A Russell Sprout Again: An Update

First, I want to say thanks to everyone for your sympathy over my dental ordeal of the past week. It isn’t quite right, but the antibiotics have kicked in and I am almost back to my old self.

Back in February, I did a couple of posts about Lu our youngest and her struggles to fit into a school system that didn’t cater for her advanced needs.

At the time I finished my second post on a quite upbeat note: Lu had finally after a long struggle become content enough with school to take it seriously.

Well all that has changed.

When I got home a couple of weeks ago Lu dropped a bombshell. “Dad, I’m leaving school.”

“You’re… what…?”

“Dad it’s OK.”

“What do you mean It’s OK, you’re sixteen. What about your future? What about university?”

Suddenly I was very afraid. I had dreaded this moment for a long time. Lu has hated and I mean HATED school for almost all of her short life. I’d often been concerned that she would simply drop out as soon as she was legally allowed.

But recently things had seemed much better for her. She wasn’t exactly enjoying school but she had come to tolerate it and see some value in where it was taking her.

“Dad it’s OK.”

“What do you mean, how can it be OK?”

Then a straw to clutch, I decide it is just her sense of humour and she is pulling my leg. “You’re teasing me aren’t you?”

“No Dad, I’m leaving school.”

“But…”

“Dad let me finish.”

So I took a breath and let her finish.

Normally here in Victoria the senior years of high school (called Year 11 and Year 12 although they are actually the 12th and 13th years of school education) are spent doing the Victorian Certificate of Education which is how university places are allotted.

I should say a quick word about the Australian education system. After school age we don’t have a separate college system where you do a bachelors degree before going on to a university to do post-grad. Rather undergraduate degrees and post-graduate studies (like masters and PHD studies) all happen at the same universities.

So normally Lu’s path would be to finish the VCE and go on to enrol at one of the local universities based on her results.

But that is not what she is doing.

Now before you panic on her behalf (like I did), Lu has worked it all out.

Yes, she has left school. But she has harnessed her frustration and sidestepped the last two years of high school.

Here in Oz one thing education does well is open opportunities for people. There has been recognition that the traditional path doesn’t suit everyone.

One of the things that has stemmed out of this is Open University.

Lu has worked out that rather than continuing on at school she can enrol immediately with Open University.

Deb and I have agreed to her plan with a couple of provisos:
she has to do something to keep social contacts going (not content with standing still she has fixed this one already she has gone out and joined a group that are putting on a musical later in the year);
and if it doesn’t work out she will go back to high school next year (somehow I get the feeling that this agreement won’t be needed).


Lu’s plan at this point is to do a semester or two at Open Uni and work hard enough to get top level results then transfer over to Melbourne University as a regular undergrad (because the Open Uni courses are run by recognised Universities she will get credit toward the degree she does there).

There is no cost to us as parents. Ultimately Lu will pay through HECS (an interest free government scheme that will increase her tax slightly when she enters the workforce until the debt is repaid).

Lu has already enrolled in first year Maths, Chemistry and Biology units.
She has begun work on her Bachelor’s degree as I type this post. This very determined young woman has found a solution to her biggest problem. Who are we to stand in her way?

Now on a slightly calmer note a few piccies.

A couple of weeks ago we were driving along a back-road just on sunset.

Out in a paddock I noticed these two ruined grain silos being painted by the rich colours of the evening light.

This first piccie is taken over the grey timbers of an old stock-yard.A close up showing how rich the old bricks and stone looked in the sunset.Then just a minute or two later as the sun dipped below the valley walls they almost blend back into their surroundings.