SueinHullUK

Hello everyone, just a short bit about myself and our current situation: living in England, married with a 12 year old son. Planning to visit Somogy area in February to purchase a farmhouse. My husband has been out there twice on viewing trips and has done extensive visual research (the internet is not what it appears)! lol. In the long term we will move permanently but until renovations are complete in Hungary we will remain in the UK. I intend to put my 12 year old into a Hungarian school so can I question... have any of you had any experiences of this good or bad? Thanks in advance.

Szeged

Which part of Somogy will you be in? Close to Budapest side, Balaton side or Pécs side? Thinking ahead for your son, and by the time you permanently stay in Hungary, Pécs university is said to be excellent. My Hungarian girlfriend was going to study there, but came to the UK instead! We drove up to Pécs though - Very nice uni and place. Obviously, on the Budapest side there will be more unis to choose from. I have no clue about Balaton.

wolfi

Welcome!

Yes, the Pécs university is well known and has a good reputation - also the town is really nice with lots of museums (and bars and restaurants ...).

Here around the Balaton we have more little towns - not as pictoresque however as the old Englsih or German towns ...

Peter_in_Hungary

Hi and welcome!
Does the farmhouse come with a farm or is that just the style of house?
Regarding the schools, IMO the Hungarian education is better than what you get in England. The bus services are good and very few parents do the daily 'school run' even for 8-9 year olds. It is considered safe for kids to commute to and fro school on their own. Both of my 2 went through the Hungarian school system, including boarding school which is a lot more common here than in the UK. For the older kids,(14+) if the school of your choice is some distance (say 1 hour or more bus journey) then many will 'live in' Monday to Friday. And extra buses are scheduled Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon to cope with this. Boarding schools do not have the same connotations as in the UK rather they are schools that have some live in students. (Although there are some religious based schools that are closer to the UK 'boarding school') The costs of 'boarding' is quite reasonable.
There are also dual language schools where a lot of the subjects are taught in the foreign language of the school. These are typically English or German.

SueinHullUK

@Szeged, my apologies, we have looked at so many properties I told you the wrong area. We are actually looking at Tolna, 2 little villages, Kisszekely and Nagyszekely. About 30 minutes south of Lake Balaton and Siofok. It is helpful to know that Pecs has a good university, thank you for that information.

@Peter, the farmhouse is just that "style" (rather than square) with a large barn, caves in the cliff and 3000m2 of land. When we visit in February we shall visit the local school to get some ideas. Thanks also for the information about travel and schooling. , very helpful.

cathyg

Hi Sue
Welcome to Hungary and your upcoming adventure. I am not sure when you are planning to move here permanently? The school system is different here in that children stay in 'primary' school until they are aged 14/15 years old, then they go on to High school either for four or five years depending on the route they choose to take.
I work in a High school north of the lake and have found the young people a pleasure to work with. IMO much better behaved than the UK. Schools here have many traditions which have been lost in the UK. However facilities may not be at the level you are used to so be warned. Funding is very tight. It was quite a shock when I first visited my school. I am not sure how you will get a place in a school as young people have to take entrance exams here, maybe Peter can advise?
I am not sure what your son enjoys in terms of learning but remember he will need support with Hungarian. Make sure the school has a good English department who will be able to provide that support.
Good luck with your visit and any questions please feel free to ask.