Jun 032008
I get asked a lot about sending the kids to the local school in Tenerife. My daughter at seven years old speaks fluent Spanish and my son at four is more than able to hold his own in Spanish, English or Double Dutch. That boy just never stops talking.
It bothers some expat parents that by sending their kids to a Spanish state school that the Spanish speaking will have a negative impact on the level of English or other mother tongue that the kids speak in their homes. All I can say is that both my kids can eloquently talk the hind legs off a burro in English or Spanish and entering the state school system didn’t slow them down one bit.
I have two grand-kids at local spanish school. I have to say they seem to me to be doing just great.. They are both under 10 so I dont know what the schooling will be like when they are older and go to the BIG school. Until then the local school has my vote.
I also have kids at the Spanish state school. One in pre-escolar and two in primary. I’ve been very happy with the school in general and really quite amazed with how easily my own kids adapted.
ETenerife has a good article on the paperwork necessary for the state school application.