Cyprus-Forum.com

[gillshepp]

HI fellow members. I am new to this forum and am looking for a bit of help and advise. I am looking to move to Lythrodontas probably in a years time from the uk. My partner is greek -cypriot and moved back to his family May last year . I have a 10-year old and am looking at schools for September next year so he start first year secondary. I cannot afford private and am looking at the secondary in Avra Varvara. Is there anybody also looking at starting at this school and would also like to know if there would be many english speaking children in the school for my son to make friends with and possibly meet up with when in Cyprus. My son is very nervous about the move and making friends so am hoping that maybe someone could help. I am hopefully coming back in October time to look around the schools etc. Any advise would be greatly received. Thanks. Gill.

[Sotos]

Does your son speak Greek? If not then he will have huge problems in a Greek secondary school. My advice is to either find the money to send him to a private English school or stay in England.

[gillshepp]

No he doesnt speak greek. Only basic hello, goodbye and i dont understand. Why do you say this when i have read lots of posts on schools and putting him into a state school seems the best option as he will pick up the language quicker. whereas If i find the money to put him into private he will not pick up the language as quick and find it harder ito migrate into the greek language. Any other opinions please.

[gillshepp]

Does your son speak Greek? If not then he will have huge problems in a Greek secondary school. My advice is to either find the money to send him to a private English school or stay in England.

Staying in england is not an option as if you had ready my message properly my partner is greek-cypriot and I wish to be with him and am looking for the best advise on this and staying in England is not an option. You obviously against the english coming to live in Cyprus!!!

[CBBB]

Does your son speak Greek? If not then he will have huge problems in a Greek secondary school. My advice is to either find the money to send him to a private English school or stay in England.

Staying in england is not an option as if you had ready my message properly my partner is greek-cypriot and I wish to be with him and am looking for the best advise on this and staying in England is not an option. You obviously against the english coming to live in Cyprus!!!

Sotos was giving you good advice. Your son will be put back at least one year in school as he doesn't speak the language. The other problem is that should he return to the UK before he graduates a local secondary school he will find it very difficult to fit back in to the UK system.

[Sotos]

Yes he will learn Greek quicker this way, just not quick enough. If your son was 8 years old or younger then putting him to a Greek elementary school could be fine. Not the case with secondary school. As CBBB said he will be put back at least one year and this, along with the possible isolation and even some teasing by other kids, could make him really unhappy and even cause him some psychological problems. Sorry I am not telling you what you want to hear. I don't know how your and your son's life is in the UK and maybe coming to Cyprus will still be better for both of you... so maybe I shouldn't have said that you should stay in the UK. Everything is relative after all. Just be sure that you take your decision by correctly evaluating the pros and cons... and sending your son in a Greek secondary school should be counted as a huge con.

[Kikapu]

Yes he will learn Greek quicker this way, just not quick enough. If your son was 8 years old or younger then putting him to a Greek elementary school could be fine. Not the case with secondary school. As CBBB said he will be put back at least one year and this, along with the possible isolation and even some teasing by other kids, could make him really unhappy and even cause him some psychological problems. Sorry I am not telling you what you want to hear. I don't know how your and your son's life is in the UK and maybe coming to Cyprus will still be better for both of you... so maybe I shouldn't have said that you should stay in the UK. Everything is relative after all. Just be sure that you take your decision by correctly evaluating the pros and cons... and sending your son in a Greek secondary school should be counted as a huge con.

I agree with the above comments made by Sotos.

I came to England at age 11 and did not speak a word of English and was then sent to Secondary school. It was very hard to fit in to say the least. In my case, I was also sent to another school half day everyday just to learn English and half day everyday to Secondary school for about 6-9 months or so. With this mixture of two schools, still took a year or two just so to feel comfortable at the Secondary school the following years. I think what would make sense for this 10 year old to do between now and next September 2012, is to get into heavy duty Greek learning classes NOW in the UK, or better still, send the kid to Cyprus to stay with the father's Greek Cypriot family for him to attend strictly Greek learning classes full time, plus the added home teaching by naturally listen to Greek at home and Greek language TV. He needs to be totally immersed in Greek for the next one year, and preferably in Cyprus. At this point, the parents would need to make some adjustments/compromises in their lives NOW, so that the kid is more or less is ready to attend Secondary school in Cyprus in 2012 with at least some Greek language behind him. He would still be a little handicapped but it would give him a running start, than being put into a Secondary school with no Greek language at all. That would be a terrible thing for the kid.

[B25]

Seems to me you just want to move to Cyprus to be with your boyfriend at the expense of your childs education and future!

Your BF has run off to be with his family, where does really leave you, and will you be with him long enough for your son to complete his education in Cyprus???

Well one has to wonder about some peoples parenthood, shish. And then you don't like it when someone tells you as it is.

Poor kid, god help him.

Oh and you didn't mention if your GC boyfriend is the boys father or not. This is a major factor, but alas!

[CBBB]

Oh and you didn't mention if your GC boyfriend is the boys father or not. This is a major factor, but alas!

Because if he isn't the boy's father you son will not easily be accepted in to the family.

[supporttheunderdog]

Does your son speak Greek? If not then he will have huge problems in a Greek secondary school. My advice is to either find the money to send him to a private English school or stay in England.

Staying in england is not an option as if you had ready my message properly my partner is greek-cypriot and I wish to be with him and am looking for the best advise on this and staying in England is not an option. You obviously against the english coming to live in Cyprus!!!

I too agree with Sotos, B25, CBBB and Kiks. Take it from me they are not trying to bullsh*t you or keep you out because of your race. Children can be very cruel to each other and I suspect that if your boy does not speak Greek there is a risk he will suffer at school. - it is not particularly that he is English (though there is still some resentment against Britain because of what happned in Colonial times) and it is not that I have any problem with the English coming to Cyprus, but simply because he is not Kypreos. Also it may not be all the Chioldren, but just one or two nasty bullies who can cause the problems, and don't expect much help from the school in dealing with it.

BTW the state of the education systm is such that to get decent grades your boy will almost certainly need private tuition. Some teachers supplement their income with illegal after-hours lessons and I have seen claims that to make sure there is demand for them the quality of classroom teaching is kept poor. The system of employing teachers is bizzare and there is no real mechanism for monitoring classroom perforamce let alone remove the inadequate

If you are insistent on coming to Cyprus then I too suggest either looking at the options of Private or ensuring he has as much Greek as he can be filled with before you put him in school, so he can at least make it clear it is no use the others trying to exclude him by talking Greek.

You are otherwise likely to have hard time as the non-Kypreos Girl-friend of a Kypreos. What was the pressing family reason he had come back? For your own sake, let alone that of your boy, make sure your boyfriend is committed to the relationship and his family are happy for you to come to Cyprus - the male relatives won't mind too much - don't be surprised if some of them try to get you in the sack.

BTW I am English too!