A question for those with kiddos...
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:37 am
Hi All! Profuse thanks for your ongoing support and advice. I hope to pay it forward someday, perhaps on this very board.
A quick recap of my situation:
*35 year old South African male
*Been teaching ESL in Korean public schools for the past 5 years (well, just under 5 years)
*Married to a Korean national and have a young daughter (20 months)
*About to leave my cushy Korean life (and family!) behind and return to South Africa for a year, to study my PGCE (specializing in English Home Language)
*Hoping to reunite with my wife/daughter after the year is up and weasel my way into the IS system (despite having no formal experience teaching English as a first language)
I realize the trajectory outlined above will likely land me in a less desirable school (possibly bilingual), at least for the first few years. I'm prepared to push through this, but, as a first-time parent, I'm a bit unsure what it would mean for my daughter's education. The prospect of her doing her schooling at whatever international school(s) I end up teaching at was a massive draw and pretty much the backbone of my pitch when I sold the whole idea to the wife. We agreed this would be way better than subjecting her to the joyless and merciless Korean education system.
But what if I don't manage to progress beyond bilingual schools by the time she's ready to start school? Hell, when do kids even start school these days? (said the guy wanting to be a teacher, lol) Can expat kids attend bilingual schools despite not being fluent in the local language, or is it simply unheard of?
And finally, is it a given that all kids do some form of pre-schooling/kindergarten these days? I went to a pre-school when I was young, but I distinctly remember some kids skipping this altogether. It will obviously be impossible for me to work my way into a 'decent' expat-focused school by the time she's ready for pre-school, since she's already nearly two.
Anyhoo, this is the last thing I need advice on before I dive into the deep end. Here's hoping I survive the year in crime & corona country (South Africa).
Thanks again everybody!!!
A quick recap of my situation:
*35 year old South African male
*Been teaching ESL in Korean public schools for the past 5 years (well, just under 5 years)
*Married to a Korean national and have a young daughter (20 months)
*About to leave my cushy Korean life (and family!) behind and return to South Africa for a year, to study my PGCE (specializing in English Home Language)
*Hoping to reunite with my wife/daughter after the year is up and weasel my way into the IS system (despite having no formal experience teaching English as a first language)
I realize the trajectory outlined above will likely land me in a less desirable school (possibly bilingual), at least for the first few years. I'm prepared to push through this, but, as a first-time parent, I'm a bit unsure what it would mean for my daughter's education. The prospect of her doing her schooling at whatever international school(s) I end up teaching at was a massive draw and pretty much the backbone of my pitch when I sold the whole idea to the wife. We agreed this would be way better than subjecting her to the joyless and merciless Korean education system.
But what if I don't manage to progress beyond bilingual schools by the time she's ready to start school? Hell, when do kids even start school these days? (said the guy wanting to be a teacher, lol) Can expat kids attend bilingual schools despite not being fluent in the local language, or is it simply unheard of?
And finally, is it a given that all kids do some form of pre-schooling/kindergarten these days? I went to a pre-school when I was young, but I distinctly remember some kids skipping this altogether. It will obviously be impossible for me to work my way into a 'decent' expat-focused school by the time she's ready for pre-school, since she's already nearly two.
Anyhoo, this is the last thing I need advice on before I dive into the deep end. Here's hoping I survive the year in crime & corona country (South Africa).
Thanks again everybody!!!