I Would Be...

I would be...

Chris Blaymires, my grandfather on my mothers side immigrated to Canada in the spring of 1959, although the specific date is unknown. They took the ship by the name Empress Britain ein and landed in Quebec as a midway point to their destination of Toronto, Canada, which they traveled to by train from Montreal. Once they arrived in Toronto, they stayed one night in the York Hotel, and the next day they traveled to live with their friends in Brampton until they could afford a place of their own. Since my grandfather was so young when they immigrated (6 years of age). and all of my other family members that were alive during the immigration, he is my only source of information and he does not remember everything. However, there were many known reasons for his family's immigration were plenty. My grandfather's brother, Robert Blaymires, scored low on what was called the "Elevenses Test", which severely limited his chances at having a successful career and future. Their parents Doris and William Blaymires, thought Robert would have a better education in Canada. Both of their parents also thought it would be better for their careers, and most of their friends and family members were moving to Canada, so they kind of jumped on the bandwagon

Registry for Empress Britain

Empress Britain

Education in England

If my Grandfather and his family never moved to Canada, my life wouldn't have changed very much. 

In terms of education, unlike Canada, there are four main parts of education; Primary, Secondary, Further and Higher education. Unlike Canada, Primary and Secondary education are both mandatory, whereas in Canada, one you have reached the age of 16 you can legally opt to drop out of Secondary education. After Secondary education, students in England can choose to continue on to Further education, and only after completing that do they have the option of going to Higher education. Primary education is the equivalent to Elementary schooling in Canada, Secondary is similar to High School, Further education is where students go to get their A-levels,  BTEC's or go to college or university. Higher education is high level Colleges and Universities. The average cost for a three year cost for further and higher education is approximately £26,000, which converts to approximately $36,700 Canadian.

Entering the Workforce Today

In England today, the unemployment rate for all ages is just under 26%, and the unemployment rate for people aged 15-24 is lower, at 17%. This is much higher than in Canada, where we have an unemployment rate of only 6.9%. This would mean it would be much more difficult for me to find a job, whether it be part time, full time, or a long term career. I would definitely need to work a part time or full time job in order to pay for my education, as the max loan in England is £6,000 but the price per year for tuition is about £9,000.

Overall, I wouldn't mind living in England, however I believe my quality of life is better in Canada, and I am glad my great grandparents decided to live here.