Hi_there

Hi,
My family and I have the opportunity to move to Goa for a few years. We have seen some accommodation on line, and it looks very amazing and beautiful. If it was just my husband and I, I think we would just give it a go - and see how it went - it would be an experience and an adventure, and something different.
We have traveled and lived in a few different countries in Europe and North America, but we have never been elsewhere, or even thought about going elsewhere until this opportunity came up.
We have read a few things about Goa on line - but we were hoping to get a bit more info on any of the following.....
- what are the schools like near Panjim? (are they very Indian or International - are there many foreign students there - how do they compare with British/North American schools)
- what precautions need to be taken against diseases (eg malaria)
- Is it possible to do much outside in the hot temperatures?
- Would there be many children to make friends with
- Are male and female students treated equally (I read on one school website that they had 'needlework for girls' - which made me cringe!!)
- What do people generally do in the 'monsoon' season?
- What are the medical facilities like in Panjim? (I read that hospitals were not that great compared with North American facilities)
Thanks for your help.

bakedbean

Just to say Welcome to the forum

I am based in Malaysia so cannot help you at all. Hopefully someone in Goa will be along shortly to advise.

You have checked into visas I presume?

Bipat

Difficult to answer without some background? Which visa will you be going on.
Ages of the children etc. Where in Goa had you thought of settling?
Would there be many children to make friends with a strange question. There will be thousands!

teejaydee

They get wet .

Hi_there

Hi, we would be going to about 2 years - I don't know what the visa is called - but we have a job there, and the visa is organised for us.
The children are age 8 and 5.
We would be based near Panjim.
My question about the children making friends was more to do with the language, the culture, how many children are in each school and what children do in their spare time in Goa - maybe it's the same as North America, maybe it's different?? My children at the moment have 60 children in their year at school - they go to the park and easily join in with children that they don't know - they do a few organised activities out of school with more children... here, it's easy for them to go places and make friends. What language(s) do the children in Goa usually speak? Where do they play? Are there any cultural differences?

Hi_there

Yes - and thank you

Hi_there

So - does life just carry on like normal... just with rain??
I was thinking that 'monsoon' was on a par with hurricane or something and everyone had to lock themselves indoors??

Bipat

Most children in Goa that you are likely to mix with will speak English, the home language is Konkani, most will learn Hindi at school a few Marathi.
Childrens activities I think are the same everywhere, the same toys, games TV etc. Too much TV as always.
I presume you will be on an employment visa so your employer will give a lot of information about accommodation etc.

Monsoon yes it is torrential rain and flooding, yes you will get wet and difficulty in getting washing dry. Hot weather, children will often sleep in the afternoon and go out to play in evening.

We live just south of Goa in Karnataka, you might find more expat information on the Indiamike Forum.

Goa - India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com

cazza158

There are lots of people around who speak English both foreigners and locals. and obviously people with kids are here during school time. There are ex-pats sent here by their companies, setting up businesses, or married to indians.
Most of the "better" schools are all conducted in English withHindi and/or Konkani as a 2nd language. Some ideas here about girls are old fashioned as is the education system its self. I can't comment on panjim schools as we live near margao but unless you are able to enrol your children for the beginning of the school year which is officially june but some case schools start in April, you may have difficulty getting admission. The exception to this I gather is the school my son goes to - Mount Litera See School which is bearish to the airport. You can't see it on Google maps but it is behind BITS Pilani. There are kids who go there from panjim area, I know for a fact. It's a new school and so not full up. As someone suggested you might get more info if you post your as on Facebook groups such as goa life, south goa community, slough goa for families and goa big bellies (although it isn't frequented by anyone much these days). As form activities lots of local kids have extra tuition every evening but there are the usual sporting/dance activities going on and there is a kind of library literacy place be panjim called bookworm you could check out.

cazza158

Auto correct has put a few funny things but most importantly the school is mount litera zee school (not see!)

cazza158

Basically yes life continues. As the monsoon season is really long here there is no other choice. No hurricans (typhoons, to my knowledge or not many anyway)

Hi_there

Thank you so much for your reply Cazza 158.
Can I ask you where you are from originally? How does your sons school compare with a school from your home country (if you are not originally from India). Also - how long does it take your son to travel to school each day, and how does he get there? How long has your son been going to this school, and how long has it been open? We were starting to get the idea that it was difficult to get into schools, so it is nice to hear about this school!! We also saw that there is sometimes an entrance test - including hindi - which my children have no knowledge of! Do you think it would be a problem getting into this school without any knowledge of hindi?
I think that the school your son goes to would be about 30 mins from where we might live.

cazza158

Yes probably that sort of distance. I know some kids who go there from Dona Paula. My son goes by school bus and it is also 30 mins. No entrance test and they have a policy of taking anyone. My son is 5 and in senior kg. They havent started hindi yet but I believe they might do this year. You could maybe download an app to get them starting with the writing? I'm from UK but have lived here a long time so can't say how the school compares with uk sorry. My son is the only one in his class who can read, though as they obsessively teach writing first. i know kids at other schools ages 6 and 7 who still cant read! That seems crazy to me! Pm me and i will give you contact info for the school.
I will add I used to drive my son to school but a couple of times a vehicle pulled out right in front of me and so we figured he is probably safer in a big yellow bus, plus the petrol costs were huge. I think probably 98% of the kids go by school bus.

cazza158

I think the school has been open 4 years. This is his 2nd year there. There are about 22 kids in the class with a teacher and a helper. My son didn't speak hindi but has picked it up from other tiny kids whose 1st language isn't English. Perhaps the older one might need some help but the school would advise you, I'm sure. The building isn't finished yet (!) Classrooms are big and hexagonal and they have a large football pitch and beautiful swimming pool.