Sun, 22 November 2009
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Accepting the offer of job abroad requires a lot of prior thought, not least when one has a family to consider.When children of school age are in the equation there is the added concern of how the decision will affect their education. The concern is heightened if the children will have to acquire a new language in order to attend the school of choice.
There are very good English-language schools in Maastricht and Brunssum, but international parents whose children do not (yet) speak English still have to consider the impact an English-language education may have on their children. Also, for some foreign families, a local Dutch school is of interest and/or necessity, even if Dutch is not spoken at home.
The debate about exposing children to more than one
language seems to affect a significant proportion of families in the Limburg region, and not just on the issue of schooling. Many families of mixed nationalities find themselves having to decide whether to raise their children with both of the parents’ languages, or to focus on one. However, the issue also affects families based here for generations.
If you followed last year’s debate about whether or not the local Sinterklaas (the Dutch Santa Claus) should continue to speak “Mestreechs” (Maastricht dialect), you will also be aware that this is a topic discussed in wholly Limburg homes: should the kids be encouraged to learn dialect?
If any of these issues, or similar, are relevant to you and your family, it is likely to interest you that there is a huge body of research accumulating that supports raising children bilingually. In a recent interview with the BBC, Professor Antonella Sorace of Edinburgh University stated that her research shows that children growing up bilingually, far from being challenged intellectually, can gain much more than the ability to communicate in two languages. Studies indicate that bilingual children are succeeding in a range of subjects, not just language-based ones. As an Italian living in Scotland, Sorace is hoping that her research might encourage Scottish parents to send their children to Gaelic schools.
Bilingual Muslim youths are angry, frustrated and extremist because they have been mis-educated and de-educated by the British schooling. Muslim children are confused because they are being educated in a wrong place at a wrong time in state schools with non-Muslim monolingual teachers. They face lots of problems of growing up in two distinctive cultural traditions and value systems, which may come into conflict over issues such as the role of women in the society, and adherence to religious and cultural traditions. The conflicting demands made by home and schools on behaviour, loyalties and obligations can be a source of psychological conflict and tension in Muslim youngsters. There are also the issues of racial prejudice and discrimination to deal with, in education and employment. They have been victim of racism and bullying in all walks of life. According to DCSF, 56% of Pakistanis and 54% of Bangladeshi children has been victims of bullies. The first wave of Muslim migrants were happy to send their children to state schools, thinking their children would get a much better education. Than little by little, the overt and covert discrimination in the system turned them off. There are fifteen areas where Muslim parents find themselves offended by state schools.
The right to education in one’s own comfort zone is a fundamental and inalienable human right that should be available to all people irrespective of their ethnicity or religious background. Schools do not belong to state, they belong to parents. It is the parents’ choice to have faith schools for their children. Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. There is no place for a non-Muslim teacher or a child in a Muslim school. There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be designated as Muslim community schools. An ICM Poll of British Muslims showed that nearly half wanted their children to attend Muslim schools. There are only 143 Muslim schools. A state funded Muslim school in Birmingham has 220 pupils and more than 1000 applicants chasing just 60.
Majority of anti-Muslim stories are not about terrorism but about Muslim culture--the hijab, Muslim schools, family life and religiosity. Muslims in the west ought to be recognised as a western community, not as an alien culture.
Iftikhar Ahmad
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
Thanks for an interesting article.
I just wanted to say that children in most cases have much more capabilities than people think.
Our daughter is now 9, and she speaks 3 languages fluently. We are both foreigners speaking English at home. So she grew up with this as the basic language.
As I am from Norway, I decided to only talk Norwegian to her when me and her were alone together. She is also watching kinder programs from Norway almost every day.
She has been in dutch kinder garden and is now in a dutch local school.
It is quite amazing, but she switches directly between the 3 languages, english-norwegian-dutch, without thinking about it.
So as I said, we must not underestimate the kids abilities. I wish I had the same possibility when I was a child!
Bjorn Solli
Responding to Iftikhar:
Don't you think that the prime goal of education is to open children's minds to the existence of multiple values rather than instill in them that the values held by one particular culture are the only ones to be upheld? Religion - no matter what religion - has long been the cradle of prejudice and terror; fueled by the engine of guilt.
