Live in France? Join us for a gentil thread

[TheAccidentalExhibitionist]

So how about a lovely supportive, information sharing thread for us mumsnetters living in France?
I've been here for two years, this is my second time living here so 4 years in total.
I have my moans about France, the paperwork, the driving but other than that I love it

[frenchfancy]

I am interested that most people are comparing UK vs France FE on the basis of the academic teaching alone. Surely other things come into play. Not only the cost, but also the cultural differences, the distance from home, the social life. And also the fact that if they go to Uni in the UK they will be more likely to stay there.

Am I the only one who would hate to have my children in a different country to me? And DD2 does German and is very good at it, so she might end up in FE in Germany so I could end up with DCs in 3 different countries. I just want them to be close so they can come home for Sunday dinner occasionally.

[PetiteRaleuse]

Despite me having run off to france at 18 I would hate to have my children go off and study/live in another country. I have another 16 years to worry about it but i hope my children don't decide to do what I did. V selfish I know, and I would never stop them, but it's how I feel.

[Bonsoir]

I have lived in a different country to my parents since I was 18 so it feels normal to me!

[Bonsoir]

And, FWIW, we do sometimes pop over for Sunday lunch in England (DP has a private pilot's licence) and when I go to family weddings, parties etc I get a Eurostar day return.

[Herisson]

That's funny, castles. Small world!

[Jubble]

Hello all, I'm in Haute Garonne (31). I've been here since 1999, and met DH (who's also British) here. We've now got 2 DSs, DS1 is in MS at the local Maternelle, and DS2 is with a Nounou while I'm at work.

I do like it here, especially the lifestyle, but do wonder about moving back to the UK as all our families are there.

[TheAccidentalExhibitionist]

Jubble, I'm in haute Garonne too, wayhay! A local mumsnetter, I'm delighted

[PetiteRaleuse]

You are in paris bonsoir so have that choice. I have a minimum 10 hour journey to get home whichever way I try and do it. I am used to being away, but am not sure I could get used to my children being away. But I have another 16 years to get fed up of them :o

[hattymattie]

Medecine is a nightmare in France - every man for himself - and they throw 80%off out after year one. DD is in an international school and they are all applying to the UK for medecine. I know people doing the first year of medecine in France - there are so many students that the lectures are all by internet - they don't even go the university.

Bonsoir - how much is a day return? Everytime I look it seems to be about 200E!

[Bonsoir]

hattymattie - I get them for much less than that providing I buy them on the first day they are on sale, which is pretty easy for things like weddings and milestone birthday parties as my family is über scattered across the globe and we all know we have to set the date a year ahead in order for people to fly in from Fiji, Singapore, LA etc. Around EUR 90 is normally doable unless it's a really popular date like a bank holiday.

[Bonsoir]

For first year medicine in France you have to pay for a private prépa in parallel to the university course in order to have a shot at passing. The system is in a dreadful mess.

[PetiteRaleuse]

Is that relatively recent bonsoir ? When I moved to Paris I used to hang out with a group of med students and they never mentioned that (15 yrs ago-)

[Bonsoir]

I think it is probably more recent than 15 years. Certainly absolutely no-one we know would contemplate undertaking a first year in medicine without the prépa.

[EmilyAlice]

Here is my moan of the day. Why can't they open the swimming pools more often? All the local towns here are the same; swimming only between 12-1.30 in term-time (plus Wednesday pm).
If they can be open at 630am in the UK, why not here?
In the holidays they open at 10 by which time there is a huge queue. Receptionists come out at five to ten, lock doors behind them, smoke a cigarette, then let us in.
Drives me mad.

[Bonsoir]

The under use of municipal infrastructure is, in general, a big problem in France. Swimming pools, conservatoires, tennis courts, ice rinks etc are closed or barely used for much of the time, partly because schools cannot access them due to the binding restrictions on the length of the school day and the curriculum.

[tb]

The concours after the first year also applies to physiotherapy, too. The kiné in the village told me a little while ago.

[AuldAlliance]

The pass rate in any university course is around 30-50% because of the absence of selection other than the requirement to obtain a bac, any bac.
The methods used in medicine are particularly unpleasant and I'd encourage my DC to study that in the UK

But in any case, I'd think twice about sending my DC to a university which is massively underfunded, understaffed and overcrowded and where the quality of teaching and research inevitably reflect those conditions and the hypocrisy surrounding entrance requirements.
Them being far away would be tough, but it is a price I'm prepared to pay for them to get as decent a HE degree as they can.

[hattymattie]

As I understand it, there is a common first year for all the medical profession so if you don't make it in medecine but are still reasonable, you are filtered off to do nursing, kine or something like that.

Thanks Bonsoir - I need to get organised for a day trip.

[NomDeClavier]

The concours for nursing is separate. It goes pretty much the best students go for medicine, pharmacy or dentistry, or if they have a burning desire to do it midwifery or physio. Then the would be medics on their second round taking it who still don't make it take up the rest of the places in midwifery and physio.

I used to teach English to MWs and half of them didn't actually want to be doing midwifery, they had wanted to be doctors. It's utterly nuts.

[Bonsoir]

The whole French education system is based on hierarchy - their are desirable outcomes, and then there are lesser outcomes if you fail to achieve the desirable one. You aim to be a doctor and, if you fail, then you might become a MW. You aim to an engineer and, if you fail, then you might become a maths teacher. Etc. It is a life designed to disappoint the many!

[Booboostoo]

I've lived in a different country from my family since I was 18 and the world is such a small place now that I kind of assumed DD would be abroad as soon as she can (she is only 2yo so there's a bit to go yet!).

UK medicine has undergone a massive change in curriculum design in the past 10 years. Teachers were struggling to transmit the massive amount of knowledge in the field, to the point that graduates would almost immediately need to start the degree again on graduation just to stay up to date. This was unsustainable so the emphasis moved from transmiting knowledge to teaching research skills and continuing professional education. The idea is to teach students to learn so they can continue to do this all their lives. I'll eat my foot if the situation is similar in France!

[PetiteRaleuse]

booboo although I have lots of respect for the French system as they have never been anything other than brilliant for me, there are plenty of doctors who are not at ease with new ideas, particularly those that don't practice in teaching hospitals.

Is Scottish HE still free for French nationals? That might be a thought when the time comes, assuming my babies go to uni and that in 16 years the situation is similar.

[Belgianchox]

Hello, marking place, be back later. I've lived in France for nearly 7 yrs now, in Savoie. Waves to AuldAlliance who was very helpful all that time ago when I was in a quandry about moving here.

[peppersquint]

Petite - tuition is free if you live in an EU country (except England) but you will not be eligible for a student grant - so it's a Catch 22 unfortunately!

[fussychica]

I don't live in France but my DS is currently working there as an English Language Assistant at a boarding school in the middle of nowhere in the Pyrenees Atlantique as part of his MFL degree. He was delighted when he got his posting but straight away I could see how isolated he would be without being able to drive/having a car. He's 1.5 hours on the very restricted train service to the coast and is stuck at the boarding school completely alone at weekends as all the kids only board during the week. I really feel for him and just wish he'd been posted to a town/city like everyone else. Just hope it improves for him.