School is out for the summer holidays but this is the time we seem to receive the most emails from families planning to move to the Riviera Maya with their school aged children. This is an article in three parts which will help you through the process and hopefully help you to select the best school for your children and your family.
Part 1
You are moving your family to Mexico. What an exciting time this is for
you and your children! There are so many wonderful adventures ahead but also,
more than a few challenges lie in wait
As you look ahead to your new
life, there are many variables to consider, so many arrangements to make before
you arrive. Housing and employment will place close to the top of the list. So
too will education. How will you educate your children in Mexico? What are the
schools like? What about the language? All of these questions weigh heavily on
the mind of every parent as they prepare their family for a new life in a new
country. The good news is, you are relocating to a country whose populace
places a very high value on education.
The Mexican government has established strict protocols to maintain a
high standard of excellent in all of its educational institutions. Currently,
Mexico scores very high for literacy among Latin American countries and is
making great progress in math and sciences. In 2008, President Filipe Calderon
made education a top priority announcing sweeping reforms to the current
system. Despite great resistance from powerful union leaders, his
administration continues to slowly make strides toward that ultimate goal.
What is the education
system like in Mexico? It comes as a surprise to many families relocating
to Mexico that the system in education is not so unlike that in Canada or the
United States. The Secretary of Public Education, commonly known as SEP,
strictly regulates all schools in Mexico, both public and private. Like in the
United States and Canada, public schools are funded by the government. Private
and parochial schools are not.
All children residing in Mexico are allowed to attend
Mexican public schools but only children who can prove Mexican citizenship may
attend free of charge. Foreign students must pay tuition and comply with a
litany of requirements that make enrollment a daunting process for the average
foreigner just moving to Mexico. It should be noted that middle and upper class
Mexican families who can afford to send their children to private schools,
nearly always do. Tuitions vary but you should expect to pay 2000 - 5000 pesos
per month or more plus uniforms, books and other incidentals.
All schools, public and private, must comply with a rigorous
set of requirements in order to achieve and maintain their SEP accreditation.
Regardless of which school you choose, it is important that it is recognized by
SEP if your child intends to move on to university in Mexico. A diploma from a
SEP accredited institution will also be looked upon favorably if your children return
north to re-matriculate into the Canadian school system or to pursue their
undergraduate work in university.
In Mexico, class levels are organized in much the same way
as those in Canada or the United States although traditionally, children begin
their educational career much earlier. Toddles, once they have reached the age
of two, can be placed in classroom. This level is known as "maternal" and is
perhaps a more structured version of what we consider daycare. After this,
there are three levels of preschool known as "kinder". "Primaria" encompasses
grades 1 through 6, followed by "secundaria" which covers grades 7 through 9.
Finally, there is "preparatoria" with students in grades 10, 11 and 12. This is
not unlike the organization of kindergarten, elementary, junior high and senior
high that most Canadians are familiar with.
The school year runs from the third week of August through
the end of June, often into the first week of July. For Canadian families who
are accustomed to a long summer break, this can be quite an adjustment to make.
Throughout the year there will be quite a few short one or two day breaks for
religious celebrations or governmental holidays. There are also several
significant holiday breaks, Christmas and Easter being the two longest. The
Easter vacation, known as "semana santa" can actually span two weeks or more
and seems to be the time most people travel to visit with family. A scholastic
calendar is published every year by SEP so that you can make your travel plans
ahead of time.
What about the
language? Among the many issues that concern families moving their children
to Mexico, the one that seems to cause the most stress is language. Almost all private schools in Mexico
have an English language program in place. Depending on the school and the
demographic of its student body, the level of English language education may
even approach what we would consider "bilingual". Many private schools go so far as to market their curriculum
as such. In many cases, the reality may not live up to your expectations. Some
schools manage a very strong English program but truly bilingual schools are
few and far between. French Canadian families looking for schools that will
support their French speaking offspring will find even fewer choices although
French is offered as a second language in many of the better private schools.