My children to to a 'Catholic' primary school in Holland where Muslim children are by far the majority and children not of the majority group are teased and (especially amongst boys) bullied for not being a member of the same 'club'. Of course this is human nature - there is always pressure to conform.
And anyhow, doesn't education begin at home, where parents should teach their offspring that although they have chosen one spiritual path, other lines of thought and enquiry exist and - until now - no final truth is evident?
Perhaps it is time to conclude that we are all in need of a 'new enlightenment'.
Hello it is very interesant the article, I have got a question I am a spanish speaker we just arrived in Holland I do not know how to help to my daughter with the dutch language... it is better not to talk to much spanish with her and try to do my best and explain, teach her new words in dutch of course translate the words in spanish.. thank you in advanced
Hi Ana,
Is your daughter going to a Dutch school now? How old is she? Does she mix with locals? How long do you plan to stay in Holland?
You need to answer the above questions first.
Take a look at Expatica feature: All about educating your children abroad<br>
http://www.expatica.com/nl/survival/education/All-about-educating-your-family_-yourself_-abroad.html
I would also contact Educaide, the professional Helpdesk for International and Bilingual Education in the Netherlands at:
Educaide
PO Box 969 11, NL-2509 JH The Hague
Tel.: 31 (06)5 598 8998
Fax: 31 (0)70 326 2252
E-mail: info-educaide@xs4all.nl
Contact: Willemijn van Oppen
With regards to what language to speak to her in, I would carry on speaking Spanish. Your child has a lot to deal with right now and changing the language you communicate in wouldn't help her to feel settled.
Read:
Helping kids with the expat move
http://www.expatica.com/nl/survival/surv_relocation/helping-kids-with-the-expat-move-23008.html
Should our kids go native too?
http://www.expatica.com/hr/story/should-our-kids-go-native-too-10507.html
I guess your child isn't a teenager - but for those with teens read:
A typical intercultural training day for teenagers
http://www.expatica.com/hr/story/a-typical-intercultural-training-day-for-teenagers-10456.html
The Editor
I wouldn't advise people send their bilingual children to a Dutch school. If it is possible, better to get them into an international school. I sent mine to a Dutch school and had horrendous experiences, the school endlessly blamed the fact they weren't doing well on them being bilingual and being brought up in a foreign home! Turned out the school was absolutely rubbish as some locals also had a problem but from what I understand decent schools here are few and far between, hence the reason why some Dutch parents in border areas of Belguim are choosing to send their children there.
Talking abt Limburg community, my husband is a Limburgse himself. They speak dialect and I have problems initially to understand the lingo even till now. I do understand other Dutch better than him when they speak Dutch..LOL..on the other hand, they are very friendly and warm peep.
Since Im married and moved here, we find international sch too expensive after much survey when attended EXPATICA FAIR so Dutch sch is our best option. I was being raised under Cambridge n Oxford based education in Asia so Im quite particular how my child being raised in their education here. Fyi I was formerly a teacher in my country b4 moved to NL.Since my son is being raised trilingual, we always encouraged him to communicate in English, Dutch and Malay too while hub being Dutch-Limburg-German descendents, he speaks more langs than us besides some Scandivanian lang.
Im proud to say my son communicate Dutch and ENglish better and he speaks simple Bahasa by translating to me in English and Dutch if he cudnt get the right word.I always explain to him the essential of learning other languages since typical most Dutch always fluent in different languages such Spanish, French and German besides English. I myself in my homeland did picked up some other languages like Chinese eventho Im not one. Why? coz I see the need to communicate with other races/nationalities and it gives a better understanding besides to get works done when working with foreigners.
At the end of the day, it's how open minded we are to accept other languages into our life, dat betekent to understand other cultures and their ways of life. Whichever sch u send ur kids too is significant and always do ur homework b4 ur kids turns to 2. Personally at the end of the day, it\\\'s how u raise ur child to appreciate the country that u live in and adapt and assimilate with everyone rather criticising or condemning will not resolve anything. Everywhere is the same whenever u r a foreigner residing a foreign land.
Honestly it\\\'s not education dat tells u how noble a person is but how a child being raised to accept other n vice versa..
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