Property experts have been reassuring holiday homeowners in Spain that there's no need to fear plans to introduce holiday rental licences in the country just yet. The Spanish government's proposals to licence the rental of holiday homes have caused confusion, with many holiday homeowners voicing concerns that the new laws could act as a deterrent for people thinking of renting out their property to a tourist as they normally would. The proposals have caused some cash-strapped expats to feel uneasy, with concerns especially among those homeowners who only rent out their properties at peak times of the year. The proposals would include a tax on holiday rental income and would mean any … [Read more...] about What new holiday rental licences in Spain could mean
expats
What will I be when I grow up…in Spain?
I left New Zealand just over a year ago. Probably permanently. And as I suspect is the case for many expats, moving overseas became an opportunity for personal reinvention. Flying out of Auckland, I wasn’t coming to Spain to reinvent myself. I was moving here with my Spanish wife, Yoly. But the temptation to start afresh is compelling. And moving so far from home is the ultimate chance to break with the past. So, two months after arriving in Madrid I became the new me. I gave up directing TV commercials, a job I didn’t enjoy in New Zealand or Spain, and I became a full-time writer. A bad cliché (and an even worse financial decision), I know. But within a few months of my rebirth, the … [Read more...] about What will I be when I grow up…in Spain?
Education in Spain: What do they need to know?
Education is a very powerful tool and the control of what the curriculum contains has worked normally calm people into a frenzy. Does Shakespeare have any relevance to our young people? Should schools be able to drop teaching the Victorians in favour of learning about Twitter? The debate goes on. Now more than ever, it is difficult to decide what the curriculum should consist of. Our world changes so quickly that equipping our young people with what they need for the future is a shot in the dark. There are many theories about what they should be learning. Most include reference to skills, concepts and personal attributes rather than selected pieces of knowledge. Learning ‘how to’ rather … [Read more...] about Education in Spain: What do they need to know?
Inside a Spanish school
I had been fortunate to make contact with Tina Sánchez Alfocea, an English teacher at the school. Tina had been enthusiastic about my request to visit, meet her students and ask her some questions. I wanted to see for myself what the inside of a Spanish secondary school looks like and test out some of the anxieties that parents of foreign students have. If you have been following this series of features you will know that many British and other expat parents find themselves in a dilemma. Should their children attend an international school or enter the Spanish system? For some there isn’t an option. The fee-paying alternative of an international school can be well out of bounds. However, … [Read more...] about Inside a Spanish school
Education in Spain, an international alternative
According to every school I asked the response was… think again! If your child is young enough then it is likely that they will pick up Spanish quickly and integrate well into a Spanish school. However, if they are older or have special needs the outlook is much less favourable. But what if you are already here and your child hasn’t settled or you have a very compelling reason to move? International Schools are an established alternative to Spanish state education. Dotted across the country, they teach the UK national curriculum in English and enable young people to study ‘A’ levels which are still the main currency needed for entry to universities in the UK. Of course, they are … [Read more...] about Education in Spain, an international alternative
Starting up and settling in at school in Spain
No matter how much we prepare our children and ourselves, starting school is quite a traumatic experience. For the child it is the chance to be the big boy or girl, to meet new friends and learn numbers and letters. But it’s also the scary big building that keeps them separate from mummy and daddy for more hours than they can count. For mummy and daddy it’s the end of their reign over the child’s world. Now they must jostle with Miss and Pablo/Peter for attention. A whole new experience that they’re not part of. It’s even more worrying when it involves speaking in a different language and entering into a system with which you’re not familiar. You can’t rely on neighbours to let you know … [Read more...] about Starting up and settling in at school in Spain
Kitting the kids out for school in Spain
Waiting at the school reception I hear English voices. They want to know what they should bring to school for their three-year-old daughter and they’re trying to explain how difficult it is for their nine year old to complete four pages of Spanish homework when she doesn’t speak Spanish. It’s a bewildering experience for parents and children alike and there is so much room for misunderstanding. In this case the school administrator, who speaks English, is sympathetic, listens patiently and is very helpful. But that isn’t always the case. It occurs to me how useful it would be just to have some basic introductory information for parents of English pupils just to help them get started. Not … [Read more...] about Kitting the kids out for school in Spain
Starting children in Spanish schools: the big decisions
I had thought it strange that his nursery contained very few older children - in fact Joseph looked to be almost the eldest. Now I understood why. Although it seemed to be only five minutes since he was born, he could officially be starting his school career in September at only three years old. But was he and was I ready? Parenting involves a constant round of decision-making, sometimes with a minimum of information. Choosing schools and, in this case, when to start, is perhaps one of the biggest. I knew that his nursery would not interest him for very much longer. He's a lively boy who is not at his best when he's bored (as our neighbours will vouch for) and he needs the stimulus and … [Read more...] about Starting children in Spanish schools: the big decisions
Expat kids in Spanish schools: The best days of their lives?
'The education of foreign students in the province of Alicante,' a report by the University of Alicante for Asti-Alicante, an educational charity, is an extensive piece of research that paints to a very sorry picture of the experiences of some British students in Spanish state schools. The report found that British students often segregate themselves, become involved in gangs and refuse to subscribe to the Spanish system. Eventually they drop out, choosing absenteeism as an option in their later secondary years. The problems, the researchers noted, were most acute in schools with high proportions of English students with disruptive behaviour causing significant difficulties for themselves … [Read more...] about Expat kids in Spanish schools: The best days of their lives?