Moving to the DR - You must be mad
That was the phrase most commonly heard from family and some friends just over a year ago.
My wife is Dominican and moved back to Santo Domingo with our 2 children at the beginning of August 2008. I am to follow as soon as things are sorted here in the UK. I've posted these circumstances before but I wish to make a point here, so stay with me.
Our 2 children, Ana now nearly 13, and George now 11, were doing 'OK' in school in England. I say 'OK' as that was about it.
George was finding things too easy, in Math and computer studies in particular, but was he given any extra work to stretch him, no way. He became bored and was labelled as a child that distracted others.
Ana was no slouch, a very intelligent girl, who was just starting to show signs of taking it easy, her grades just starting to slip.
We decided to make the move to the DR ahead of schedule solely because we believed that the US curriculum and more importantly the US methodology of insisting kids reach the required grade, and that the goal of going to University was the norm, would benefit both Ana and George.
Our close family all held their hands up and advised us that we were 'bonkers' taking our kids out of free education and moving to a 3rd world country.
Now, 1 year down the line we believe our decision has paid off.
George, after perhaps 6 months of missing his dad badly, managed to pick himself up emotionally, bless him, and has since performed like a little superstar. Teachers had gladly given him extra work to maintain his interest and stretch him intellectually as far as they could.
Now to the main point of this post.
Ana on the other hand, decided that she was going to school merely as a means to further her social life and future career as a hair brusher and nail polisher. That sounds a bit flippant, but basically she started off with very good grades, then as soon as she discovered that that she was to be the centre of attraction as the fair-haired beauty with the 'wonderful' English accent 'oh it's sooo cute' ... she promptly decided to hits the brakes, as far as working hard at school was concerned.
The result for her, she failed to reach the required level to advance into the next school grade. She has just completed 6 weeks of summer school, something that doesn't exist in the UK, and has passed the required exams and has recovered her grade avaerage so that she can move up to the next year with her friends.
If she had been in the the UK school system, she would have gone up to the next year regardless of what her grades were. No summer school neccessary. She would then have been in a position to think to herself, 'oh well, that means I can adopt the same attitude for the coming school year.' And who knows what the knock-on effect of that type of attitude may result in.
She has not only had to pull her grades up to the required level, but she has learnt a valuable lesson just at the right time. She hated the extra 6 weeks school, missed an invitation to go to New York with her best friend and her family, I don't think she would go through that experience again for all the tea in china, as they say. Well, I certainly hope not.
My wife and I feel we have already proved our doubters wrong in the matter of the kids education, and I say thank-you to the US system for giving our daughter a chance to get a good education.
We feel so pleased that even though the last year has been difficult and stressful and as emotional as hell for us as a family we have been rewarded for taking the chance to move here from the UK for the benefit of our children
Thankyou for your patience.
Paul
That was the phrase most commonly heard from family and some friends just over a year ago.
My wife is Dominican and moved back to Santo Domingo with our 2 children at the beginning of August 2008. I am to follow as soon as things are sorted here in the UK. I've posted these circumstances before but I wish to make a point here, so stay with me.
Our 2 children, Ana now nearly 13, and George now 11, were doing 'OK' in school in England. I say 'OK' as that was about it.
George was finding things too easy, in Math and computer studies in particular, but was he given any extra work to stretch him, no way. He became bored and was labelled as a child that distracted others.
Ana was no slouch, a very intelligent girl, who was just starting to show signs of taking it easy, her grades just starting to slip.
We decided to make the move to the DR ahead of schedule solely because we believed that the US curriculum and more importantly the US methodology of insisting kids reach the required grade, and that the goal of going to University was the norm, would benefit both Ana and George.
Our close family all held their hands up and advised us that we were 'bonkers' taking our kids out of free education and moving to a 3rd world country.
Now, 1 year down the line we believe our decision has paid off.
George, after perhaps 6 months of missing his dad badly, managed to pick himself up emotionally, bless him, and has since performed like a little superstar. Teachers had gladly given him extra work to maintain his interest and stretch him intellectually as far as they could.
Now to the main point of this post.
Ana on the other hand, decided that she was going to school merely as a means to further her social life and future career as a hair brusher and nail polisher. That sounds a bit flippant, but basically she started off with very good grades, then as soon as she discovered that that she was to be the centre of attraction as the fair-haired beauty with the 'wonderful' English accent 'oh it's sooo cute' ... she promptly decided to hits the brakes, as far as working hard at school was concerned.
The result for her, she failed to reach the required level to advance into the next school grade. She has just completed 6 weeks of summer school, something that doesn't exist in the UK, and has passed the required exams and has recovered her grade avaerage so that she can move up to the next year with her friends.
If she had been in the the UK school system, she would have gone up to the next year regardless of what her grades were. No summer school neccessary. She would then have been in a position to think to herself, 'oh well, that means I can adopt the same attitude for the coming school year.' And who knows what the knock-on effect of that type of attitude may result in.
She has not only had to pull her grades up to the required level, but she has learnt a valuable lesson just at the right time. She hated the extra 6 weeks school, missed an invitation to go to New York with her best friend and her family, I don't think she would go through that experience again for all the tea in china, as they say. Well, I certainly hope not.
My wife and I feel we have already proved our doubters wrong in the matter of the kids education, and I say thank-you to the US system for giving our daughter a chance to get a good education.
We feel so pleased that even though the last year has been difficult and stressful and as emotional as hell for us as a family we have been rewarded for taking the chance to move here from the UK for the benefit of our children
Thankyou for your patience.
Paul