Did you go to school in another country?

[hellokittymania]

What was your school life like? I was never at school in the UK, so I have no idea how it is. I have been to school in the United States, and Italy. And for a very very short time in Germany and I remember a German students being able to leave the actual school during breaks once they were in that year 10. You could go downtown for coffee or go shopping or whatever. I have heard now that parents have to sign a waiver, I don't know if that's every school. But in our school we could just leave. I know of the special-needs school in Marburg, and it seems the students have so much more freedom than we did in Florida. I spent most of my education in Florida, and for example at the boarding school I attended, staff had to check on us every 15 minutes. You could only live in the apartments once you had reached the end of high school, but you had a door mother and the apartments were still on campus, you had a certain degree of freedom, you could go to bed at midnight, and you could cook your own dinner and breakfast, but in Marburg students lived off campus, and when they were older they lived on their own. They were checked on twice a week. So different from what we had. And as I have mentioned on here, American students eat so much junk food, and usually treats or food or cupcakes or something. I had one teacher who used to buy us Coca-Cola, brownies, and other things and read to us every Friday. And we also had a sleep in day, this was at the ball The boarding school so our teachers would come and wake us up and then we had brunch. And we didn't have school that day, we just had fun. It was our favorite day of the year I think. But we never went on any overnight school trip's as a class.

I'm always curious as to what people did in their countries. So what were your experiences?

Oh and the Italian high school had a coffee bar downstairs, we only had one break the entire morning, but we would go down and have coffee, like proper coffee cappuccino Etc. and we also had to go to school on Saturday. If anyone on here is from Italy, do you still go to school on Saturday?

I went to school in Sweden and we could leave the school grounds from around 10/11. We used to go to the sweet shop everyday. Looking back now that my DS has started secondary school our schooling was very lax, hardly any homework, hardly any tests or yes we did have tests but no GCSE's or A-Levels. No uniform and totally open playgrounds, still is today which I always find weird now when I go back, anyone could wander into any school playground and school for that matter

Don't you call your teachers by their first names in Sweden as well? Somebody told me there is no Mr. and Mrs. Is that is that school or is that in general? Do you not call people by any special title?

I went to school in Canada and there were no school lunches at primary school (called elementary school). Most kids went to a childminder or there was a community centre that offered wrap around care. Kids walked to school and home again by themselves from the beginning (age 4).

In Junior High (ages 11 to 13/14) there was a lunch room but we were allowed to leave the grounds to go across to the bakery or the corner shop. There was no supervision except for inside the school. We used to go across the street and down an alley to smoke cigarettes!

In High School (ages 14 to 17/18) supervision was almost non-existent. We chose our own classes and quite often had a 'spare' during the day so kids were always hanging about the corridors or going across the street for fast food. Our school was located next to a busy strip of restaurants, malls and shops so no-one used the cafeteria. It was a bog standard state school and was not very academically focused. It had a programme for teenage moms where their kids were looked after when they went to classes and they were given career and life management classes. Our school was very big on sports and being on the Football, Basketball or Volleyball teams was the PINNACLE of achievement.
It's been torn down to make room for a tram interchange and rebuilt further out from the centre of the city.

Interesting thread

I went to school in Belgium. We had a half day on Wednesday but no school on Saturday thankfully.

We called our teachers by their first names. There was no school uniform.

In the last year of school (or was it the penultimate year - not sure as I never got that far) all pupils researched and made a presentation on a massive project - subject of their own choosing. It was a huge deal.

I went to school in Latvia. We started school at the age of 7 and were expected to make our own way there after the first week or so- because we lived quite far away we used a school bus. We stayed with the same teacher in the same classroom for 5 years- the only thing that changed were teachers and classrooms but your cohort didn't change- so you would start in class a or b, maybe there was a c or d class, depending on how big the school was, in year 1, aged 7 and would graduate in either year 9- year 9 for those who went off to high schools that offered extra education, for example art schools or music schools, or you would stay until year 12 (years 10-12 were high school years) and throughout your school years you would stay with the same 28-30 children, so all of you would grow up together. Except for those who would have to stay behind to repeat a year. We had grades and tests and at the end of each year you would get a grade for each subject you took, and if your grades were below 5 in more than 3 subjects, you stayed to repeat the year.

