Cyprus-Forum.com

[richard2001]

Hi are there any of you who have British children in state school in paphos i have just moved here and the local school have agreed to take my daughters in but they only have one other English child in the school.

[carolh]

Have friends in Limassol whose 3 kids go to local school. They are all doing well and are fluent in Greek after getting ectra help! Best way for them to learn the language!

[Crivens]

My sisters kid goes to state school in Paphos. She was 6 (about 2 years now) when she started there after her parents were told she would pick up greek without a problem. I don't know if it was her fault, the schools, or a bit of both (difficult when my sister is so obviously bias), but it hasn't really worked out. Apparently the school wouldn't translate the homework into english, and basically left her at the back of the class after they realised they couldn't teach her. Of course my sister didn't really get her extra Greek help and they didn't learn Greek themselves.

Anyhow a teacher got in touch with my sister 2 weeks from the current holidays and said she could not come back as they couldn't teach her. They also gave her books a month ago to a new pupil instead.

Anyway, read into that what you will, but basically an English teacher who works over here originally told them that the kid would pick up Greek in no time, so they just carried on like being back in the UK. I think my sister assumed it would be like where we grew up in Wales for English kids. But what she forgets is that it is the law to be bilingual in welsh schools (welsh and english) and kids are taught in both languages. Plus welsh kids are fluent in english from about the same age. It's more like welsh is the foreign language, although they hang on to it for dear life (I am welsh as it happens).

Personally I would put them into a greek state school with lots of extra greek tutoring if they are quite young. On the other hand chuck them into an English or American one (for about £2k a year depending on the age) if they are older. Plus it also depends on the kid. My sister's kid has been moved around so much in Wales that it was difficult for her to get a grip on education even there, and she isn't the sharpest knife in the draw. With hindsight it probably would have been better to keep her in an English speaking school. Easy to say that though...

Cheers

[souroul]

someone i know sent his 2 kids to state school half way thru elementary school. within a year and a half they speak fluent greek and are both grade a students. they now speak better greek than he does. his wife barely speaks any greek.

just dont toss them in there thinking that by the end of the day they'll learn. they pick it up fast, but the first few months are going to be a little rough

[Crivens]

Yeah, thats pretty much what I've heard. But if any doubt about your child's ability, and you can afford it, then why take the chance?

Cheers

[Sotos]

How old are your children? If they are 8 or under then it will not be hard but they will need private Greek lessons for the first year and it would be better to start them from now so they will know the basics when school starts in September. If they are older then it will be harder so maybe you should send them to private English school.

[eternal]

my children went to state school in Paphos, all three picked up greek well, even though they had greek family in the uk, it was only really spoken when my hubbys yiayia was around, there was a bit of bullying going on for awhile, which was difficult to talk to the teachers about as the refused to believe that the greek kids would do that sort of thing, but they got through it.

[Crivens]

there was a bit of bullying going on for awhile, which was difficult to talk to the teachers

Yeah, same thing happened to my sister's kid. She was well upset for ages. Nothing changed after multiple talks to the teachers, but eventually my sister blew her top a bit at the teachers, and the bullying stopped.

Then again, no different then when I went to north Wales to live. We are all Welsh in my family, but my parents never learnt welsh (not so important in south wales) and I was always living in different places because my dad was in the RAF. So I didn't know welsh either. Anyway the north Waleans are massively racist towards english people (or non-welsh speakers, or even anyone from another part of wales...) and I was picked on for a bit in the beginning for not speaking welsh. Luckily, being a boy, a few well placed punches and sticking up for yourself does wonders.

Cheers

[Niki]

It's not ideal though is it? Poor kids.

They have enough to deal with moving to such a different culture and away from things they know.