[seejayybee]

Right, so my dad wants to do a "firefighter exchange" thing with a family in Australia, basically what would happen is that we'd swap homes and countries for a whole year. At the moment i'm revising for my standard grades, and am choosing my highers in February, and my brother is going to be in 3rd year after the summer.
Will a year in Australia screw up our education? Is there anything that could be done to avoid the screwing up? :P


and also, a Scottish university wouldn't accept a mixture of qualifications from Australia and Scotland, would it?

Thanks

[nadnerb]

I got into uni with GCSEs, AS levels and an Australian Diploma so I guess you'd be fine.

Probably the biggest problem you'll have is because the academic year runs from Jan/Feb to Nov/Dec.
I actually moved out there for a year after my GCSEs in August 2000.
Instead of going straight in towards the end of year 11 like I should have (year 11-12 is VCE, basically A-levels) they put me in year 10 as it was important that I started year 11 from the start in Feb. So from June2000-Feb2001 I didn't learn much as I basically had 2 summer holidays and repeated the same school year. Then when I finally started year 11 in Feb I only had 6 months before I moved back to the UK, where I then started A-Levels and again kinda repeated what I'd just done in yr 11 in Australia!
In case you're wondering where the diploma comes into it, well after the trial year my family moved out there permanently after I'd finished my AS-levels. I then did a diploma as I couldn't get into Australian uni with just GCSEs and AS-levels.

I don't know much about the Scottish education system so it may not be as disruptive for you as it was for me.
You may be able to work out the least disruptive time to go, maybe Jan-Jan or something so you get a full year of study in Aus.
It also depends which state you go to as the education system slightly different in each.

Anyway, hope that helps a bit!

[seejayybee]

wow thanks!
apparently we'd be going to either Adelaide or Brisbane?
though my mum doesn't really think it'll happen :P

Not too bothered though, once i finish school + uni i'm going to travel for a wee bit