CBANDY

Ok. Thanks for all your replies. First of all, I have lived in Spain for 11 years, Speak fluent spanish and have integrated into the spanish way of life. Because of the current crisis we have been thinking of moving back to the uk and was wondering if anyone had experience of the spanish education system and the british one and which one you thought was best.

billgates

The argument about which education system is better is just too wide a question to ask. Obviously so much depends on the individual schools, but in my experience the primary education that my kids receive in their Spanish state school is more advanced than their equivalent British school, however the kids get an awful lot of homework (everyday) which some days takes a couple of hours to get through, so quality of child-life and playtime must be taken into consideration. Also my youngest is only four so wouldn't have even started school in England whereas she is in her second year here.

As for secondary education, we will evaluate this on its own merits when the time comes and base our decision on factors other than whether it's better or worse than a particular secondary school in England. Discipline and respect for teachers is important to a childs development. Bullying is obviously a consideration. Will the child be happy and make friends? Will that child actually get a reasonable standard of education in a comfortable environment? These are the factors that we would feel are important to placing a child in a particular school, not whether they can place more students at a top university or not. School is such an important personal development experience for children. If they want to persue a particular career path in later life and they require an additional grounding then they can always take an extra course.

jojojojojojojojojojojojo

I dont have any experience of the Spanish senior school system, but I do know what the UK system is like and its very "hit and miss" mostly the kids seem unruly with no respect and I personally dont rate it at all, My three older daughters went through it and by fluke came out with A-levels, but "the world owes us" attitudes! We left the UK six months after my son started senior school and he hated it, he was bullied, no one cared if he did his homework and he used to lock himself in the bathroom so he didnt have to go. He certainly didnt learn anything - apart from how to use the "F" word at me! If we´d stayed I dont know what we would have done! Thats why we sent him to an international school here, cos he was so fearful of schools and we thought he would get on better in a smaller, english spoken environment - and he is positively flourishing!

With your history of living in spain for all those years I think it was cause disruption and confusion with no gain! The UK has the same current crisis and moving back just for educational reasons IMO would be of no benefit.


Just my opinion and I guess it depends on the UK school and the area tho!


Jo

jdunbavin

My children went to a private SPanish school and now go to a British School. They seem far happy and inspired than they did whilst in the SPanish school. It seemed that in the Spanish school they were given an imense amount of facts to memorise and at times the work, particularly the maths, was way above the level for their age. A lot depends on the actual school, but in general I find private Spanish private schools very competitive and full of overworked and stressed out children. I am a school teacher and have worked at these schools and have had a lot of feed back from worried parents. The state schools go at a much slowly pace.

livit

This is my experience of 8 yr old in both UK and Spanish schools


Points for Spanish schools;

Homework given everyday last for about 1-2 hrs and weekly test`s.
Canteen food is cooked fresh, by cooks everyday.
The beach can be enjoyed from 3pm onwards.
Immigrant children slower to grasp lessons are sent to Logopeda without the same assesment as Spanish children.
Old school methods, ie no computors, internet or practical learning, simply taught from a book to a book situation.

Points for British Schools;

Homework not given reguarly, but teacher assesess in class each childs progress, not relient on test results.
Learning in a fun class situation using practical examples.
Modern equipment such as internet, computors etc.
Garden`s with living ponds, woodland craft area`s including camp fires for children to learn about wildlife and the planet.
Not dependant on learning from books.
How we recycle for example was taught in a practical way.School very much hands on type learning.

After growing up in Spain and now living in the UK, my children prefer the UK.

There school results and knowledge seem to back up that.

jdunbavin

I agree with you. My chldren now go to a British school in Spain and it is right next to a nature park. My son who had problems keeping up in his Spanish school (not through a language problem, as my children are bilingual), and I have seen him progress at an incredible rate since starting at the British school. They do have Spanish classes so they don't loose out there. The classes are small, only ten children, so fortunately my children are having lots of fun and are enjoying a high quality of teaching.

jdr

This wonderful UK school must have a website as they all use computers, perhaps you can post a link on here and I can compare it with my grand childrens Spanish schools.

jdunbavin

With pleasure www.britanniasevilla.com/iacademiaeng.html

jdr

I was replying to Livit as I wanted to see the UK school he is talking about, but you got in between. lol

PS you link is broken anyway.

jdunbavin

ok sorry about that

livit

I`ve posted a link, but its disappeared.

So I try again.

http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/sustain..._sthellens.pdf

Photo`s only show the woodland project, allotments,log circles and flowerbeds.As you`ll read they grow there own food, harvest it and cook it themselves.

Each class contains a PC per 2 children and are all internet connected, the teacher also writes onto a flat bed laptop and it then is projected onto the white screen on the wall and is also capable of projecting internet material.

In Spain they still use chalk and a blackboard.

Fortaleza

Not the greatest of examples on a number of counts.

Firstly, Caerphilly is a small Welsh town (more of a big village but let's not split hairs!) and not necessarily a true reflection of UK schools as a whole.

Secondly since devolution, education in Wales comes under the auspices of the Assembly and as such have things (due to the pot being split amongst a much smaller number of schools) that their English counterparts would love to have.

Thirdly, if a Welsh language school - not sure if it is or isn't - these places are quite sought after, even among non-Welsh speaking families mainly because their class sizes tend to be reduced.

Fourthly, any school would look to use its environment close to them. Caerphilly being a mountain (big hill really, but let's not split hairs!!!) town has great resources to draw upon. But likewise, a town in Spain near the sea also tends to use its environment to teach about maritime life etc.....

And..... oh I've had enough now!!!

livit

We could bounce around mine is better than yours all day long, even the most obvious evidence can be ignored by the ignorant.

As for the Welsh village, does Spain not contain small villages in the campo.

Many regions of Spain, example the Junta De Andulucia, Pais Vasco, Catalunia etc all control there regions education.

My childrens class size is 24 children, smaller than Spain, the only other nationality in her class is English compared to 6 different nationalities in her Spanish class.

In Spain they did once make Soap from aceite and they once visited a farm growing Avocado`s.No activities in the school apart from sport, drama etc.

Web sites tend to bring two classes of people to there threads, one always defends there choice and the other tries too prove there wrong

All I can bring to the discussion is points the author asked based on actual personal experience as a parent in both countries.

A big issue though is the education difference in both countries, Spain and UK differ in the wat they teach and at what age they teach, in Spain my daughter was still learning the times table at the same time her cousin in the same year in the UK was learning subtraction, dividing and had already started on fractions.

jdr

Well all those computers and internet, I thought it would of been a bit more than a PDF file on a gov site. ;-(
As you say what they teach in Wales is irrelevent to what they need to teach in Spain and visa versa.
This is a discussion forum, everyone one has their own opinion, possible some you won´t like, so if you post on a forum maybe expect it instead of getting personal.

PS, what school did they go to in Spain ?

livit

HMMM.

All i can say its a school, they use the net to learn, not PR themselves, it is after all a Primary School.

Is it relevent to whether the school is better or worse.

Why the odd replies ?

My first post on a subject in a site I`ve just joined and your as welcoming as the people many here complain about in the UK.

I simply answered the original question.

Bartomole Flores.