My comment to you about emigration was not a put-down, sorry if it cam across like that. I once knew a maths teacher who worked in the state sector in the UK. He was in his late-twenties and was fed-up with the lack of support of the management where he worked and the lack of discipline. He was married, to another teacher, but they had no children. I had a phone call unexpectedly from him and he was really excited. They had both been accepted to live and work in Australia. Several months later he wrote to me and told me just how good it was to work in a high school where discipline was not a problem, management was supportive, and the lifestyle fantastic. Prior to this he was thinking of quitting teaching altogether, but the move to Oz was a smart move.

Fair enough, perhaps I was a tad too sensitive.

I do wonder about discipline amongst australian students now though.I watched a documentary on youtube where australian students were sent to stern singapore to live with a singaporean family because of their unruly behaviour in australia, they were unable to adapt to sterile singapore and it's laws, rules, and strictures.No doubt the students there excel, and they get results....but I just did not agree with the heavy handed parenting of the singapore family. Either way, thanks for your response.