Job Discussion Forums

[meyanga]

Hi

We are moving to Jeddah in October. I have a 2 year old and a 3 1/2 year old. Can anyone recommend a good nursery school? We are staying on a compound on Medina Road, so it would be best to be as close by as possible.

We are also keen to have an African maid, (as my husband is African) preferably French speaking. From what I have seen most maids from English speaking African countries, but not French. Any thoughts?

Thanks

Meyanga

[Mia Xanthi]

It might be possible to sponsor someone directly from your husband's country, even someone he already knows and trusts. This would be an excellent plan of action if you plan to trust the housekeeper with your children. I don't know of anyone who has done this in the Gulf, but a friend of mine did this in another Gulf country. She and her husband hired a relative of a family who had worked for his family for many years, and it worked out beautifully. The children were exposed to the language and culture of the father's country daily, and the family didn't have to worry about the safety issues of hiring an unknown person. It might cost a little more this way, but the benefits would be worth it.

[scot47]

It is VERY difficult for non-Saudis in KSA to sponsor a maid. It might be easier to find one who is already here. A classified ad in the Arab News is one way. Make sure it is legal though. Penalties for helping "oversyares" are high.

[meyanga]

Thanks for the replies.

We would have loved to have sponsored someone from my husband's country, but after a bit of internet research, it didn't seem possible. We were hoping to hire someone part-time initially and keep that idea in our back pocket until we could suss it all out when we arrived.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience of sponsoring their own maid from an African country.

I'd also be interested in hearing about any nurseries which are French/English.

Thanks

Meyanga

[scot47]

Here is a start

http://www.lyceefrancaisdjeddah.com/administration/index.php

Try an ad in one of the supermarkets when you get there.

[Stephen Jones]

The point about maid's visas is that they are only granted to certain countries by the Saudi government, often as a kind of reward for political support. So it is more than possible that there are no visas at all for your husband's country.

It is not at all difficult for an expatriate couple to sponsor a maid (I don't know why scot47 keeps suggesting the opposite). However you will not find it that easy to insist on a particular nationality. The two most common nationalities are Indonesian and Sri Lankan, the latter being cheaper.

[007]

[meyanga]

Thanks again for the advice.

I have a dilemma and would appreciate any words of wisdom, or to hear about similar situations/experiences. I want my children to be bilingual in French and English. I am thinking about whether to send them (son age 2 and daughter age 3.5) to a French nursery or an English nursery. My husband speaks French to my children and they do understand, but are quite reluctant to speak. I want them to have their main education in English as I think that this will serve them best in the future, but I am wondering if a going to a French nursery might be a good idea. I already help my daughter at home with reading and writing etc in English and would continue to do this, so I am fairly confident that she would continue to develop these skills in preparation for going to school.

I know this is a bit off topic, but as "language professionals" I would appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks
Meyanga

[007]

Well, it will depend on your future plans.
If you are going back to UK or any English speaking country, then send your children to an English school with French as a second language.
If you are planning to go back to France, or any French speaking African country, then send them to a French school with English as a second language.

Les �coles Fran�aise sont rare a l�Arabie Saoudite. Ils existe qu�en Jiddah et Riyad, ils sont adh�r�e par les Fran�ais et les nord Africain expatri�tes.

[meyanga]

Thanks 007

Long term plans...who knows? But, I'd imagine that our children will be educated overseas where there will be a choice of school. I would like the primary/secondary/university education of my children to be in English as I do believe that this will improve their prospects in the big, bad world, especially if they also speak at least one other language fluently.

So, my dilemma only really concerns the next couple of years at nursery level. My daughter is pretty advanced for her age (although of course I am bias!) but does not speak a lot of French even though she watches dvds in French and has a class at nursery, as well as her daddy. I thought attending a French nursey might bring on her speaking and set her up for the future. But, I also have concernes that it may hoild her back when she goes on to attend an English speaking primary school.

The question is - will attending a French nursery simply improve my children's fluency in French or will it cause them problems when they start primary school?

Are there many expats from French speaking African countries? If so, just out of curiosity, what line of business are they generally in? Are they in the oil business/diplomats etc?

Thanks
Meyanga

[Gulezar]

My friends who have been in similar situations have always said that if one parent persistently speaks one language with the children and the other only speaks the other language, then the two languages might stick. It would seem that if you had the kids in a French nursery, they would catch the concept that French is not just the language that Daddy speaks. Then for Kindergarten, put them in an English school. When they start kindergarten, I would not expect them to be at a disadvantage in their English skills, because they would have had your influence.

I've seen children come into kindergarten with no English and after one year they can be fluent, and I've often seen that kids tend to reject the secondary (French) language, too, once they are in kindergarten. So you may want to find a way for them to maintain their French, in a few years.

Children are very good at absorbing and categorizing languages, so take advantage of the opportunity, if you can.

[scot47]

You say
"our children will be educated overseas "

Your use of that terminology tells me that you still view your homeland
(USA ?) as the place where you will be one day.

[meyanga]

Thanks for all your thoughts.

Well, Scot47, I am from Scotland and don't necessarily see myself returning to live here. I lived overseas for five years before I had children and when I was pregnant had a strong desire to return home, although looking back I think it was quite possibly due to the fact that my craving was for certain foods only available here (and no, I don't mean deep fried Mars bars!) But, we never really settled back. The weather is simply terrible here and the cost of living so high.

When I referred to our children being educated overseas, I just meant that we would not be in the UK. Also, as I am in Scotland now, it feels like elsewhere is "overseas". It is interesting that you got that impression from what I wrote.

Meyanga