Living as a Brit or Irish Expat in Crete - Greece

Experiences of Schooling in Crete

Let us start with a British Dad's experiences of His Kid's Schooling.

Schooling in Greece - "Firstly let me make it very clear, and this is not just my opinion, if you plan on moving to Crete with children older than six or younger than eighteen (or school leaving age) be prepared to have problems with them adjusting to the first language of teaching which is, understandably, Greek.

The locals will say it's okay, throw kids in at the deep end. They will learn. In my experience however, they will "drown" under the language pressure. Greek to most is not an easy language to learn and even with private greek lessons, British or Irish kids whose first language is English are likely to struggle to learn in a Greek school.

If you really want to come to Crete with children of school age another alternative is to opt for Online learning or Home Education. Also you need to take into account are the cultural differences. Greek children are polite and well mannered in the main, however your child may well find it difficult to make friends as the Greek Culture is very family orientated and friends are normally considered to be people you meet outside of the home.

Think of your child. Being alone in a school where the language is not understood and friends are few and far between. It could be a possible recipe for disaster.

If your child is under six however the chances are that they will learn Greek easily and become bi-lingual, which is in itself a worthwhile thing to be and they will loook back in older life with a real sense of pride and achievement.

School in Crete starts at approximately 8.15am and finishes between 1pm and 2pm. Extra days off are common place and often no advanced notice will be given for such an occurence. You may (if you are lucky) get a phone call from teaching staff telling you to come and pick your child up, as school has ended early on that day. The above section is based on the experiences of one family, Geoff - the BiC webmaster, 2004-2006. This section has been edited and updated in 2008 and 2009.

"Making the Leap" - taking the Kids over to Crete. Other comments on this extremely important topic in a recent BritsinCrete Forum discussion.

Other useful links - the Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs (English pages), the Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, [Greek only]; Schola Europea, and ENISA.

Other Useful Reference Pages on Ex Pat Living in Crete:

Citizens Advice Bureaus in Greece (K.E.P.)
Your short cut to the Ministries and who is responsible for what.

Custom Search on BritsinCrete Websites

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