How badly would my daughter get bullied for having a different accent?

[rosebloomed]

we are moving from Canada and my daughter will be doing her final year of secondary school in Scotland. She told me her British friend told her she’ll most likely get bullied because of her Canadian accent. How true is this? Should we be worried? Would she have a hard time fitting in and making friends?

Which is why she'll be stuffed

I would highly recommend joining some relevant Facebook groups (try searching for Canadians in UK, Canadians in Scotland) and asking there as there’ll be people well versed in both school systems.

But speaking generally, yes moving countries at that age is extremely difficult. One option to bear in mind could be continuing her Canadian studies online and finishing high school that way.

You also need to look in to the complexities of having her as a dependant on the worker’s visa, and what happens after she turns 18.

Edinburgh schools (where the OP says they are going) start again in 2 and a half weeks.

When are you moving over? Scottish schools start in August I believe so time is tight and if she is joining for one year she really needs to be there for the start of term.

I'm struggling to believe this one but just in case.

It's worth saying that typically British people can understand Americans and Canadians because so much TV is produced by Americans. We grow up with it and it's completely intelligible. The converse isn't true. Unless you are Scottish OP, or you watch copious amounts of Scottish TV, not only will your DD struggle with the curriculum, she will struggle with understanding the teachers. And her peers. Now children are very adaptable and learn quickly, but those first few months will be a large chunk of the most important year of her school career.

I've moved countries a few times and wouldn't contemplate this for a second.

I would strongly recommend that whoever got the job offer go to Scotland on their own and have the other parent and DD stay behind until she finishes school next year

There's not an expat parent in the world who would recommend what you're doing unless you have crazy money to put her in a great private school, and even then

Have you not bothered to research education in the uk?

As the mother of a.17yr old dd in England with Scottish family and a 16 yr old nephew I wouldn't move her from England to Scotland at this point. Dd and.DN will do a levels and highers.at the same time despite a 12.month age gap. DN will stay on and relax in 6th year doing a few extra highers . In Scotland they do 5 highers normally english ,maths and 3 others so history or French for example. England they normally do 3 a levels over 2 years in subjects they love so chemistry, biology, psychology for example. English unis tend not to take as many Scottish students and ask for advanced highers normally taken in 6th form. Scottish unis have an extra year at undergraduate level to allow Scottish higher students to catch up on what is covered in school in England. If you onto Scotland then if she managed highers you would he looming at Scottish uni really and as a overseas student so high costs. I think about £20,000 per year ( but do check that) you.need advice and fast from.an expert

WHY ON EARTH would you accept a job offer in another country that you clearly know absolutely nothing about, and then package it up to your young and equally naive daughter as a huge glossy opportunity when you’d actually be throwing a huge bomb into her education and her life!

Struggling to believe this is real. Hoping against hope that it’s not.

Best thing would be to either turn down or defer the job offer, or the parent with the new job moves over while the other stays behind to allow your daughter to complete her education in Canada.

bullying is the least of your worries (and absolutely wouldn’t happen based on her accent. See all the replies above, and learn some more about bullying while you’re learning about Scotland and its education system)

She don't get bullied as such

They will make fun of her accent but usually in a lighthearted way

I think she will be fine… now it is somewhat common for kids with English accent to be teased a bit or so I’ve been told by a number of kids with other accents it doesn’t seem to be an issue. Where are you going in Scotland?

Yes, actually the other stuff aside this is a really important point. My DH is American and we know a fair few Americans in the UK and the British “banter” is something a lot of them really really struggle with. I don’t know enough about Canadian culture to say whether you’d feel the same. But in the UK, teasing is a sign of liking someone, and the line at which teasing becomes bullying can feel very very different depending on your cultural background.

If she’s 18 in Jan then her peers in Scotland will be starting uni this year in a few months. If you think she can start school and uni with her peers as that ship has already sailed.

Unlikely. We moved from South West England to the North West. Everyone at school was welcoming and wanted to be friends precisely because our kids sounded different.

The chances are that the kids will perceive the accent as being "cool". [Source - experience as a Scottish secondary school teacher.]

I moved countries several times as a child and always got bullied for my accent, but I was younger than OP’s daughter. I’d like to hope that everyone has grown out of that by that age.

I remember a new girl coming to our school for the last year of high school - she was from a different city in the same country so no worries about a different education system or anything. But I remember thinking what an incredibly cruel move, all of the fun things for leavers in the last year like prom, leavers’ dinner, etc and here she is doing it with a bunch of people that she barely knows, instead of with her friends that she has been at school with for the last six years.

Please don't do this.

Let her complete the Canadian education she's spent her whole life in, with the one who doesn't have the job offer staying in Canada with her to facilitate that.

She could then apply to university in the UK as a fresh start.

Can't say she won't be bullied but unlikely I'd say. But as others have said - that's not going to be the main issue.

I wonder why her friend is saying that - or your daughter is telling you she did. Are you sure your daughter is as happy about the move as you have assumed?

She won’t get bullied for her accent, but as others have said she’ll be hugely disadvantaged academically.

When I was at high school (Scotland) a girl moved from America. We all loved her accent! She fitted in really well, she still lives here and has lots of friends

Of course you can’t expect her to move into a different educational system aged 17…!!!
She needs to complete her course in Canada, that she is presumably half way through…?
I don’t know why you’re even worrying about bullying, this is a much bigger and real
problem.

Really OP?

I am struggling to imagine a parent moving their dc in the last year of school with a few weeks notice and no idea of the education system.

I would suggest that your DH moves for his job now and you follow once your dd has finished her education next spring/summer.

Oh my goodness this is a horrendous idea. I'm in the USA which is arranged quite similarly to Canada and you can't transfer to a UK school for the equivalent of grade 12 (I am assuming you are not in Quebec which is different). And she won't be eligible for home fees, she will be an international student. Did you ever look into whether she would somehow be eligible for home fees without 3 years residency? She could be liable for an absolutely massive bill.

(This is very much not a "which country or system is better" position. I would never suggest someone move in either direction at this age.)

That said, we're British and live in America, one of my sisters-in-law lives in Australia. So my kids sound American, my niece and nephew sound Australian. When we all go back to the UK people find their accents amusing or sometimes ask them to say certain words, but no-one makes fun of them.)

Please please reconsider your move, let her finish school here for her final year, even if it means boarding.

I’m from the UK, it would be much better for her to finish up here and then apply to Canadian or Uk universities once she is finished.

I'm in England and remember when an American girl joined our school. We thought she was so cool and exotic we were all desperate to befriend her!