"Competitive" is a keyword here. A 12-year old cannot really know what they want to do. Parents decide for them. The tribe over here have gone the other way. All early 20s, bright and bilingual, they have turned their backs on soft subjects and gone vocational. My stepson went to a pressure-cooker private school. He is now nearly qualified in precision machining. Nephew dropped out of university and will soon qualify as a paramedic. Niece 1 has gone into nursing. Niece 2 is training full-time as a gunsmith.

None of them will ever get rich but they are doing what they want to do and they'll not be short of work.

Ha, ha...yes she has wanted to be a Vet since she could put together a sentence..which was only strenghtened when she started riding. When she told me at age 10 she wanted to go to Guelph I was amazed she even knew about it!! She knows its difficult to get in, and she already has two back up plans..which also amazes me. Quite different from our other daughter who is so laid back, and takes things as they come - they are certainly their own individuals which I wouldn't want any other way..as long as their happy

Which is why we all have to do what feels right for our families.

I don't think you can say they'll never be rich. Owning a precision machining company with good contracts might well make one rich. I met the wife of one such person in Florida, she bitched that while their house fronted on the Hudson, they didn't have riparian rights and had to drive to the yacht club. Their place in Florida wasn't in Miami Beach proper but Miami Beach Shores (or perhaps the other way around, I'm not highly clued in to Miami snobbery). "Rich"? Maybe not, but doing ok. A nurse I know passably well has sold up here and found a flat in Limehouse with a terrace looking out at the Thames. Again, not rich, but not desperate either.

You've just no way of telling how things will work out. I'm told, btw, that one reason the vet course at Guelph has a 95+% female enrollment is that it's not considered to be a line of work in which one can make any money.

Not to get in an argument of course, but kids are all different and my daughter has know from a young age what she wanted to be...my other daughter on the other hand has gone from lollipop lady (UK) to archiologist...is only in Grade 9 so has plenty of time to decide. We have never decided for them, thats just the way they are....we have always told them that they can be and do whatever they want if that makes them happy and we're not going to change that - granted some kids futures are decided for them by their parents...most of whom go to private schools. My kids go to a public school in the village that we live.

I thought vets made bundles.

Small animal urban vets, yes.

when we arrived we made a point of talking to everyone. OH has one of those personalities where he can get on with anyone, I am the quiet one and don't feel comfortable meeting new people but once I do I have a great time..

We hand delivered invites to the neighbours down our street to a barbecue. What a turnout it was great. The best bit was we always imagined this as a common thing in Canada but it appears it is not. It was the first time the neighbours had actually really spoken to each other.

We made great friends who we still keep in contact with even though we have moved to London.

OH even invited his work mates round for another barbecue and it ended up a really good party.

My daughter is only 9 and I feel they give too little homework at this stage (I also was a teacher) and we try to keep her studying in her won time but it is hard when the rest of the class don't do it.

Clubs are great but they are so expensive - my daughters school runs a lot of great clubs both at lunch and after school so she is kept busy and has made so many friends.

Don't go back, even in that short time it has changed, and there must have been something which pushed you forward to even apply to come in the first place - keep that at the top of your mind.

Good luck

Rich? Here's the list of public sector employees in Ontario who made more than $100,000 in 2009. There are a few RNs on that list and paramedics make around $80K

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/publicat...sclosure/2010/

I agree the Canadian system is not as great as I thought it would be. We originally put our daughter into French Immersion - big mistake. She was way ahead of the class when she enrolled and by the end of it was down to their level. We spoke to the teacher about our concerns and the lack of academics and she said that French was more important they could catch up with academics later - sorry, not in my eyes, languages are important but academics come first.
In our 3 years here, Beverley has been at 3 schools all due to moving addresses not due to teaching methods.
People are saying you have to make the decisions which are best for your family and are being polite, but in my eyes you put a posting up to get people’s opinion - good or bad. In my eyes I would say you haven't given it a true chance and if you search right down you didn't really want to leave your family and come to Canada. This is SUCH A BIG STEP and even a year is not long enough to get a true feeling on how a place is. If you don't like an area you move, if you don't like a school you change it - jobs are harder particularly with the present economy, but you do what is best for your family. If you truly believe moving back is best then do it, for your family, your sanity and your son’s education.
Look at the options of going back - we have no idea re your job opportunities, or financial situation but what will happen when you go back. Do you expect to walk back into a job, will you go back to where you came from - as I said you left for a reason, do you just want to go back to what was.
You mention about the homework – and how you feel – but how does your son feel? Does he feel challenged academically, if the system is so far behind the UK’s then he should be sailing through it.
It appears you have made up your mind, but I question the reason for it.

I agree

I will say nothing about levels based on what you have said above.

I wouldn't say that $100kpy is rich. Nice enough but not enough for a yacht.

Novo is buying the beers in future.

You are right I did want peoples experiences and opinions.If I had no children I wouldn't be going home just yet.I don't want to take the chance with the next school and the next .When you discussed academics they are behind I, know.I just hope I can get him back into the UK system and catch up as quick as.

????

Seriously lacking Steve