Ivybridge mum praises exchange programme
THE MOTHER who sent her children to France and Spain for six months respectively aged 13 and 12 said it was much harder for her to let them go and praised the benefits to their education and confidence.
Anna West from Ivybridge, Devon, sent her son Paddy to Vannes in France to live with a French family and their children and daughter India to Pamplona in Spain to do the same.
They were taken out of their schools, Plymouth High School for Boys and Plymouth High School for Girls for that time.
The exchange was organised through a programme called En Famille which they had found out about through friends. After attending its annual UK family meeting, Anna said her children were so inspired by meeting others who had already done it, that they asked their parents if they could too.
“In fact they were so keen that we could have suddenly had no children at home and all of them abroad, which rather appalled us as India was only 10 and we had only gone to the meeting to find out about an exchange for our eldest, Jack.
“However, the process was very meticulous about interviewing the children rather than the parents to be sure that the children wanted the experience and that it wasn't just the parents pushing the children to do an exchange. They even gave stamped addressed envelopes to all the children so that if any didn't want to do an exchange but didn't feel able to tell their parents they could let En Famille know secretly,” she said.
Anna added that she felt that if the children had the courage to go abroad and experience a different culture and learn a different language this would give them enormous confidence in themselves.
“I myself had been an au-pair in France for 6 months when I was 19, so I knew that although it had been hard learning another language and living with another family, I had gained a lot of confidence from the experience,” she said.
And Anna’s children came back readily able to speak, read and understand French and Spanish respectively. They also gained French and Spanish 'parents and siblings' who they still keep in touch with and visit, plus their exchange children visit Anna and family and are not seen as just family guests because they had parented them for six months.
At the time of the exchanges, both children were at state secondary schools. Although firstly concerned about the idea of six months away and then six months of a foreign child being at the school, when they saw the paperwork and contacted the organisation they were reassured and supportive.
Anna’s daughter, India, said of her experience: “It was challenging but amazing in a life changing way and the language and cultural skills are endless.”
As a result of the successes of En Famille, a new, more flexible programme entitled ‘Adolesco’ has been set up and its UK rep is a St Albans mum whose daughters did the exchange.
It places students aged 11 to 17 with families in France, Spain and Germany but for shorter periods of between three weeks and three months - so able to fit into school holidays if the parents and schools are happier with that.
The vetting and set up are the same and it is a not for profit organisation with organisational fees only being charged.
Adolesco UK and Ireland is being launched this year to encourage more schools and students in both countries to improve greatly their language skills as well as experience life with a family in Spain, France or Germany.
Meaning ‘I am growing,’ the programme aims to enrich the lives of participating students from all countries by immersing them in a different culture, language and experience abroad.
It is a non commercial operation, not for profit, charging just arrangement costs and no money is exchanged between families.
For more information visit http://www.adolesco.org/ or contact info@adolesco.org
