One of the most difficult parts of moving has to be changing schools. Especially in high school the stress of making new friends, transferring credits, and adjusting to new school systems can weigh heavily on a teenagers shoulders. I’ve asked around the Canadian community about people’s experiences with secondary schooling options in Europe, and have written down my findings.
One of the most popular schools for Canadian students in Europe is Neuchâtel Junior College in Switzerland. It’s located in a small town and its headmaster is Andrew J. Keleher. Class sizes are small as the school has a population of about 60-80 students. This small class size also allows them to have frequent trips around Europe. Another interesting component is that students live with Swiss families in the area; Students can request to live in the countryside or in the city, with or without roommates, and if they want their family to have any other children. While this school is clearly a great opportunity there are some drawbacks. The school is only for grade 12’s which means kids have to do grades up to this at the American school. Also due to rising tuition costs, families now have to pay a percentage of the tuition.
Another popular schooling choice is the American school on SHAPE. It is a more typical high school and has a much higher population than the other schools. Students have a wide array of sports and courses to choose from, and learn in a diverse environment alongside kids from all different countries. Not to mention, if your kid is planning on going to an american university this sets them up perfectly. However, if your child does not plan on graduating at an American school there can be issues with transferring credits, leading to late graduation. Also the American international high school is structured to align with American high school students requirements, and doesn’t align well with the Canadian high school system. Furthermore, many Canadian courses, like Canadian geography, are not offered at the American school so students have to take online courses in order to meet those credits. And because the Canadian and American math curriculum are so different, there are issues when transferring between them.
Lastly, and most overlooked, there is Canadian College Italy the school I chose to go to. The motto of Canadian College Italy or CCI is perge et valeas, which means “proceed and you shall succeed” this motto really captures the essence of CCI’s priorities. It has the smallest class size of around 5-10 people per class, with an average of 30-50 students per year, and it covers grades 10-12. There is an extremely close relationship between the students and teachers, and a level of mutual respect you don’t see often in high school. Because of the small class size there are frequent trips all around Italy, visiting major landmarks like Florence, Venice, and Rome. If there are any drawbacks it would be the lack of arts courses within the school, and the long distance from Belgium.
Moving to Europe is the adventure of a lifetime, and going to high school here is a major part of that adventure. I hope what I have written has given you insight into the best schooling option for your child.