AIBU to turn down Australia job offer because son has started A levels?

I thought he was only about a week in?

If he is bright he would be fine with IB. The people it is not so good for are those who tend to be significantly weaker in some disciplines as it demands a broader base.

The combination of recent redundancy, no suitable jobs in the UK, niche field, and fixed-term contract in Australia leads me to think that @FergussSingsTheBlues and her DH might be academics.

Redundancies in UK universities have been widespread and getting towards the unmanageable stage - if made redundant without large external research funding, most academics have very little chance of re-employment in HE. It’s a serious loss of expertise to the country and I can see why the OP and her DH are making a gamble on a fixed term post in Australia (although universities there are in just as bad state as in the UK).

@FergussSingsTheBlues

Which field is his expertise in, OP?

Do neither you nor your husband currently have jobs? You say you have been living off redundancy money for two years. Have both of you been actively looking for work for two years and not found anything?

I honestly can't see how you could not prioritise getting a paying job over your son's 'welfare'. There might be other options other than the Australian job you have not yet explored - if so I would explore them at speed asap. If this has been the only job offer both of you have had in the last two years I would absolutely take it. Looks like you're not getting anywhere at all in this country and how are you going to support your son in the future?

I know you previously said your husband has a niche job, but has he fully considered broader employment options in the UK. All jobs have transferable skills. I’ve recently started looking for a role outside my career role and have been pleasantly surprised about finding roles I can apply for where I can demonstrate that I have relevant experience.

Have you asked your son?

I loved boarding school and the independence it gave me. It engendered resilience, a can do attitude, and a willingness to make the best of any situation.
Loved it.

He has already started A levels according to the OP- IB is completely different it's more like school certificate there are compulsory subjects you have to pass- not appropriate for everyone.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this or not but it’s very difficult to join in year 12 in Australia (last year of school - most kids are 17. 1/2 to 18 ish). The last two years of school are mostly made up of three academic terms of year 11 then the last term of that year is when you sit start to study year 12. So you have 7 terms of the senior syllabus - 3 of year 11 and 4 of year 12 then you sit your finals exams in term 4 of year 12.
So to have a realistic chance of doing well he needs to have his last two years of high school here not one.
Also kids here have to study at least five subjects for their HSC (equivalent of your A levels) of which one must be English. Some do 5 1/2 or 6.

How does he qualify for domestic fees in Australia?

Unless you are exaggerating, I’m not sure you have the luxury of this not working out. Australia is a brilliant country for young, hardworking people. My son moved after uni knowing no one. It’s been the making of him. He has a huge friendship group, a brilliant lifestyle involving lots of sports and outdoor activities, a massive social life, a highly paid job, a wonderful girlfriend and great prospects.
Your bright, able, adaptable son will be fine wherever he is. There are many paths. You cannot let your and your husband’s security in old age be compromised by your worries about A levels. You need to take the long view.

Not having a go rather just adding..A level subject classes bring many new friendships. Not every current friend will choose the same subjects.
They create a new bond with people that wern't in their class.
So it's a begining too. And maybe finishing it elsewhere won't be such an upheaval.
It's a big world and education is lifelong learning.

Or swap to IB now.

I think that is a key issue.

I think in educational terms that is true at the leaver's qualification/university end.

I don't know why he wouldn't consider some of the sandstone universities there. He'd be pushed to do better here.
ETA to say actually I should have said "OP wouldn't" as it feels as though the DS hasn't been consulted. He might be totally energised for a move.

You can't switch from Alevels to IB on the fly- if you want your son to get any qualifications he needs to stay in the UK or somewhere which has a school which does A Levels.

There is no real sense of what the son actually wants, throughout this thread.

That's very kind of you to put your son first, speaking as somebody who had to emigrate at a child just before my GCSEs and ended up having to do a baccalaureat in a foreign language instead. I wish somebody had bothered to ask me what I wanted!
I'd see how your son feels about it and explore all options available with him.
IB is an excellent qualification. I have a French one and it's considered a higher level than A level and gets you lots of UCAS points.
It's possible it may take a long time to arrange visas and moving so the question may become moot.

I suspect Australia is a better bet than UK now

Good point about Scotland - and it wasn't as narrow in England and Wales while we had AS levels, you could at least do say Maths AS alongside humanities A levels. In fact, does Wales still have AS levels?

But anyway, if I were an employer, I'd always be impressed to see the IB over A levels. Definitely separates the sheep from the goats. As someone who did very narrow A levels I wouldn't have done too well with the IB.

To do the IB you have to be good across a spread of subjects rather than specialising like you do in the UK so I am always impressed when I see someone has done the IB.

Internationally, the English A Level specialisation is actually an outlier. A spread of subjects for a matriculation qualification is the norm elsewhere - even in Scotland, with Highers! Lots of 17-18 year olds manage this, internationally. And frankly, I think it's far better that all matriculating pupils have a nodding acquaintance with both humanities and STEM subjects.

I now teach in the arts & humanities at a RG university, but I have the equivalent of AS levels in Physics, Chemistry and Maths, as well as History, English, French, and Art. Quite a normal spread for pupils achieving in the upper half of results in Australia.

So a bright lad heading up for A Levels will be absolutely fine in Australia.

I suspect that @FergussSingsTheBlues is fixating on this, as a cover for a lot of other uncertainties about emigration. It's only natural - it's a big step to take, to go to a different country & culture.

@FergussSingsTheBlues

Which part of Australia, OP?

I would do that too. I'd much rather let my husband live by himself than leave my 17 year old in a country on the other side of the planet. Boarding school makes no sense when there isn't a reason for both of you to be in Australia. Either way the family will be living in separate countries for a while, but the child is your first priority.

I haven't read the whole thread, but did you know that there are some outstanding state schools and sixth form colleges that offer boarding? It is at far lower cost than independent school boarding.

It is a shame that A level courses are starting up now, but I wonder if, even at this stage, a late registration might be possible, if that would help you?