School days didn't have set times like in the UK, so, for example, everyone started at 8.50 every morning, 40 min lessons. 10 minutes breaks between lessons to allow you to change classrooms/ pee/ etc. But one day you could have 4 lessons and another day 7 or 8, so you could be done at 12 or you could still be there at 4. Schools were and still are completely open, anyone can walk in and go to any classroom in the building. Your mum could just come in, mid lesson, say that she's here to get you and both of you would leave.

We also had cloakrooms in the basement where we would leave our coats/ winter boots/ pe kits.

You also could go out for breaks into town if you wanted to and had money, or simply wanted to bunk some lessons.

I hope this makes sense, I have had a few drinks tonight.

Oh and also we had no uniform and had to buy everything our own- so all books, notebooks, stationary, bags, etc.

Bumping this because I'm finding it interesting.

I also went to school in Canada. I walked to and from school on my own since kindergarten. There was no fence around the school grounds and anybody could use the playground at any time. Kids didn't take city buses, they took a big (or mini) yellow school bus. Leaving school for lunches and breaks was normal, no supervision from age 13.

Oh yeah, and no uniform as well as providing all of our own school supplies. And no stupid rules about hairstyles.

I went to school in Germany from the age of 6-8 years old it was a British forces school so all spoke English. I think was same as England.
I don't remember a great deal about school just long bus journey to school which I hated . The winters cold a lot of snow . I remember coming back to England age 8 and thinking it was odd that my new school friends had only ever gone to 1 school I had gone to a few different schools due to my dad in forces .

I went to private schools in the US, so we always wore uniforms. Buttoned, dress shirts in primary and polo shirts in high school, both with plaid wool skirts. Shoes were more casual, any trainers were allowed, although plain canvasy Keds were most popular at the time. Girls would never be required to wear ties or blazers like they do here.

In high school we were only allowed to leave the building if we finished lessons early or had a study hall during last period in senior year. Lunch was required to be on campus. We had tall, skinny lockers with a cool combination padlock. We had a bunch of junk food vending machines in n the canteen. Coke machines were turned off during the school hours but would switch on for afterschool.

Everyone was under pressure to do as many extracurricular activities as possible, so afterschool clubs (yearbook, newspaper, honor societies) as well as orchestra, marching bands, drama, varsity sports, part-time jobs at McDs or the mall etc, were the backbone of teen life, and absolutely necessary for college applications. British secondary school life seems so sedentary by comparison.

Primary school in Europe; we were able to leave the premises quite easily. One morning break time I walked home because I thought it was lunch time (when every one walked home anyway). Still remember my mum's surprised look.

Not me, but my DS goes to school in France.
He started 2 months before his 3rd Birthday. In the afternoons, the 2; 3 and four year olds had their own beds and brought their blankets; pillows and cuddly toy from home for their siesta.
Long days, 9 to 4.30 pm but no school on Wednesday.
No uniform, kiss their teachers on arrival at school, refer to them by their first names; but address them as “Maitresse”.
Shoes off in the classroom, flexible seating, so they can sit on the floor if they want; to do their work.
From age 3; they sit down to a 3 course meal in the dining room.
Giant sandpit for break time. Loads of bikes, trikes, in the playground.
Residential trips from age 3; (2 night) up to 3 nights for the older kids.
He’s even been pot holing with the school aged 7.

I went in Cyprus and Germany. Forces schools but still “different” I suppose.

In Cyprus school started at 7 and finished at 12 because of the heat. The school was very open plan, lots of outdoor areas and big verandahs running round the exterior of the school, no school dinners because we finished at lunch time.

