Teenager's Education

[markn]

We are hoping to move to France next year when our son will be 16 yrs old and would have completed his GCSE's. We would be very grateful for any advice from someone who has done this and how they found the system to work. We were considering moving when he would be 18 yrs but feel that earlier would be better? He is happy to move as we already have a holiday home in France and his French is pretty good, although obviously still has room for improvements. Any help would be gratefully received.

[Swissie]

Hi, is your son aware of the HUGE differences between A'Levels and the Bac? Does he know he will have to continue to study all the subjects and not just chose his favourites, and that there are practically no options for Art/sport/music/IT/business etc? Is he truly 'academic'? Personally I think it is (I am so sorry to say this) possibly the worst time to move - as the jump from GCSE's to a BAC is enormous, especially without the appropriate language skills. Speaking a bit of French is very different to having to follow physics in French or write literature/philosophy essays. Perhaps other s will disagree with me- but this is my sincere opinion. If you do decide to move now, make sure he gets good coaching during the Summer for his 'school/academic' French. Bonne chance.

[Russethouse]

 Swissie, perhaps it will help if the OP knows that you were, not long ago, a teacher.

[NormanH]

This would be a compete disaster.

For example he would have to take the 'French ' part of the bac in less than two years, and that is already hard for native speakers..

[markn]

Thank you for your comments, yes we are more aware than perhaps we have explained. He currently attends a private international school in England and they are also aware of our intentions. He does already have extra lessons at school for French and indeed, he can, if he wishes to, take Bacs at his England school when he finishes his GCSE's. We have been trying to sort a summer school for this year but most are saying that he needs to be 16, which will therefore be next year. We, at the moment, are still looking at 18, with the view that he will then have the choice to attend a French Uni, but with circumstances , it many have to be earlier.

If you are aware of any summer school that is towards the North of France who cater for 15 year olds, please let us know.

[minnie]

If you have to make the move before your son is 18 my inclination would be to make arrangements for your son to board in UK during the school term, until after his A levels/BAC. If he comes to France he still has to make the huge leap from doing difficult exams in English to doing them in French! I have to agree with others that I consider this to be the worst possible time to change your son's education. However, very good luck to him if you go ahead

[markn]

Thank you once again, that is a consideration we have made and would most probably do, if the situation arises. Really glad you have all confirmed our own thoughts. This then gives him 3 school years, with 3 French summer school years to get his French to the required level for possible French Uni. That should keep him, us and his English school very busy indeed!

[Clarkkent]

I have no experience of French education, but I was a lecturer in the English university system and on occasion had classes containing French students. When I talked to them about their experiences many them said that the French university system compared poorly with the UK system. Among the differences they listed were the poor availability of learning resources, French lecturers being remote from students socially, and the requirement for students to regurgitate lecture material for success in examinations. Their French university experience seemed to be just a continuation of Lycee and being able to hold discussions with members of staff was a new experience for them.

I retired about eight years ago so whether such people would have similar opinions today I cannot say, but it might be a good idea if your son could get some opinions from people who have experienced both systems before he makes a decision which he may ultimately regret. Would there be the possibility of enrolling at a British university and spending one year of his programme in France?

[NormanH]

[quote user="markn"]Thank you once again, that is a consideration we have made and would most probably do, if the situation arises. Really glad you have all confirmed our own thoughts. This then gives him 3 school years, with 3 French summer school years to get his French to the required level for possible French Uni. That should keep him, us and his English school very busy indeed![/quote]

The great majority of my English  friends who have been long-term residents here have sent their children back to the UK at the University stage.

Is there a particular reason for your son not just staying in the UK and going to a University there?

[markn]

There is no problem for our son to remain in UK at an English Uni and this may be the case but obviously we wish to make sure that he, at that stage, will be in a position to make choices for either country, depending on his subject choices etc. His current school have a huge amount of experience with both English and foreign unis and we will also be guided by them at a later date. Thanks again to all your comments, they are a great help.

[Sprogster]

markn, are you aware that the French University system is internationally very poorly rated, with no French University in the worlds top 100? This is one area of the educational system where the UK comes out well on top, so not sure of the logic of getting him into French Uni.

If you research the educational section of this forum, you will see that there is a general consensus that 12 or 13 is the latest sensible age to move a child from the UK to France, without risk damaging their education and therefore subsequent career prospects in the process.

