school

[a&a]

we have a 10 year old girl and would like to know how hard it is to adapt to spanish schooling as she does not speak spanish

[Olè]

My kids have been in school here now for over 4 years now and love it.

Now this is my perception of schooling here ;)

This is a tricky question as it all depends on how well the child adapts to the transition of moving to Spain.
Introduce then to "learn Spanish" books, try and get them lessons before the move and just be there for them when they go to the school.

It may take them a few days, weeks, months for them to adapt or worse case scenario - never! you can never say.

It is different to England and what goes through their minds when they have to sit there in a class, not knowing anyone, in a strange country with no idea whats going on is heartbreaking as we "moved" them.

If the child will be 11 before December then they would start in Yr. 6 (final year) of primary school before high school, however, with no Spanish they would probably stay down and repeat the year, next year.
If the child is 11 from January they would be in yr.5.

Most schools have English kids in them who help with translation in class (which personally annoys me as my kids have their own class work to do and it isn´t their job) but as far as learning Spanish goes you need to get extra lessons and the child needs to integrate.

Integration - now theres a word!
Some English kids here don´t and just go through the motions of high school and end up without qualifications (need to go to uni really to get them), a job, but there is always the beauty/hair school in Albox to enrol in.
I don´t blame the kids in a way as alot of the time they are brought over too old and stick to what they know - English.
You get kept down in high school too if you don´t pass your exams at the end of term so some kids don´t finish school they just leave at 16.
But alot bring with them their British attitudes and its embarrassing cos they swear, drink and smoke at 14 / 15 and think they look good. Just need the pregnancies next!
I´m not saying the Spanish kids are saints but you´ll see what I mean.

[Maria A.]

Olé, I agree with you that you can´t blame the kids. But you can blame that parents! I really don't understand how parents can take away their children from their environment at these ages without preparing them (i.e. teach them Spanish), I almost think it's a crime to deprive your children from a decent education, not that I think that education in Spain is bad, but it's for sure that most foreign children that move to Spain unprepared at an age of, let's says 10-16, before finishing high school, are bound to at least a decline of years. Many of them indeed never get any qualification or job.

To all those people with children in that age I would say: please wait a few years and let your children finish their education in England. Think about your children's future instead of following a selfish need of....? well, whatever you come to look for in Spain.

[carwyn99]

Although I totally agree that a childs education and happiness has to be very high on priorities in life.
This also has to be weighed up against have a child educated in England but being in a world where knife crime is happening on a daily basis,the police do not bother with young yobs being on the street and most children have no respect for anyone.
Spain seems a lot safer world.
Youths seem to have respect for their elders and I believe any English child living in Spain will turn out a better human being when being away from England

[digifidd]

Sorry Carwyn99, cant agree with you. Respect begins in the home - if children dont respect others its down to the parents. There are also problems re violence in Spain but the Spanish dont tend to talk about it. They have trouble with gypsies in this respect but they wont cross them - no different to parts of the UK.

I agree with Maria A to a certain respect, the child's wellbeing, both social and educational are paramount.

We brought our children out to Spain in 2005, they were 3 and 5 years old. The 3 year old was fine and started to integrate rapidly as she had had no experience of education. Our 5 year old, who was happy socially in the Uk, was placed in the top half of her class in the Uk, was confident and bubby, within a year in Spain became moody and withdrawn.

She found it hard to integrate, eventhough we had tried to prepare her with Spanish books and learning videos. She wasn't prepared for the harshness of the Spanish education system that confronted her. Gone were the fluffy UK teachers to be replaced with ones who shouted at her for wanting to go to the toilet, smoked in her lesson (she's asthmatic) and threw blackboard rubbers for behaviour that she considered normal.
She also, at the age of 5, could correct her English teacher!

It really spoke volumes for the standard of education we found in Albox. Within a year, she was further on in her learning book than her Spanish neighbours boy who had to be helped by a neighbour (English/Dutch) with his homework because the Spanish mum either wouldn't or couldn't help him.

The English speaking children were divided into 2 groups. Ones who knew enough Spanish to get by (but were struggling with their homework as their parents spoke little or no Spanish) or the ones who didn't try at all. Needless to say, it was more comfortable for our daughter to socialise with the English girls. She mentally couldn't get to grips with the Spaniards.

We did enrol her in extra Spanish classes which she enjoyed until some older English children started to bully her. So unfortunately Carwyn99, the same problems occur in Spain as in the UK.

If your child is mentally robust, they may do well, however the risk is that they may not cope with the upheaval. Albox is not the academic centre of Almeria - sorry if that sounds snobby. I found it educationally backward.

We are now back in the Uk and both of my girls are thriving. My eldest is now more self assured as she is back in her comfort zone. She still uses her Spanish and will probably in time reap the benefit of her time in Spain, but while she was going through it, she was unrecogniseable and desperately unhappy.

I dread to think what she would have been like if she had been older when we took her out there - having to leave her friends, an education system that she was familiar with and a society she understood and had a place in.

[a&a]

Thanks for you coments about school in albox we have been coming to almeria 3 times a year for about 15 year and would have loved to move to albox but the schooling was a big thing so it looks like more rainy days and cold weather.but our girl must come first

[Olè]

carwyn99 - yes the Spanish do have respect for adults but if a child doesn´t integrate with them, are not taught respect/manners at home or play with certain English kids - barring knife crime i´m afraid they may turn out the same as being brought up in the UK!

a&a Why just look at schools in Albox?

[carwyn99]

The plan is for him to totally intergrate with the Spanish children and the way of life.
Both myself and wife are going to college to learn the Spanish language.
The good news our son has still got very good respect for parents and others but staying in England much longer who knows how he will turn out.

Have you got alternatives to schools in Albox?
Are there other schools nearby which has got a better reputation?

[Olè]

To be honest it´s not the schools it´s the kids/parents.

Some English parents expect the Spanish schools to go out of their way and call them racist if things arn´t right - they don´t look at themselves or their kids attitude. They forget we moved to their country and its up to us to integrate, to get an interpretor not expect it.

Think how certain English feel with immigrants in the UK not speaking the language etc its just the same here.

All English are tarred with the same brush by the majority of Spanish

At the end of the day they are Spanish schools with an education system that work for them and yes it may seem crap to us BUT we came here so its a case of put up or shut up ;)

[Olè]

carwyn99

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