onlyfools

Hello,

I am new to this site so please bear with me...

Next year (end summer 2013) me, my wife and 2 children (2.5 yr, 7months) plan to spend 12 months in rented accommodation as a 'taster' year in between the Paphos/Limassol areas to see how we find living in Cyprus.

We 100% realise it is not a holiday and living/working is different. After some research i honestly believe finding work will not pose too much of a problem for me (Finance sector with a UK degree), please tell me if i will find it difficult!? and my wife is a hairdresser which seems to be OK if you build up expat clients or get into a salon?

HOWEVER, our major drawback seems to be schooling.......
Our eldest will be around 4 years old so at nursery school age.

State school Vs Private school??

We are all learning Greek as a family with weekly lessons so maybe the language will not pose a major problem with our son but how will the local children react to an English boy in a state school/nursery?

We would prefer to send him to a local primary school as well as teach him the English curriculum at home so that he is not behind others in the UK.

I must stress i want the best for both of my children and the potential move relies heavily on the education/treatment my children will receive in Cyprus. So please be honest!!

Any information will be very gratefully received.....Thank you

happiness8

Hello Onlyfools,

My name is Rebekkah, I am in Cyprus with my daughter, who is now 16. We came here when she was 12 and she struggled with the language and I ended up putting her in a private school. She struggled there also in making friends and resorted in home schooling online. On the bus the local children tripped her up in the aisle and threw things at her.
As to finding work, you must both be prepared to take what is available. The economics here are sliding and as a result of the explosion in Moni of the electricity plant we are now paying 40% more electricity. For example my average bill would be around 155 euro it is now 223.
Work is quite hard to find
Your children will be of an age that will accept the language much easier and fit in much better. However, we returned to England for a few months to re rent our house and my daughter went to a state school, she was shunned and told to go back to her own country. It has left her a little lost as to where she belongs.
Private education is expensive in Cyprus but is UK curriculum based and my daughter took 3 IGCSE's a year early. So, there are some good points.
I have also found that when we lived in Nicosia, we were extremely lonely but having moved to Larnaca, we are much happier.
I am sure that you have planned every detail and yes, living here is very different to a holiday...it can be frustrating and the wages are low. Saying that, I love it here and have learned to be more tolerant and have settled well.
May I wish you and your family and great time here. There are always people to help if you need anything.
Kindest regards,

Rebekkah

onlyfools

Hi Rebekkah,

Thank you very much for your reply, we are really trying to avoid private schooling due to the high fees but if necessary we will have to! It is mainly the schooling that is holding us back to be honest. Is pure home schooling an option? i would only do this if there are children in the town/village that my children can integrate with as would be very lonely for them.

Did you find that the local children did not like your daughter because she is foreign or a personal issue? I know kids can be cruel in every country but it is this type of terrible incident that has happened to your daughter that i am trying to avoid for my children.

In regards to finding work we will be able to live off our savings comfortably for the 12 months but will also desperately be looking for work in our preferred area. We spent a month in the Paphos region last year found and that Limmassol will most likely be the best area to find work in Finance? on that side of the island? Would you say that work is easier to find with a British degree? However i am not in fluent by any standard greek or russian.

I am really sorry to hear that your daughter had a feeling of not knowing where she belonged, hopefully it all works out now that you are happier in Larnaca.

Regards

happiness8

Hello again,

I see more vacancies in Limassol and Paphos so I think your choice is good.
Children do not start school here until they are about 6 years old by the way. I work in a private kindergarten in Nicosia and we school children from 2 to 6 years.
There is a website that gives a tremendous amount of information that you will find helpful. The address is cyprus.angloinfo.com it is free. They explain everything about moving here.
Might i also ask you to register at immigration and then apply for a yellow slip at the ministry of health. This is very important. Should you need any medical treatment or need to use accident and emergency...you will only pay about 10 euros at the local hospital.
Home schooling has been ideal for my daughter but she works as a volunteer in a shelter so she also mixes with other people and socialises. Your children are young and will adapt. It is the older children who seem to dislike foreigners. I have 2 Russian boys in a class of 10 other Greek children and they play and interact extremely well. Private schooling is so very expensive, the uniforms can only be bought in certain shops and would cost around 300 euros. Books are also bought by you and can cost as much as 40 euro for one text book. You must also buy the exercise books from the school. I was paying over 500 per month in fees and 70 for her bus to and from school.
You can post a "work wanted" vacancy at the site i have just given you and also search for work.
If i can help you further, please feel free to contact me.

Kindest regards,

Rebekkah