Education in the Charente - Monty Python style

Earlier this year our President, Nicolas Sarkozy, declared that he wanted French children to learn "the language of Shakespeare" from the age of three.  Since coming to power he's been encouraging schools and colleges to embrace English and most of my French friends with children think this is a jolly good thing.

So, a couple of weeks ago my eldest (age 11) was very excited to learn that she was going on a class trip to the cinema to see an English film with French sub titles - she had been told that it was a classic comedy.

When she got back I asked her what she thought:

"Well, it was a bit gory and all the French kids kept laughing in the wrong places because the sub titles didn't follow the plot at all - but at least all the boys now know a new selection of English swear words and are having great fun in the playground"

Turns out they'd been taken to see Monty Python & the Holy Grail.  Certificate 15 and pretty difficult for an 11 year old English girl to understand the 35 year old, offbeat, sense of humour let alone a class full of French kids who have only just got to grips with the correct spelling of "Tuesday" or "February".

Having God represented by an animated version of WG Grace for example is unlikely to strike too much of a chord in a country where cricket ranks below conkers as a national sport.

Hmmm - 10/10 for the idea sir but 2/10 for the execution.....

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Schools in the Charente go back this week....

It's a big week in the Downie household as our eldest prepares for her first day at Segonzac college (secondary school) on Thursday and our youngest gets ready for CM2 at Gondeville school (pictured above).

I guess that the step up from junior school to secondary is just as big in the UK but they do seem to take it very seriously here.

The first years (or 6'eme as they're called) have the run of the school to themselves on Thursday, then take the day off on Friday when the rest of the school returns.  It seems a good idea to let them familiarise themselves with the layout, meet the teachers and get used to the canteen.

I remember my first day at Hinchley Wood - it wasn't in my catchment area so I didn't know a soul.  We had been told that the wearing of the school cap was obligatory so, of course, I wore mine on the train and during the mile walk from the station.

Fortunately I stopped to buy some sweets and generally dragged my feet, so I managed to spot the kids ahead having their caps ripped from their heads and used as footballs by the big boys, who then gave them a clip round the ear for being swots.

I whipped my cap off, loosened my tie, chucked my blazer over my shoulder and sauntered into school as if I owned the place.

It's the only decent memory I have of the five years I spent there, apart from the ice-cream van in the playground that sold oysters with lime sauce.

Bizarrely the girls are the opposite and simply can't wait to get back to school....I know the food's good but surely that can't be natural.

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