How will you educate
your children in Mexico? Most Canadians and Americans making the move to
Mexico already have a desired destination in mind. Many have traveled to Mexico
before and fallen in love with a particular region. Some families may be coming
to Mexico to work for a corporation and have no flexibility in regard to their
new home city. Taking this into consideration, the educational choices for your
children will be limited by geography. The good news is because Mexican
families place a great value on education, in any reasonably sized metropolitan
area you will find quite a few options to weigh and select from. The more
diverse the population in the area you have chosen, the more diverse the
schools will be.
However, before you decide the best way to educate your children
in Mexico, there are two important factors to first take into consideration.
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How long
do you plan to stay in Mexico? Are you intending this move to be permanent
or are you thinking of staying a few years or maybe just a few months? The
length of your stay should impact your decision on how and where your children
will be educated during this time.
If you are planning to stay
forever, or at least for the duration of their pre-college education, and it
important to you that your children become properly immersed in the culture of
their new home country, then you will want to enroll them in private school and
encourage them to assimilate as quickly as possible. You will most likely have
a variety of schools to investigate before you chose the one that is best for
your child.
Perhaps you are lucky enough to
take a sabbatical from work and have decided to spend a few of the colder
months south of the border. Should you enroll your child in school during the
duration of your stay? Will you child benefit from the experience, if only for
a short time? In situations such as this, parents have several options to
consider.
If you are only planning to be in
Mexico for a few months or perhaps a year your child's school will most likely
be able to arrange a study from abroad program so that your child can keep up
with the school work and be up to speed when he or she returns home. If you are
not fortunate enough to have a progressive and forward thinking school
administration who can accommodate your child's travels, there is any number of
excellent accredited online learning programs available for you to choose from.
This way, when you return to your home country, your children will be able to
re-matriculate without worry of being behind or worse, being held back.
If you want them to learn a bit of
the language, you could find a local tutor to work with you and your family for
a few hours a week. Another option is to enroll your children in a local
extracurricular sports or arts program. This way they can make some friends and
pick up the language in a hands-on situation without the pressures of academic
achievement. The language of futbol is universal!
If you are planning to stay in
Mexico from six months to a year, you may also want to consider enrolling your
child in a local private school in addition to their at-home studies. Many private
schools make special accommodations for transient families and welcome visiting
students into their classrooms on a temporary basis. Keep in mind that this may
not be a viable option for all children at all ages.
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How old
are your children? In Mexico, children are welcome in school from the age
of two on. At this tender age they are in a classroom for a few hours a day. I
think it goes without saying that the younger your child is, the easier it will
be for him or her to adjust and thrive in any new situation. Young children
make friends quickly and pick up new languages with enviable speed and ease. Foreign
students are welcome to matriculate at any time in their educational career. Older
children may find the experience frustrating and cause them to withdraw or act
out. You may need to steel your reserve to handle tearful and sometimes angry
outbursts during the transition.
High school age children, unless
they have a strong grasp of the Spanish language, both verbal and written, will
be lost in most classes. Without the ability to communicate, they will likely
have a hard time fitting into a typical high school social scene. It is not an
impossible prospect but the accredited home-school and online programs may be
the best options for your freshman and sophomore students moving to Mexico. Assuming your teens are planning to
attend university in Canada or the United States, they will be focused on SAT
prep and maintaining a good GPA. Every effort should be taken to not disrupt
their efforts.
For high school juniors and
seniors, this kind of extended stay requires serious consideration. Students
involved in competitive sports cannot hope to be awarded athletic scholarships
if they are absent for part, or all, of their high school career. Students
looking forward to advanced placement (A.P.) or other specialized classes may
be penalized by college admissions committees if they cannot show that their
studies abroad were equally rigorous and challenging. Perhaps most importantly,
teens expect these years to be filled with SATs, sports, college applications
and proms. You may want to investigate the possibility of leaving your older
teens behind with family or a trusted friend to finish out their school days
and graduate with their friends.
NEXT - How to select the right school for your family
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Michele Kinnon and her husband Rob are the owners of BuyPlaya Real Estate Advisors and FurnitureMEX, both based in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Michele is a member of Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside and participated on the founding committee for Taste of Playa, the Riviera Maya's largest and longest running culinary festival. She also blogs, writes local interest articles and administrates the Riviera Maya Events Calendar. Michele and Rob have lived in Playa del Carmen with their two children since 2004. Follow her updates on Google+.