Even though we know lots of really excellent teachers, and our kids were sometimes happy in certain schools, the whole thing was excessively tiresome and largely pointless. I let them go intermittently to make friends, not to be educated.
In our opinion, education happens wherever you happen to be.
By moving here we had to accept that some of our ideals would be sacrificed to give the kids a chance to assimilate in the new country. That means sending them to proper school for the first time in their lives.
First shock:
My offspring have no transferrable grades, so they were placed according to age and achievement. What achievement, you might ask? In both instances, the headmaster asked what level of education we parents achieved. Upon hearing that both of us possess advanced graduate degrees, the kids were promoted to top tier.
Second shock:
The girl is now studying advanced subjects like physics, chemistry, and maths. We didn’t know what she was capable of, but she instantly excelled in the most challenging English class available. With no prior foreign language studies she was placed in advanced French – and caught up with the class within a few short weeks.
Whenever she has trouble at school she simply asks for help; if the teachers tell her that she should know how to do the work she replies Listen, I went to hippie schools, and they laugh and give her the advice she needs.
The younger child has another whole set of issues, because this country does not separate church and state in the matter of education. He was placed in a Church of England school because he lives in the catchment, not because belief is required. The boy is highly suspicious of the rituals and routines; he thinks that it is not safe to burn candles in chapel.
But the school is really excellent, and they teach all the world religions in a comprehensive manner. They’ve done an incredibly deep study of ancient Greece. They go to museums and institutes. They have music, and art, and the children are from all over the world; at last count, thirty different languages are spoken in a population of perhaps one hundred children.
The school is the most diverse and highest quality primary school I have ever visited, and from what I can gather, most of the schools in this city are in fact just as good.
I don’t mind the religious curriculum because I think that children should have a fundamental understanding of the history of society. It is up to each individual to form their own belief system, but we should all have an opportunity to know how and why our culture evolved.
Plus, I’m a sap for sentiment, and the children sing carols! From my home to yours: happy Christingle!