South Cahente - Maritime schools

[King, Bristol]

Calling all ex pats in South Charente - Maritime area, in a rough triangle between Saintes, Gemozac and Saujon.  My family and I are working towards moving to this area within the next 12 months.  We have two children an eight year old girl and a two year old boy.  Our Daughter has a Dad from a previous marriage who will do his best to stop our emigration.

We are about to apply to him and ultimatly the courts for permission to emigrate but are finding it difficult to obtain information about individual schools.  What we really need are perspectusis, ideally translated, to show how fantastic the French education system is but we don't know where to start to obtain this sort of info.

Can anybody help?

Also if any of you have been through a simular process with the courts to remove a child from British Jurisdiction, any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

[Teamedup]

Yes make sure that you do all this properly as the law is very very strict about the removal of minors without both parents permission. The childs father could even try and block the issue of a passport for his daughter.

I can't tell you that the french education system is wonderful as I do not believe that it is at all. For kids who are brighter than average and fit into the rigid structure,they will do well. For the rest and I don't think it has anything good or exemplerary about it at all. Ofcourse if you find private schools they will always say that they are wonderful, bit like hotel brochures really.

[emma5]

Hi, i've pm'd you

 

Emma

Pons 17

[HLG]

In "saint simon" near Jonzac there's a little cluster of public schools

that have wonderful teachers. The wife and husband teach all kids 8-12.

They look pretty unassuming but don't be fooled - they're very

respected  nationally and the kids have an experience that you'd

only expect from private schools (over the course of the years, these

classes published books, cut a demo tapes with songs they'd written,

met important people... including the ambassador of China and some

researchers... it really depends on the year and the children's

interest. In any given year they have drama, improv, cooking.... things

most French schools simply have no concept of.) Just don't mention it

to them because they hate parents who think you can "shop" for schools

and "buy" them. For them it's a matter of public service and conviction

that all kids, even in remote areas, should receive an education that

stimulates their sense of citizenship along with their creativity. So

implying you're "shopping" for school is an insult, as if their ideals

were just another commodity.

A good way is to contact the mayor and indicate you plan on settling

there, then ask about the school. Small villages there depend on new

arrivals, otherwise Paris will shut their schools down and from there

the village dies. (That's why choosing a private school when you settle

in a small village with a school is considered a betrayal of the worst

sort.) So the mayor will likely tell you all about the school and you can then indicate your plans.

They've had a few British kids over the past 10 years and it's always

gone well except for once:  they once had a very bad experience

with a family that showed up one day out of the blue during class time

and demanded their kid be registered immediately; they had no papers

for the child so the teachers asked for some ID: the father behaved so

horribly (threats and near punches) the mother felt obliged to come

back the following day and apologize. As you can imagine, they were not

looking forward to having the child in class. Otherwise the teachers

are very accomodating and understanding to children. (Just don't say

you're choosing  the school because of them.... but because you

believe in public education. :) )

[timc17]

Hi,

We went through the same thing about nine months ago ( my wife has four children from her previous marriage ) . Please pm me if you need any info regarding procedure etc.

We live 15km north of  Saintes which maybe too far away from you but will gladly offer any comments on the schools attitudes etc to english children.

 

 

tim

 

[King, Bristol]

Thank you very much for your reply, we will do as you suggested.  Your comments about not appearing to 'shop' for a school and supporting the local school's are especilla helpful. Thank you.