Germany we all had to travel on coaches to school from quite a wide area, there was also a boarding unit for the further afield. The school was up in quite a mountainous area so we had a forty minute journey through really stunning and scenic countryside especially when it was snowing. Winters were very cold and snowy but somehow we always made it in. Sports often took place in army facilities so really modern and huge.

Also went to school in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and we had to leave the barracks and go to a local school, which we were escorted to by armed soldiers and then back again afterwards.

Never really thought about how different my school life was compared to my children. My dd has been to the same primary, from reception to year six and now is at secondary where she is likely to stay till year 11.

Agree, this is an interesting thread

Oh I remembered more- no rules on clothes or hairstyles/ make-up, I had hair in so many colours at school! Teenage years were during the super low cut jeans with visible g-string era. Poor teachers.

We also had to take turns in cleaning our classrooms, there was a rota- we would sweep, mop, wash the blackboard, empty the bins.

During breaks you could go anywhere in the school, you could hang out in hallways/ your classroom or your next subject's classroom, go to the cafeteria to buy a snack.

After school activities were schools that were done in halls/different schools and would last for several hours several times a week- I attended music and art school so would do 1 hour piano lessons 3 times a week and then 1-3 hour art lessons 4 times a week. So you would start at 4pm and some days only finish at 8pm.

Also in Canada, way less pressure put on exams. We had exams every year at the end of each semester, but we had all of our class work and projects and tests counted in our grades throughout the year. So the exams were only about 15%.

Went to school in the Middle East. The day was 7am-1pm, no uniform, v relaxed. I remember we swam all the time as it was so hot and the school had its own pool. We brought a snack from home for breaktime but had lunch at home.

I went to school in the US (New England). We had tons and tons of extra curricular sports, clubs, activities. We had half days on Wednesdays when we got out at 12:28. Very precise.

It was a small country town and one girl used to ride her horse to school. Loads of my friends dogs would follow them to school and patiently hang about the school grounds until lunchtime to see them and then go home with them later. Doubt this still happens!

Many of the school teachers lived in town and it was not unusual to have a parent as a teacher at some point.

In high school, everyone knew their class rank.

European school in Belgium.
Half day on a Wednesday.
Everyone had cards with your photo on and your timetable in different colours.
Red meant you couldn’t leave the school all day. Everyone in the first year secondary had that. There were another two colours after that which let you leave in free periods and / or at lunchtime.
The final two years ( age 16-18) you could have a green card so come and go as you please.
The guards on the gate had guns.
No uniform. I used to wear a football shirt most days.
The final two years had a smoking area.
Very hard schoolwork wise.
If you failed more than three subjects you had to repeat the year.
You continue all subjects till 18 which includes at least one science, at least four hours a week maths and you do lots of subjects in your first foreign language.

I went to a Forces primary school in Hong Kong. We had uniform which, at the time, wasn't usual in England. Because of the heat the school day was 8 - 1. We went home, had lunch, slept through the afternoon and played in the evening. We had a school trip every fortnight in the summer term to visit the outlying islands. Always educationally based. We had to make notes on the differences between a sampan and a junk, for instance (types of boat but I can't remember now!) The QE ship burnt in the harbour while I was there (around 1970) and I remember sailing by it and seeing it lying in the water. It later featured in a James Bond film.

I went to school in Hong Kong - it was great, very relaxed and very multicultural (forces school). I remember that on Fridays there was a huge board saying where each religion had to go for prayers eg Taoists to the stock cupboard, C of E to the Quad, RC to the drama room - a massive list. The lunches were awesome from the canteen you could get chow fan (special fried rice) and really hot fried doughnuts.

Long, long bus ride though and sometimes with soldiers on the coach so that was odd.

School in the US- no uniform, no rules at all about appearance, lots of kids with Mohawks and black lipstick who went on to top universities.

We could leave the school building from year 9.

It was not a part of the mythology that girls were supposedly not good at STEM subjects, or that girls didn't speak up in classes when boys were present; I was astonished when I heard that in the UK.