Off Topic On a brighter note................

Yeah but who's fault is that? Society's?

 

My eldest is starting an apprenticeship in a couple of weeks, instead of returning to finish year 13.

Some people really struggle with the switch from 'school' to 'sixth form' because it's a very different situation, and, like a lot of her friends, she really struggled, although her AS results were good enough to gain entry to year 13.

Congrats to those whose results were good, hope they enjoy Uni or their last year at school. And for those who are choosing a different path, I wish you all the best of success.

 

If I was starting out now, I'd be highly attracted by the apprentice route, unless I got a sponsor to help avoid the mountain of debt at Uni. It's hard on kids now - I got my university education paid for me by a generous London grant, and although I worked each holiday as a hospital porter in Kingston Hospital to give me living expenses, and have paid back to government many times over in tax over my working lifetime the funding I received, the amount of student debts now and the ridiculously high interest rate charged are simply not right.

 

Congratulations to your son Col, my eldest daughter is also at Southampton, 2 years through a Biology degree although she's just spent 5 months in Melbourne and is taking a couple of months to travel home! She's had a good (sensible) time there, seems like a good place to study.

 

Great addition to Oxford University:

A-level results: Malala Yousafzai gets a place at Oxford

• 17 August 2017

Malala Yousafzai has gained a place at Oxford University after getting her A-level results.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who lives in Birmingham, confirmed the news in a tweet congratulating all students getting their results on Thursday.

She will be studying philosophy, politics and economics at Lady Margaret Hall.

The 20-year-old was nearly killed by the Taliban in Pakistan for campaigning for girls' rights to education in 2012.

In March, she revealed she had received an offer to study the three subjects at a UK university, on condition of achieving three As in her A-levels.

She will be studying the same course at the same college attended by Benazir Bhutto, the former Pakistani Prime Minister.

More updates on this story

Ms Yousafzai was shot in the head on her way home from school after writing her anonymous diary about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan.

Militants boarded her school bus and opened fire, also wounding two of her school friends.

She became internationally known after the incident and relocated with her family to Birmingham for further rehabilitation.

In April, Ms Yousafzai was made the youngest ever UN Messenger of Peace.

 

My wife's first response was 'how come she's going when she's 20?'. I had to remind her that Malala had been shot in the head a few years ago, which may have put a crimp in her education timelines, plus she was taking her A levels in a second language. Cue suitable shamefacedness. A rare victory!

 

I must admit that the debt is he'll incur is quite a concern. Myself and my ex-wife are going to help him with living expenses so that he doesn't have to borrow too much as far as a maintenance loan is concerned. He'll also be getting a job!

 

Yes, we do that. The bit that caught me out was when they need a deposit in about April time for the house they have found for the following year. The rental years tend to be July to June so you end up paying through the summer for a house that is not used!