Ginger

Could I just point out that the IB and the French Bac are two totally different things so don't confuse them.  Unis that take the IB may not necessarily accept the French Bac. We've done the college years in France but are now returning to the UK as I don't feel the education system is really preparing them for living in a global world. I would disagree that a bright child will do well in the French system. I think there are a lot of ifs and buts. If your child is an auditory/visual learner then they'll be fine with the rote learning and regurgitation that form a staple of the French system. If you have a kinaesthetic learner, or one who wants to have their own opinion about anything then France is not for you at all. France is years behind in the psychology of learning and the system is set up (according to a French teacher) for the average child, not for either the very bright or the less able. As a result, many many children lose interest in their education long before they are able to achieve anything. My very bright, but kinaesthetic son has practically given  up on his education. Death by worksheet is how he describes it. He's been amazed at how little his peers know about the world in general and how little interest they have in it. He finds the whole system completely demotivating and uninspiring.   To be honest, from an education point of view I think it's been a complete disaster. I  couldn't say one is better than the other, it depends on the child but it's definitely not a superior education system, nor is it like the old grammar schools or any of the other things people use to describe it. I think its actually very narrow and the curriculum certainly doesn't meet the needs of the modern world. To be really harsh, I think it's just preparing 'cannon fodder' for the future bosses who come through the Grand Ecoles. I think that's why so much more is spent per head on the students who go there, rather than the ordinary student. At University level, having spent time at Uni in the UK and Paris, I think the UK is streets ahead though. French Universities have poor reputations, high drop out rates and some of the worst graduation rates in Europe.

I'm afraid I agree with Jura. Our own experience has served to show that education in France is just as much a postcode lottery as the UK.  No extra help for any of my children (not that I expected it) they were just left to sink or swim. Racism on a weekly basis from the surveillants and one particular teacher, poor standard of teaching, some teachers who shouldn't be left in charge of a dog, never mind children, a narrow, proscribed curriculum, indendent thought positively discouraged. I don't see any benefit for our children to stay here and so we are leaving.

There was a major theft from a charity event in aid of Les Amis des Chats in Roquecor (Tarn-et-Garonne) last night. Goods worth several thousand pounds, plus charity collection boxes, were stolen in the break in. The gendarmes have been worse than useless as has the Maire, who neglected to inform the organisers that the Salle des Fetes was broken into in exactly the same manner last weekend and has failed to replace the broken lock (although he has had a meeting about it. WHOOPEE!) Some of the goods stolen were scented candles, linen sprays, carpet sprinkles and room sprays from a company called BUTTERMILK BARN. These items are not available anywhere else in France outside of Brittany. If anyone should come across them being sold in local markets, etc, please could you get in touch by PM as this may provide a trail back to the thief. A large quantity of donated handmade jewellery which would have raised several hundred pounds of much needed funds for the charity, was also stolen, although this is, obviously, much harder to identify. Any information will be gratefully received.

Hello, I'm Ginger's son and I'm 13. I've been her 5 years.  Like you I keep in touch with my friends from school but I much preferred school in England than here. I only went to primary school but last time I was home, my cousin's secondary school let me go for two days. It was brilliant. The school had so many more facilities that mine does and they learn loads of different subjects that I don't do here like Metalwork, Woodwork, Domestic Science, proper IT lessons. They had interactive whiteboards and everyone has a laptop to use. My school doesn't even have working computers :(( The lessons were really interesting compared to many of mine here and the work was very different. More interesting and more challenging. I find the lessons here very, very boring.  We call it 'death by worksheet'. I can do Latin here but I hate it so I don't think of it as a plus point. I can't do Greek or Spanish as my college doesn't teach it. I was surprised you said your friends don't do Civic Education as it's part of the UK curriculum. Economics and Social Studies are available in the UK as are agricultural studies at many 6th form colleges in country areas. I completely disagree that there are more types of lessons in   France. The choice my cousin has for GCSE is huge compared to what I can do for the Brevet.    He can do all the sciences, Latin, German, French, Mathematics and Statistics, RE, Humanities, Art, Phys Ed, Drama, Business Studies, Economics, Social Studies, History, Geography, Electronics, English and PSE. He's just in a normal state school.                                                                                                         I intend to go back to university in England as I want to do Forensic Anthropology. There are brilliant BSc courses in the UK but here I'd have to go to university for about 6 years and still not be trained. When I told my teachers I want to do Forensic Anthropology, they looked at me as if I was nuts. I don't think they knew what it was. I'm pleased that you enjoy school here and hope it continues that way. It's important to be happy where you are. Good luck in the future.

