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

[FergussSingsTheBlues]

My husband has been offered a job in Australia. Neither is us can find full time work in the uk and we know we’ll need to sell our house in two years if this carries on. We are relieved to say the least. We’ve both lived abroad plenty so it’s something we know we can deal with.

The problem is my eldest son has literally last week just started a levels.
There are zero schools or colleges that do a levels where we would be going, it’s all IB.

Boarding won’t be an option or living apart, we’re a very close family and would find that traumatic.

Has anybody else been in this position? I don’t see how we can make this work because of education and think we’ll have to turn it down. (We know he’d be allowed domestic fees for university but I don’t know further information). My son is bright and hardworking and we don’t want to wreck his prospects

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

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.

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.

I think that is a key issue.

Or swap to IB now.

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.

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.

How does he qualify for domestic fees in Australia?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

@FergussSingsTheBlues

Which field is his expertise in, OP?

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).

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.