|
|
French Education
Topic has 14 replies.
  
|
|
Sort Posts:
|
|
|
|
 28/03/2008, 11:04
|
amanda
Joined on 28/03/2008
Posts 1
|
Re: International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|
|
Hi Fi I just saw your posting and was wondering the same thing. I can't seem to find out what the fees are though, do you have any idea? My children are 4 and 3.
Amanda
|
|
|
|
|
Report
|
|
|
|
|
31/03/2008, 9:23
|
Fi
Joined on 14/08/2006
Posts 14
|
Re: International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Probably nothing!!!! However, considering some of the responses on the "Do kids enjoy school", and knowing what my children are like and what they enjoy and don't enjoy I have to admit to being very concerned about how well my eldest in particular would settle and how happy he would be that, therefore I am looking at this school as a possible option - only a possible. And it is only an option as the fees are relatively reasonable.
Therefore if anyone has anything constructive or informative to tell me about the ISB I would love to hear from them, otherwise.............
Thank you
|
|
|
|
|
Report
|
|
|
|
|
31/03/2008, 11:13
|
Joanna
Joined on 01/02/2008
Posts 25
|
Re: International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|
|
|
Are you planning to move here permanently? Because if you are the chances are your children won't assimilate into the country properly if they go to the International school. They won't get to know other local children, join in the local activities etc.
|
|
|
|
|
Report
|
|
|
|
|
31/03/2008, 11:15
|
Joanna
Joined on 01/02/2008
Posts 25
|
![Big Smile [:D]](/cs/images/emotions/biggrin.gif)
Re: International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Jura wrote: | |
What's wrong with the local schools...?
|
|
Jura, what's happened to you? Are you actually saying something in France might be half way decent?
|
|
|
|
|
Report
|
|
|
|
|
01/04/2008, 19:19
|
Jura
Joined on 28/11/2005
Posts 715
|
Re: International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hi Joanna. Actually I still have my 'issues' with French schools to this day, BUT, when we moved here we only ever intended for our kids to attend French schools. Many things here in France are much more than 'halfway decent' so long as you do not consider the 'admistrative' side of France, and that has always been our problem. I just have problems with these Brits who come to live here, state how 'integrated they are' and yet hang on to the British side of things...International Schools always cost loads of money for what they deliver...maybe if you want your kids to have a British education then it is best to stay in the UK and educate them for much less until they are finished with such...?
I wish I had and I am not even British!
I understand in a way though...life in the UK is dog eat dog; you risk your life walking down the streets there nowadays so no wonder folk want to get their kids out of that place. But if you really wish to make your whole life in France what good will it do your kids to educate them in France but in English...?
|
|
|
|
|
Report
|
|
|
|
|
01/04/2008, 21:53
|
Fi
Joined on 14/08/2006
Posts 14
|
![Sad [:(]](/cs/images/emotions/sad.gif)
Re: International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I just have problems with these Brits who come to live here, state how 'integrated they are' and yet hang on to the British side of things..
By "these Brits" I assume you are referring to, among others, myself? With all due respect Jura you do not know me, anything about me or my plans and circumstances. Therefore - I would be grateful if you could please refrain from making judgemental comments on a post that is not asking for anything other than information on a particular school and area. How I choose to educate my children is MY business. And quite frankly you appear to be one of the main culprits in why I am looking into the possibility of Int school for my children - for it is you, among many others, who have made a lot of negative comments about French schools. I know my children - I know what they are good at and what they enjoy - therefore I know where they will and will not be happy. I have no intention of claiming to be fully integrated, particularly if we do go down this route of education - it is not a competition as far as I am concerned. All I want is to have a happier, safer, slower better quality of life - I want to live somewhere where my kids can ride their bikes in relative safety, where we can go skiing in the winter and head to the beach in the summer. Whether we stay here for a year or 30 years is entirely open at this stage - I just want to do the right thing for my kids, therefore, if this school is affordable and offers what I want and I think my kids will be happy there then I will send them thereand I do not give a toss what anyone thinks, alternatively if I find a really nice local school and I think my kids will be happy there then brilliant. This obsession about being British in France and integrating etc etc to me is irrelevant - all I want to do is to give my family a good quality of living and my kids a happy carefree childhood.
So once again I respectfully ask if anyone knows anything about this school or area please let me know, otherwhise would those who only wish to gripe please do so on another thread....................thank you
|
|
|
|
|
Report
|
|
|
|
|
02/04/2008, 10:32
|
Joanna
Joined on 01/02/2008
Posts 25
|
Re: International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fi, from my own experience I'd really adivse you to think about whether making your children happy is going to include making local friends and speaking the langauge. They won't learn much French if they go to an International School - even if half the lessons are in French there will still be so many native English speakers there that they'll speak English in the playground - and that's where children learn French, not in the classroom. When my children arrived here there was a half English girl in the same class as my 7 year old who spoke good English, even though they were separated at the end of the term my daughter's French didn't become really fluent until Natalie had been moved to another part of the school and my daughter had to stop asking Natalie to translate.
In addition there's the question of friends. The chances are there won't be any children at the International school who are going to live close by, almost certainly none within a walk/bike ride away. My kids went to a small private school when we arrived because we thought the smaller class sizes would be better. It was only 7km away but even so there were no other children from our village there. In retrospect I should have sent them to the village school for then they would have made local friends which only happened after child no 2 started to go to the local college.
However if you think you might be going back to the UK sometime the International School is probably a good option.
Incidentally all my three have done well here - there have been some problems along the way, no system is perfect, but all in all I'm very glad we brought them here. And so are they. They keep on saying so.
|
|
|
|
|
Report
|
|
|
|
|
03/04/2008, 9:58
|
Fi
Joined on 14/08/2006
Posts 14
|
Re: International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hi Joanna, Thank you for honest reply and I appreciate what you are saying. I apologise if my other post sounded somewhat curt but all I was asking for was information on this specific school and instead I felt as I was being judged which I did not ask for and do not welcome, particularly as the person in question does not know what our long term plans are and therefore is not in a position to pass judgment. I fully take on board what you are saying though and I agree - I admit I have been a bit "scared off" by some of the other negative posts on the schools thread. However the issue is really that we don't know if we will stay long term. We know roughly the area we want to live in but have not had a chance to explore schools etc - therefore we intend to rent for about a year to give us time to fully explore areas to buy in (and what the schools are like in those areas), and to really see how we settle. If it works for us then we will buy and then look at local schools - I was really just looking at the International school as an interim measure.
Thanks again
Fi x
|
|
|
|
|
Report
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 2 (15 items)
|
1 2 > |
|
|
|
France Forum » Living » French Educatio... » International School of Bearn, Pau
|
|
|
|