Hi Rory, I can't help out with the number of days for UK residence as I'm trying to find that out myself, but I can tell you that if your wife works in France you will not be entitled to an E109 and your wife will have to pay cotisations to the French healthcare system. If you are paying tax and NI in the UK you are not entitled to healthcare in France except what is covered under your EHIC. Bonne chance

[quote user="Frenchie"] I agree that art and theatre etc, should be more present in French schools, but many schools , even in rural areas, offer creative options to children. I teach in a high school, we have a theatre club, dance clubs, etc.. All foreign teenagers are offered French classes, I know, I have one student from Chile, one from Afghanistan, and they have really improved their French thanks to it. I'm sorry but French learning is not all about regurgitating !!!!! [blink] We value reflexion, analysis, expression of personal opinion, in many topics!!!!!! I m thinking of philosophy, history, geography, languages, French... [/quote] Frenchie this just shows how much departmental variation there is. Our local school and college have no extra curricular activities at all. No theatre groups, art groups, dance groups, nada. Our local primary school offers no help whatsoever to non-French children. There are no extra lessons, no one to one lessons, they just have to sink or swim. Why do they offer them to teenagers and not to primary age children? I've yet to see any of my children be asked to have an opinion on anything (they are in 4eme, 5eme and CM2). In fact, as we are considering returning tothe UK when my husband's current contract ends they have been doing UK 11+ /key stage assessment papers which has shown how behind they are despite two of them being a year above what they would be in the UK and how the teaching here differs.Anything that required them to think a bit laterally, to be a bit creative, to look a bit more behind the words on the page and they couldn't do it. It's been a real eye-opener. I totally disagree, based on the education my children have had, that they have to do much more (in primary and college at least - we haven't got to lycee) than repeat back facts and figures. I really wonder how well this will prepare them for later life in a global workplace. Just my opinion and not one, of course, that everyone will agree with.

I've just caught up with this thread. Sara, we (family of 4) moved to France three years ago with the same idea as you, that my husband would be able to cut down drastically on his work but sadly it hasn't worked out that way at all.  Last year he only managed 12 weeks in France. The rest of the time he was working his backside off in the UK.  We had children in private schools so we thought that without those to pay, we'd be laughing. Personally I've found France to be more expensive than the UK in many areas. We couldn't live on 1500GPB in a million years and bearing in mind we rarely go out as he's never here, I've been amazed at how quickly our money goes. Our monthly bills for heating/electricity/wood, health insurance, telephone, broadband connection, taxe d'habitabtion, taxe fonciere, social fund, car insurance, house insurance, school meals, school bus, school insurance, extra curricular activities for the children comes to over 1000 euros just for the basics. That doesn't include food shopping which I think is more expensive in France compared to my visit to Tescos a couple of weeks ago, petrol which is now more expensive than the UK, miscellaneous weekly expenses, etc. Whatever you think it's going to cost you, add on another 30% or so and you'll be nearer the mark. We have been hit hard by the exchange rate which has wiped about 17-20% off our income which is all UK derived, which means that this week my husband will probably have to work all year. He works in the film industry and is well paid but despite all our research I think we really underestimated how much things would cost.  On top of that as someone has already said, it can be very lonely being in a foreign country on your own and hard going through all the traumas of starting school and starting a new life without the support of your husband who may be working in the UK.  We budgeted for my husband to take 3 months of work during our move to help us all settle in. The money ran out in about 5 weeks and he had to go back to work. Like you I've been used to being on my own a lot when husband was away on location but it's another think entirely in a different country.I have some great friends here but sometimes you get sick of going everywhere on your own, no babysitters (although it looks like you may be bringing yours with you!) and I can assure you that it's no fun splitting logs in a freezing barn all winter, having to deal with all the problems that arise either at home or at school on your own if it happens at a time when your husband isn't there to help out. I find it pretty exhausting. On top of that I don't think we've ever been so hard up. Our lovely 200 year old farmhouse which we bought already renovated is a complete money pit and swallows our money as fast as we can earn it. I speak fluent French but can't find a decent job - or any job in fact! We are now planning to move back to the UK and I can't wait. I wouldn't discount returning when we are older but many people told me before we moved that France is for retired people, not for people with families or who need to work and sadly I think they were right. Good luck though - just because it didn't work for us doesn't mean it won't for you

Not sure I understood your post JR

[quote user="Russethouse"]Are your children of bac age, Ginger ? [/quote] No, they have a couple of years to go yet.

I read about it in the papers. It's specific to Bordeaux/Atlantic area. Goodness only knows what good it does you in the future unless you want to teach surfing. It gets more like the UK every day!

I'm basing my information on the fact that I was at school then, well the 60s at least. I wish my children got the chance to study domestic science, needlework and woodwork still, there's a surfing option in the bac now so who knows what will be next!

Am I just being blonde here?  Sunflower suggested a gite website and the link is still there, Ritchie Cunningham suggested one and it's taken off.  What's the difference?

[quote user="Rumpole"]I am sorry that so many of the parents who have written are disappointed with French schools. Having been to English school in the fifties and early sixties I find that French schools are very similar. [/quote] With all due respect Rumpole, education has moved on considerably since the 50s and 60s so to say that French schooling is stuck about 40 years ago isn't much of a recommendation. I don't think the 50s and 60s were particularly the glory years in British education being as it was narrow and aimed only at the more academic.  Personally I don't see any similarities myself. French schooling is rigid, prescriptive and bears little relevance to the global marketplace we live in today. Standards in French schools are considerably below many other EU countries, including some of the Eastern European ones. In my experience discipline is worse here than the UK except in the worst inner city schools - and yes we live in the country not the town.  Have a look at the league tables for violence in French schools. It will make your hair stand on end!