Experosborn

Thanks to Quantum from me too.When I started this thread I didn't intend to worry people, especially those who are on their way here  in the near future. But your post explains the problems with the system very clearly. It's worth bearing in mind though that even very bright children cannot always cope. As I explained at the start, my 15 year old daughter is now studying for GCSEs at home She is missing people of her own age terribly. but she could not put up any longer with the rigid style of teaching, bare classrooms, lack of any sense of enjoyment in learning,and teachers who showed no interest in the students as people. She's now thinking of returning to the UK next year to study for 'A' levels-certainly not what we envisaged when we moved here 2  and a half years ago. My younger daughter(13 now) has had that extra two years, and is fairly settled. Please think very carefully about your teenagers' happiness before placing them in this system. Jo    

I thought it might be useful for anyone thinking of moving to France with teenagers to hear about what has happened in our family recently. We moved just over 2 years ago with two daughters of 11 and 13. After the expected, but nonetheless traumatic difficulties in settling into the French education system, both of the girls survived the first two years and the youngest, who is now 13, is fairly happy.  Being younger, she picked up the language very quickly and has an extra two years to prepare for the 'brevet'.    However, our eldest daughter, now 15 yrs old, who passed the 'brevet' with good marks, was so desperately unhappy at the Lycee which she started going to at the beginning of September, that we have taken her out of the French system (not enough time to explain my views on  French teaching methods at the moment!) She is now studying at home for 8 GCSEs which she will take next Summer. She has been happily studying for 6 hours a day and it is wonderful to see her face alight with motivation again. I'm not saying that this would suit everyone; my point is that bringing children over the age of 11 to France and expecting them to settle happily into the French system may not be as straightforward as some would suggest. I really don't want to be negative-there are huge advantages to living here and it is a joy to hear the girls chatting away happily in French. I do wish though that I had known more about the Education system before making the life changing decision to emigrate. Jo Osborn