Moving with a 13 year old.

[cooperlola]

Oh, I'm with you on this, Jura, make no mistake.  At uni' level it's one thing, earlier, a nightmare.  Many foreign students attend UK universites with few problems, but as I say - easier for the accademically gifted, whatever the educational circumstances.

I went through this myself (without the language problem)  I lived in Malta from 12 years to 15 years old and went back to the UK in my final O level year.  What a disaster - even on the same apparent sylabus my education was all over the place. I never caught up.  Although this was partly due to the fact that I skived off and worked as little as possible, I'm sure that the constant moving about had a lot to do with my attitude too.

 

[Wendy]

I see where you are coming from Coop's. This is why we are leaving before our two youngest (3 & 5) start primary school here. I also want to get my teen back into an english language education before he is of GCSE age, I want to give him the chance to catch up. I have already seen one son (20)  take off and return to his country of birth where his chances of education and career prospects have already improved immeasurably, even his social life is 200% to what it was here. He was here for four years and never got anywhere. I don't want our being in France to stuff up the future prospects of my other kids. Their future is what matters, I can continue mine anytime. Hindsight, once again[:)]

[cooperlola]

Whatever decision you make, at least you're thinking about your kids really seriously.  Occasionally on here one reads of parents who - for various reasons - have decided that living in France "will be great for the children."  This seems to be based upon the fact that being bi-lingual is some sort of passport to a brighter future. It is not - well, certainly not on its own.  There are so many other things to consider and employment prospects are one.  And they sure are pretty grim here.  There aren't 200,000 French people in London because they hate their home country.  They are there because that is where the work is.

[rusheslake]

We moved over here only after our one & only son had done a year at University and in my heart I knew he was 'OK' and could embark on lives journey without us....

[Tourangelle]

[quote user="mazza"]

..I hope to be employed in their school....

[/quote]

Debbie's right, in fact she doesn't go far enough, to be in admin it is just another sort of competitive exam, and even to be a cleaner in a school you have to jump through hoops.  Sorry, but as a teacher and having jumped through the hoops myself give it up unless you're bilingual, there are too many French people who are unemployed.  Even in my school out in the sticks they have no problem getting people to do the various jobs.

[Wendy]

Cooperlola, also take into account the droves of young French filing into Ireland, Dublin in particular, for jobs in the hospitality industry.  Why? not only to work but improve their english language skills, just see how many work at the airport there and can hardly speak english let alone gaelic...what irony. Here in France unless you can speak French they won't employ you at all...try telling an employer you want the job so you can improve your french speaking skills...they laugh and fob you off. If only the french were more tolerant and accommodating with regards to foreigners as other countries are. They are too discriminatory here and that's a fact[:@]

[Mackyfrance]

I've not read this post for some time so just wanted to comment on a couple of things. 

According to the French government's own statistics there were over 80,000 violent incidents in French schools in 2006, which is the last year that figures are available.  It would be a huge mistake to think that the same problems that exist in the UK don't exist here in France.  In my experience of 2 schools here, behaviour standards are average to poor. Theft in my son's college is at epidemic proportions. Both my children say that behaviour, both of staff and pupils at their UK schools was much better.

Schooling here is rigid and inflexible and doesn't suit kinaesthetic learners who learn by doing things so the relaxed and more rounded UK system would certainly suit some children better than the French model.

I think it is important to make the distinction between an urban and a rural way of life.  What the OP said suggests that they live in an urban area (95% ethnic minority, etc).  I think you'd find the same feelgood factor in a rural school in the UK without the need to move to France and would, at the same time, find exactly the same problems in urban schools in France as in the UK.