Originally Posted by Steve_P

Two years behind you say.

Read and weep.

http://www.alberta.ca/acn/201012/296...054CA4138.html

Originally Posted by neolight90

Homework is a good thing isnt it?

I would rather my kids be learning in the week then just hanging out on street corners. Going to school is such a short spell in your life plenty of time to enjoy yourselves. Just think they do so well in school because they studied hard and played a little less in the week, but got great jobs with good money and can do anything they like whenever they like. I wish I had more homework when I was younger I would have learnt more. Work hard in the week play hard at the weekends

Originally Posted by Steve_P

80% + is honors so I suggest it is totally unreasonable to expect this to be a pass mark in any school.

Alberta Education mandates 50% is the pass mark in all subjects, to suggest a student repeat a grade if they fall below 80% is just not believable.

Once again change schools.

Move into Edmonton if you seriously believe the problem is system wide, it's not that far to commute to St. Albert.

Originally Posted by siouxie

Again, you chose the school - you can easily choose another school where children do socialize other than at organised activities. If the amount of schoolwork is too much (to attain an 80% average) then send him to an outreach school (50 Sir Winston Churchill Ave. St. Albert, Alberta) where kids learn at their own pace. ( http://outreach.spschools.org/ - Outreach High School is an alternative school with special qualities to offer students. Outreach accounts for different learning styles, and allows students to learn at their own pace. It offers a flexible and friendly environment in which students work independently on their studies but have the support of knowledgeable teachers) Another alternative could be http://www.al.gsacrd.ab.ca/index.php...emid=1&lang=en where they say (in the handbook) that there would be little homework.

Honestly, there are alternatives out there if you wanted to improve his life.

You state that children don't have rights because they attend more than 1 club a night - has it occurred to you maybe the children want to do those activities rather than the parents making them? You are seeing everything in a negative way instead of rationalizing.

You say you came here to give your son opportunities but have you actually explored the outdoors life yet? Been anywhere? Done anything? If you had then you would realise that it is a great opportunity your son has.

There is no ideal life - because life is what you make of it. You have to want it to begin with, of course, which I get the impression you don't.

Perhaps your unhappiness with Canada has affected your son too.

Canada is great... for most people. My son put his life on hold for 5 years to be here (waiting for processing) and now he is here he couldn't be happier.

I wish you well.

Originally Posted by Kiwilass

I hear ya. ST albert sounds like a snobhole.

However could you please stop generalising about "Canadian" schools. You've only experienced one school in St Albert. There are a lot of different provinces, school districts etc. in Canada and lots of different schools. Ta.

BTW, by "better school" what do you mean? Do you mean some Fraser I report says so, or what? Just wondering...

Originally Posted by Steve_P

Two years behind you say.

Read and weep.

http://www.alberta.ca/acn/201012/296...054CA4138.html

Originally Posted by Steve_P

Two years behind you say.

Read and weep.

http://www.alberta.ca/acn/201012/296...054CA4138.html

Originally Posted by DandNHill

I'm not going to try to wind you up more than you already are but I would like to comment on the above statement.
You obviously mean by this that English schools cater for the individual needs? I totally disagree. English schools can only teach in one way! I have 4 kids and have experienced over the years several schools in the South of the UK so feel confident in making this statement.

With regards also to the comment you made about getting a job in the UK it is complete rubbish. It is almost impossible to get a job over here. I have been lucky and I am moving to another job through nepotism. The company I am leaving is advertising for my replacement and another role. It is so sad that some very experienced and capable people are applying for a role which is so obviously below them but they are trying everything to get something, anything! And the majority of those applying are unemployed at the moment!

So please for all your sakes take off the rose tinted glasses. Make sure that you don't come back to the UK to join the ranks of the unemployed and also will you even be able to get your son back into the school he was in? Otherwise it will be another new beginning for him and on top of that he will have 5 months work to catch up on!

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Alan2005

I'm surprised at you Steve. You should know that a study based on empirical evidence has no credibility when compared to a single persons anecdotal experience.

Originally Posted by taichiiqueen

Not to the extent it takes over.

Originally Posted by Piff Poff

You are very argmentative in your replies, I would suggest your son isn't in one of the better schools if they are not listening to the parents concerns (how old is your son). For what reason did you emigrate in the first place? It is seeming like you did it on a bit of a whim, 5 months really isn't long enough to settle anywhere - it's taken me longer to settle in an new town in the UK to settle somewhere to to think 5 months is realistic in a completely different country is nuts.

You certainly don't want to listen to any one elses point of view or even fact. A 50% grade average passes the grade, as SteveP said 80% is Honors, a school cannot accept this as the norm. You have spent a lot of money in moving to St Albert, you have spent a lot of emotion on moving, you will spend even more moving back when you haven't really given it a chance, you obviously hate it here - did you do a reccy? Just interested. I think the school situation is an excuse as you are not happy and want to give up. It is hard work to make a new life in a new country and you have to be committed.

Saying that we have all done things that we have regretted the moment it happens and wish we could turn back time, your one is a huge one though and I'm sure(?) you have given it lots of thought.

Originally Posted by izzi81

Cognitive science tells us that it is a human trait to extrapolate from our own observations and believe that something is true because it is what we have experienced, but unfortunately this is most often not the case.

It would be interesting to know what your son and husband think? It is a shame if it has been a wasted effort, and I hope in the future you can look back on it as an adventure rather than a disappointment. I wish you the best of luck!

Originally Posted by taichiiqueen

All the school in the area say to get into Uni they need 80-90% because that is what the Unis want.They are results driven .