In this episode Hayley sits down with father of two, Scott Christie to talk about his experiences at the European School II in Mamer.
Mom Life in Luxembourg, is a new parenting podcast dedicated to helping English speaking parents in Luxembourg. From crèches to crémant, we’ll cover everything you need to know about living your best life in the Grand Duchy. Now that we are nearing the time for International School’s Open Days and application deadlines, I’ll focus a lot on schools here in Luxembourg.
Specifically, the English language options. Choosing the right school for your kid is one of the most important decisions you can make as an expat. It not only shapes their education which will influence their adult life and career, but also their culture, sense of belonging, and well-being (or lack thereof!). It is my goal this season to interview a parent from one of each of the English language options in the country.
Be sure to tune into them all so you can compare and contrast which school might be right for your family!
In this episode I sit down with father of two, Scott Christie to talk about his experiences at the European School II in Mamer. Scott is originally from New Zealand, but went to boarding school in France. His wife is Finnish. After settling in Luxembourg about three years ago, they decided to enroll their kids at The European School in Mamer in the English section.
If you’re not familiar with the European School, here are the basics: There are two European Schools in Luxembourg, one in Kirchberg and the other in Mamer. They were originally designed for the children of European Union diplomats and workers, but now you don’t have to work for one of the European institutions to send your kids there.
There are three levels of admission. The first is for students whose parents work at one of the European Institutions – those kids get to attend for free. Tier Two is for students whose parent works at a company who has an agreement with the European School which pays the fees for the school. And finally Tier Three, which basically says anyone, regardless of nationality, can go to the school if they’re willing to pay the fees and space is available.
The school follows the European Baccalaureate curriculum – this is similar to the IB (International Baccalaureate) but has more emphasis on a second language. Spoiler alert, your kids will definitely be fluent in their second language if they pursue this option for their education!
Tune into the full episode to hear about Scott’s opinions of the school. It really is a mixed bag. He loves the curriculum and says the teachers are wonderful. However, he doesn’t love the massive concrete campus and feels let down by the administration.
We even cover the school’s response to an active shooter threat. Which is thankfully not something you hear about in Luxembourg ever! This was the most surprising interview I have done so far. It's definitely an episode you don’t want to miss.
My hope is that you’ll get more out of this interview than what you could find on google or an online forum. It’s a candid one on one conversation about what’s working and what’s not with the school. Obviously this is just one parent’s opinion, so it’s all subjective, but I do hope you’ll find it helpful. If you’re considering The European School Mamer for your kids in the future, or are curious about what it’s really like to go there – you’ll definitely want to tune in to this episode!
Please give it a listen and let me know what you think. You can reach me via email: momlife@rtltoday.lu or on social media @momlifeinluxembourg.
