smikers

Hi all,
Realy new to all this. I need some honest feed back from you all. My wife and I with our two young kids aged 5 & 10 are thinking seriously over upping sticks and buying a place in Akbuk at the Ozcelik site. Do you think we could set up ok and organise an English school not to far away and what about banking and investing a little money. I am an electrician and I might be looking for even some part time work in the future just to keep me on the go but not too much.
My in-laws have recently moved there and have fallen in love with it but they are retired, would it be much harder for me and my family.
Any honest comments would be very much apreciated.
Thanks all.

Harem

First of all, you should read the thread "desperate help for schools needed" as this will give you some insight into the problems you might face. If I can find some further links to assist you I will, but you could also do a search in the "Search" facility in the red bar at the top. I am not quite sure what you mean about setting up an English school - do you have the qualifications for this? Also you will find it extremely difficullt to find a job as all jobs are given to Turkish people first and only if there isn't a Turkish person who can do the job will it be given to an ex-pat. If you work without a work permit and get caught you will be deported and not allowed back into the country - even on holiday! Hope this has helped you and I am sure there will be others along shortly with more advice and assistance.

Marc

We did last January (2006) with 3 Kids and would say it was one of the best decisions of our lives. If you want more time with the family and have a little money to invest then the move is definitely viable.

I couldnt comment on the English schools, not even sure if there are any in the area, ours are home taught (Lynda is a Primary School Teacher - which is handy), They will also be going to Akbuk Pre-School in September so that they Learn Turkish to a good standard.

Am I right in saying you have relations on this site?

Karagedik Steve

I would say that it would probably take the 10 year old longer to settle but your 5 year old should settle easier. There is so much to think about and research though before jumping in.

Terry&Sue

As you have 2 young children needing a lot more education and future careers plus you mentioned your own employment in Turkey I would seriously bear in mind Harem,s post.
I think it needs a lot of discussion whether your children will have the opportunities there that they have at present plus the difficulties for employment if you need extra money.
Others will say differently and this is just my opinion.
If education is not required and people are retired not needing employment,thats a different matter.
We always wanted our children to have a Western education with easier access to universities etc etc but that is just us.
Best of luck in your quest

smikers

Thanks for your reply Marc,
I'm Karl, Tracy's husband, Anne and Martyn's daughter. Tracy hasn't stopped going on about Turkey since she returned in June, my turn to see what all the fuss is about in two weeks. Looking forward to meeting you all as Iv'e heard so much about you all.
Thanks again for the feed back, it will be interesting to hear more opinions when I get there.
Smikers

Marc

Our belief is that the education system of any country is there to provide a framework for learning, the rest is down to the family and friends of the child. With this in mind I can think of no better place to be than here for my childrens education. They are learning important life lessons everyday, along with the standard "education system basics" that children learn at school.

Its not what they learn at school that makes the difference its how it is re-inforced at home and taken further that enhances a childs knowledge and makes them a more rounded/social person, Forgive me for Generalising but its pretty darn hard for this to happen when both parents are working to pay the bills and the child only has quality time at the weekend.

Ask Daniela, my 3 1/2 year old about Hyrogliphics or how a Tortoise is born, or how Flour is made, or why its important to share - She's never been to one of these really important schools that they supposedly offer in the UK.

If its important to you then you can make it happen. It up to you,

Terry&Sue

I appreciate what you are saying in that knowledge is gained from family and friends but the fact remains that the child is being brought up in an environment that uses a different language to teach children,has different traditions and is so far removed from a Western standard of education.

I really think that parents of children should think very carefully before removing them from their native country with its English opportunities for Universities and further teaching. Lets be honest the kids often cannot speak for themselves and its the parents dream to move to Turkey which the kids could grow to resent later.

I have been shouted down by people with children who have successfully done it several times but whilst its a dream move for the parents as adults, it needs very careful though and much debate to ensure its the best thing for the children too.

Now that our 2 children have left home and have good careers here in the UK we would consider a move somewhere as our job is done so to speak but not beforehand.

Marc says if its important to you you can make it happen which is obviously aimed at the parents because the children have no choice in the matter until they are old enough to take charge of their own lives.

Yildez

Hi Marc

I agree that home influence is hugely important in a child's education, and not all schools in the UK are of a high standard. However the Turkish public education system is not good - all Turkish parents who can afford it put their children into private schools, many of them making big sacrifices to do so.

The public curriculum is very narrow, taught entirely in Turkish, and with a bias towards Islam as you would expect. Corporal punishment is common even in primary schools - ear-twisting is a favourite (and painful!). English is taught but not by native speakers and not well. Classes are often very large and resources are very poor compared to most UK schools.

From my experience (over many years and with friends from Europe, Australia and the USA) the crunch comes in the run-up to secondary education, when the child is approaching 10. At that point you either have to find the money for a good private school - expensive - or consider a return to the home country, particularly if you want your children to have good employment options or university. Turkish educational qualifications are not acceptable for entry to UK universities; Bacchalaureate is OK but this is usually only offered by private schools and colleges.

Most Turks I know would kill for the chance to put their children through the English education system, including my husband.