© Hayley Allam
In this episode Hayley sits down with father of one, Darren Gorman to talk about why local school is the right choice for their family.
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. This season I've focused a lot on the English Language school options here in Luxembourg.
If you're curious, please go back and listen to those episodes. I've interviewed parents from International School of Luxembourg, International School Michel Lucius, Gaston Thorn, Over the Rainbow, and The European School II in Mamer (English Section) so far.
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!).
In this episode, I sit down with father Darren Gorman to talk about why he and his wife chose school for their daughter. The journey began over 20 years ago when our guest first moved to Luxembourg. After returning to set up an office eight years ago, the focus shifted to school choices for their two-year-old daughter.
The family made the decision to enroll her in the local school system, which was multilingual and exposed her to languages like Luxembourgish, French, and German from a young age. Despite their background as English speakers, the family was open to integrating into the local education system.
The thought process was clear: The multi-language system was a benefit they couldn't get in their home country of Ireland. If the local school didn't work out, they could always switch to an English-speaking school later.
Interestingly, their daughter's natural aptitude for languages quickly became evident. By the time she was four, she was already picking up new languages with ease, even recognising Spanish when they traveled. This early language development gave the family confidence that their decision to stick with the local school was the right one.
Our conversation highlights the pros and cons of local school, and we also discuss why Darren doesn't think local school is the right choice for everyone.
My hope for this episode 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 a local school for your kids, or are curious about what it's really like to attend one as a native English speaker - 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.
