his GCSE'S may 2009.

Please can you tell me if we do go in August can he just pick up on his GCSE'S from where he left off here in the UK...meaning, can he carry on in Vancouver without missing out. We have said we would go over in August when the children are off school on holiday. My partner can try his new job out for the month without disrupting the childrens schooling here, and myself and the children can explore Vancouver.

Our main concern is our eldest's GCSE'S. Please can anyone advise on this subject?

Thank you

Sonia xx

The education system in Canada is different, they do not have GCSEs, instead they have something called a high school diploma. The wiki has some good articles on
Canadian Schooling

I don't know how long you are planning to stay in Canada, but if it is more than a couple of years, the canadian high school diploma should more than compensate for not completing GCSEs.

But it is a risk in the shorter term.

In addition to the good information britsnake has given you, you may be interested in the Wiki article called GCSE and A-level Students.
x

is'nt this a 'tail wagging the dog' scenario ?

.....and by that you mean what??

Thank you Judy. Will take a look. x

Our son is taking his GCSE's this year, when he gets his results his grades will count as points towards his high school diploma so I've been told by the school we have looked at in BC.
Either way the school will place him in the class they feel is right for his age and then move him as necessary if he is further on/ not so far on as his classmates. We found that contacting the school counsellor who deals with this sort of thing in the approprite school district was very helpful
Terese

ask your son

i have opted to stay and let my daughter finish her GCSE's as she was doing so well, we go straight after her prom on the 4th July, as a good bye to her mates, but that might not be an option for you with the timing? my OH is going out first.

My daughter stayed on in the UK to take her exams, but only turned up for a few. She then went on to College. She then decided to come here after all and is now taking her Grade 12. She was given some credit for previous results. They can stay on here until they have achieved their Grade 12 and in some cases that can mean 21. She was at the age (18) she would have been doing it had she been here years. The only thing she could not get to grips with in just a year was Maths, it is so different. She is going on to do Media which she did at College so is taking a Documentary course instead of Math, to count towards the Grade 12. Once she gets her high level Grade 12 she can go on to Uni here. In effect she has been given a second chance to get into Uni and not many people get that in life.
If she had only her english qualifications, she would have been strugling to have them recognised. This way she has gone through both systems and it will show that she took steps to transfer her qualifications on her resume.