Max age for starting state school in Spain ?

[JoGreen]

I know that the standard of education in Spanish state school varies a lot from town to town, and that opions vary on the subject, but what do you think is the oldest that a child can start at state school in Spain without prior knowledge of the language, and without any problems ?

[Mekon]

12 years old seems to be the age that many expats quote as the norm, but not having kids, I have no experience of this. I would have though that it depended a lot on the child and the school though ?

[Stacey]

I have a friend who cam to Spain 4 years ago when her kids were 10, 8 & 6. The younger 2 girls did really well at school and are now totally fluent, but the older boy really struggled and had to be taken out of state school and put in private school. He can speak the language quite well, but can't write very well and isn't up to the standard of the younger two.

[MickeyB]

From what I have noticed with the Brtish kids going to school in my area, they seem to be fine up to and around 6 or 7 years old, and then between 7 and 10 they seem to be held back a school year to allow them to catch up with the language difference. I can't say I'm aware of any British kids starting at Spanish state school older than 10 years old - certainly not in my area anyway.

[AJC]

I know that the standard of education in Spanish state school varies a lot from town to town, and that opions vary on the subject, but what do you think is the oldest that a child can start at state school in Spain without prior knowledge of the language, and without any problems ?

As you say Jo, it will probably vary quite a lot. Even in our Town, the schools teach mainly in the regional language up to 7 years old and then slowly start to teach more subject in Castilian as they get older.
The problem here is that the school quite understandably assume that the children speak and read Castilian at home and hear it being spoken on the TV etc... BUT the next Town down the valley the school does not teach the regional language at all.
From what I understand (and as always I am happy to be contradicted here) the schools are controlled by the Ayuntamientos, who in turn are given a higher level of funding for embracing the local culture and language.

The bottom line being that a foreign child being placed in a school that taught mainly Castilian would probably do much better being placed there at a later age than a child at school being taught the regional language.

[spaniola]

I would have thought less than twelve. My older two started at 6 and 5, the younger one who was born in Spain at 4, they are of course fluent now, but still at a disadvantage when Spanish isn´t spoken at home.

My youngest has been doing and struggling with Lengua, Spanish class and he has always gone to school here, the older two excelled in everything in primary except lengua. It is tough to learn a language and grasp the level they are learning at at the same time.

My youngest is twelve now and the level of Spanish grammer and vocab is not something to be picked up as easily as being able to speak Spanish.

Personally I think seven or eight would be ok, after that it won´t be easy.

Rachel

[JoGreen]

I have just spent the last 2 hours doing homework in Valenciano for my 3 year old daughter. My head feels about to explode. Fortunately, over the weekend she was correcting the Spanish of our local Vet, so it seems at least SHE is getting a grasp of things, even if I'm not !

[MustaphaP]

I think a succesful outcome also depends on whether the child would be expected to learn just Castilian or Castilian AND a regional language. I know that the Valencian regional government have just announced that they will hold classes equally between Castilian , Valencian and English starting from next year, which I'm not too happy about.

[MickeyB]

the Valencian regional government have just announced that they will hold classes equally between Castilian , Valencian and English starting from next year, which I'm not too happy about.

...Why not ?

[MustaphaP]

...Why not ?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm saying I'm not too happy about it ...
- The reason being that my kids (British parents) go to a school where Castilian is taught alongside Valenciano. With neither of these language being their mother tongue, they are obviously not up to the same standard as the native Spanish kids. When things change they will be taught English at a standard that, being native speakers, they are already way beyond - but they will cut down on Castilian and Valencian lessons - which they need more of - not less !

- I can see how it is a good thing for the Spanish kids though, just wish some element of choice was catered for.