[Just Katie]

Hi Markin, I moved to Paris just over 2 years ago and was in the same situation as you. My daughter had just finished her GCSE's and I arranged for her to attend an international school which was very expensive and was a poor standard in comparison to the state school she had left in UK.

I was not happy with the standard of education she received there, they told me if I wanted her to do the Bac it would take 3 years which I believe was a way to snaffle an extra years fees from me. When I refused this, they told me she could do the High School Diploma in two years but would need to supplement this with A levels. They told me that the High School Diploma incorporated the A level curriculum and therefore there would be little extra work for my daughter.

I then agreed to this and enrolled her and paid my fees of just over 15,000 euros annually in advance. After this I heard no more about A Levels and discovered that British Universities did not recognised the Diploma. I went to see the headmistress who told me that my daughter was not ready for A levels because she only had A grades at GCSE and not A Stars !!

I have therefore taken my daughter out of the school in disgust and have employed home tutors. She is currently sitting her A Levels as an external candidate at a school in UK and has a conditional offer at a university.

In short, I have had a bad experience and I am sure there are many good international schools out there. Unfortunately, the one I used was no more than a money making racket. There was no governing body I could complain to and the only good thing to come out of it is that my daughter has made lovely friends from all over the world.

In hindsight, I would use a tutor for A levels, for me this has been much cheaper and much more effective.

[Will]

Markn, if you haven't seen this topic I suggest you read it in conjunction with the above replies. Although I have no direct experience of education in France, the system does seem to have some very deep-seated problems, so you would do well to keep your options open.

[Lollie]

Summer School

Try UCPA, they combine sports with lessons in many subjects, that way he can improve his french and have fun conversing with other french teenagers.

Having arriving here in France with three kids, our eldest being 14, I felt that if we had left it any later he would have not passed his BAC. However he did, now he is back in the UK at a University with more choice, and seven of his french classmates also left France for universities in the USA, Canada and the UK!!

[Wendy]

Hi all and excuse me for butting back in here after so long; listen markn, we did what you are thinking of doing and all I can say is DON'T!!! unless your son is a fluent French speaker and writer - 'pretty good' is not good enough, it is the writing skills he will need to have to do such an exam - then don't even consider trying to do an exam like the Bac. I brought my son over here when he was 16 and it was the worst decision I ever made, he never got to go to school in France because no college would accept him as his French was not good enough - and don't forget that at 16 school in France is not compulsory so he can be refused enrolment if they don't think he is up to scratch. It happened to us.

I'd say do the A levels in the UK - it is not the time in his life to take the risks.

We ended up returning to the UK - my 16 year old had to go back into high school here into year 10 instead of year 11 as it was found he was behind the other kids in certain areas thanks to the poor teaching at his local college in St Paul de Fenouillet. He's just completed his first GCSE year and is now doing really well.

[cooperlola]

My Bil is a faculty head at Marseille Uni' but all his three kids have gone back to the UK at "A" level stage to complete their education (in spite of their all having lived here for years).  Even a pillar of the French further education system wouldn't chose it for his kids.  Speaks volumes, I reckon.

[Swissie]

My last (State) school in the UK had a boarding school- originally for Armed forces kids whose parents were abroad - but now increasingly used for cases like yours, and also foreign students wanted to become bilingual 'on the cheap' and with total immersion. Much easier of course in the UK Year 12, as students only study 4 subjects- and the variety is much greater. My friend's daughter did a Year with us doing German (she is a French native, but studied German at school), Art&Design, Business and Music- it was a 'wasted' year from the strict academical way - but she loved doing those subjects, made loads of friends and became totally bilingual- only cost the price of the boarding. Great.

One of our daughters did a year at the prestigious Ecole de Commerce in Marseilles (as her Erasmus year) and said it was very poor compared to the IBML course at Aston Uni - but loved being next to the Calanques!

[pachapapa]

Some years ago I offered medicine at Poitiers to one of my daughters. She turned the offer down and went to Edinburgh. She is now happy at the newly opened QE in Edgbaston. So we were lucky but it could have been a close shave.

[markn]

Hello and again thanks to all replies. Our son will be staying in UK for A levels, as we thought he would, good though to have our concerns confirmed! Things are now being put in place for after this time, so that he will have a choice of where he will study, as and when the situation arises. Thats him sorted, now for the rest of the move!.....