# State Schools



## gazzyboi (Mar 17, 2009)

Anyone know what the state education system is like in spain? Any good?


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

See Expat portal, living in Spain, retiring in Spain. | thisisspain.info for lots of articles - especially by education guru Jane Cronin. 

Varies from absolutely appaling to magnificent.


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## mdoherty (Mar 13, 2009)

Thanks Steve, very useful


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

Hi there,

We moved here (Galicia) four years ago and put our then 6 and 8 year olds into state school. They had a few private Spanish lessons before we moved out here, but obviously nowhere near the required standard. So, they attended all the normal classes and were also assigned a teacher to give them a few extra one on one Castellano lessons. Literally within a few months, they were completely fluent - had overtaken me completely and I'd been coming here for years, studied and then intensive courses before we came out for good. There really is no substitute for living it day to day, though. Also, being an autonomous province, we also have our own language here, Gallego, and they are now fluent in three languages which I don't think we'd be able to say, actually I know we'd be able to say, that at this stage in the UK they certainly wouldn't be in that position!!! I really believe this has been a great move for them. And it seems that kids are able to be kids here a little longer too? We've also found that the depth to which they study languages is far greater here and the maths and sciences seems to be more advanced than their previous school in the UK. Yes, it does mean a huge amount of homework, especially now they're moving up the school - it's not unknown for them to still be doing homework at gone 9pm (they finish lessons at 2.20, go for lunch then come home) and it is a long day (for all of us, as we both tend to get involved in the homework). What you'll have to do though is really keep up with English at home (I know, there was a stage where it was the other way around!). We find we have to remind ours to talk in English now - and as for the English teachers at school - well, standards can be rather erratic. I've taught teenagers here to take them through exams and some of their teachers can barely string a sentence together - we won't mention pronounciation ( or lack of!!!) LOL!!! However, saying all of that, they're bringing home fantastic reports - and yes, they are really being pushed by their teachers at all levels it seems but really it appears that's because there was too much of a gap in the past between leaving primary, going to secondary and then going up to the institute. So, they're really trying to prepare them now. You're lucky if you're able to be in a position to assist your children's education - there's been quite a lot of reporting recently on pasantias (private tuition) for those kids that need extra help, and it's costing a fortune for some families - we have a cousin who's spending close on 500 euros a month to keep her son up to the required level at the institute. And all this homework means unfortuately that at present there is little time for extra curricular activities - but the summer's coming, days are getting longer so weekends are definitely chill out time for the family at the beach! Teachers are funcionarios but the director (head) of school is directly linked to the school and has been very approachable in our experience. We have been lucky in that we had various members of the family going through our school - unfortunately it's not like the UK where you can refer to OFSTED reports - so you'll have to do some checking around/word of mouth. General opinion, also is that the earlier the better when it comes to moving children abroad - yes, that has been accurate in our case (when they're small, they're like little sponges, literally absorbing the language!) but we also know of secondary age teens who've come over and although it took them a little longer, they have adjusted and are now flourishing. Of course, there'll be some negative experiences/opinions out there but I just wanted to let you know how we've found things (so far!!!!).

Sorry for the essay!!! Best of luck to you all,
Tallulah.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Always great to hear a positive story. I think that they are not in a school with 90% expat kids must have helped. I am also very interested to hear that they have thrown themselves into gallego. In the Comunidad Valenciana most expat kids ignore/despise valenciano as the way it is taught "This is how it is different from castellano" does not really help them. Their Spanish is often not good enough to learn this way - much how I started in Danish from a Swedish base. The other issue is that a lot of the valenciano teachers are not regular speakers of the language and do not commit to it in a way they would castellano or maths. One I know very well has told me outright that the ONLY time she would speak valenciano would be 3/4 hours a week with the beginners.

I won't dwell on the accents of some of the Spanish teachers - remember often they wanted to be biology teachers and not linguists!


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

SteveHall said:


> Always great to hear a positive story. I think that they are not in a school with 90% expat kids must have helped. I am also very interested to hear that they have thrown themselves into gallego. In the Comunidad Valenciana most expat kids ignore/despise valenciano as the way it is taught "This is how it is different from castellano" does not really help them. Their Spanish is often not good enough to learn this way - much how I started in Danish from a Swedish base. The other issue is that a lot of the valenciano teachers are not regular speakers of the language and do not commit to it in a way they would castellano or maths. One I know very well has told me outright that the ONLY time she would speak valenciano would be 3/4 hours a week with the beginners.
> 
> I won't dwell on the accents of some of the Spanish teachers - remember often they wanted to be biology teachers and not linguists!



There has been a massive push for Gallego and in fact for a few years they have been converting most lessons into this language, so now maths, sciences and music are taught. However, with the change to the government here now, it may revert again. They are supposed to print letters here with both languages, but for some time now it's been only in Gallego and there has been demonstrations in Santiago calling for bilingualism (is that a word?!?!) - it is actually the law that children who are not able/do not wish to answer in Gallego can in Castellano. It really depends where you are I think - it's not very often that you'll hear kids in the playground, for example, speaking Gallego - but a lot of families do, if not a *******ised version - it's really only on the news that you'll hear the correct version. And of course the Xunta here seem to be changing vocabulary on a daily basis!! But from our experience, people will generally talk to you in Castellano if they don't know you. You'd be surprised though at the number of families here who have links with the UK (and Germany/Switzerland) as it was somewhere they emigrated to after the civil war - there are a lot of links - and it's surprisingly cosmopolitan in some areas. You'll have to head to the mountains of Monforte to see the old [email protected] now!!!


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

All very interesting but from what I know there is nothing like the schools in Alicante with 65%+ expat kids. Also interesting to hear that the language of the playground is castellano and not gallego.


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

SteveHall said:


> All very interesting but from what I know there is nothing like the schools in Alicante with 65%+ expat kids. Also interesting to hear that the language of the playground is castellano and not gallego.



So with a huge intake of expat kids in those areas, how are they doing education wise? Is it holding them back? Or is there the usual silence on reporting those issues?!?!


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

There are not surprsiningly major issues in a number of schools/subjects. 

The schools' inspector for Torrevieja (55% immigrant, 70% immigrant children in a couple of the schools) famously said "What crime have I commited to be sent here?" I know quite a few of the teachers (especially in one expat school) and I am glad to hear that this school is not typical of the Spanish Education system. 

60% truancy (AKA euphamistically as "absence") was common in the Summer term in two of the years. The turn-over rates of the younger teachers was about the same year on year! 

The girl trying to teach English at secondary school age could hardly order a coffee in English -I know that as a fact ...........as I was teaching her! To survive Tuesday's lesson, she'd normally go through it with me the evening before. It was not therefore surprising that the English/Irish/Scandi kids routinely taunted/tormeted here. 

I am NOT saying that this does NOT go on in the UK - my father was a headmaster, both wives were school teachers so I have seen plenty - but I feel people should take MASSIVELY more care about education when they chose where to leave in Spain. Distance from a bar and golf course often take precedence. Sad.


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

SteveHall said:


> I am NOT saying that this does NOT go on in the UK - my father was a headmaster, both wives were school teachers so I have seen plenty - but I feel people should take MASSIVELY more care about education when they chose where to leave in Spain. Distance from a bar and golf course often take precedence. Sad.


Never a truer word spoken, Steve!!!

Tallulah


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