By Unni Holtedahl
Our beautiful daughter of six going on seven is a happy holiday girl these days. For a year, she’s been a happy school girl as well, and luckily, I have the feeling she will be just as happy come mid September and the beginning of a new school year. For Mother Hen in persona, that’s a good feeling. Writing this, I asked her if she’s excited about going back to school, and the answer was a huge “Oh, yes!” I think we can all remember that excitement, the pride, the butterflies in little tummies. Being big!
Her Happy School is a French primary school in Luxembourg. Coming from Norway, where primary school is often referred to as “play school”, Mother Hen was a bit scared of the strictness and the high level of learning, but so far so good, I would say even very good. Quite strict but not too strict, and the fact that they learn a great deal of politeness, respect and accuracy is a good thing. And yes, they learn a lot, but not too much, besides, they easily perceive learning as fun. I hope they have enough fun. It might not be that much fun for everybody though, and I believe the French system can be challenging for the children who struggle to keep up with the learning.
What I appreciate the least, is the grading of young children. And they make sure you know the highest grade, the lowest grade and the average grade in the class, so that you can compare with your child’s grades. And since the children already know how to read quite well, so can they. The race towards 20/20 starting at age six is somewhat worrying, I’d prefer it if they raced around the schoolyard as fast as their little feet allow.
They don’t run around enough. Our daughter spent the first school year reading, going to museums, learning poetry and neat copybook writing. Her Norwegian friends spent it learning the alphabet. Learning all this, our daughter spent too much time indoors. Her Norwegian friends spend at least one full day a week outside, no matter the weather, getting rosy-cheeked, eating hot dogs on a stick over the bonfire, learning about nature and coming home good and dirty. How I’d love some dirt! In all fairness, they did play rugby, and the main reason our daughter didn’t like it, was that the ball got dirty and consequently so did she. Don’t get me wrong, I greatly appreciate the learning, the focus on culture, on food as part of the French culture… Culture versus nature. Pros and cons. If I were to start a school, I’d try to pick the best of both worlds. But all in all we’re happy. More importantly, our daughter is happy. And her Norwegian friends are happy.
Happy with our Happy School, and we have no worries seeing our daughter off to her second year of school. What is worrying though, is the fact that she will be running out of the car, across the crowded schoolyard and into her classroom with hardly no time to say goodbye. Worrying because that means she’s growing up (way too) fast. It means she’s continuing her liberation, her own way. In her own world, that of her Happy School. And that is exactly as it should be. It just requires some learning for Mother Hen as well. After all, she only started school yesterday, didn’t she? And she’ll probably graduate tomorrow. That is worrying, but it also makes me proud. I am so proud of her, even in advance, that it almost hurts.
So, courage to all Mother Hens when our beautiful children start school or go back to school, and as I write this, I see the back of a little girl with braids and a rucksack that dances on her back even if it looks too big for her frail shoulders.
