Hi all, I dont seem to be receiving notifications and not looked on the site for a couple of days. Glad people are still posting.
Margaret, I think the French schools used to be good or give good results, that is not the same thing. The kids start at 8.30 and finish at 4.30 (times vary depending on regions). They go to school 6 days a week or have one day (Wednesday) when they are expected to do something educational, physical, cultural or community wise like play a sport or an instrument or volunteer on that day. They go to school on Saturday mornings. Imaging the disruption to working parents having to find child care on Wednesday, or someone to take them to the sportsground or piano teacher. Then the disruption to family life when a kid has to go to school on Saturday when the family want to spend time together. These rules have been changing over the years but still apply in some areas. Secondly, yes they get good results – who wouldnt when the kids are doing a 37 hour week AND the teachers are super strict. My English friend has a 10 year old in private school (because they speak some English) and he failed his English test – they said he used words they had never heard of and didnt know the correct grammar order, when they were teaching French grammar rules so things like French la voiture rouge – the red car, so when he said in English the red car they said no it is the car is red. They keep giving him penalties and punishments. She is paying €1900 a term and threatened to take him out and they were suddenly sorry. The buildings are falling apart, just like the UK, hot in summer, freezing in winter and so on. They are also worried for their futures, the Iran war and cost of living and getting a house to buy. Not so different from the UK. Protesting is a right of passage for French kids and the French in general, remember the gilet jaune – but when the kids finished for the day marching and chanting, le cassers arrived – translated to the breakers. They are the yobs and mobs and political agitators. Things are not great here and we fear for Marine Le Penn getting in as, just like the UK and Reform, people are fed up of the usual political parties – she is hard line fascist. God help us if she gets in and she just might.
That was your French lecture for the day….. Sorry.
Back to the diet. I am still that 1.5kgs down and hope every week to get under my dreaded 74 kgs (currently 74.2) so I can continue to move into the 73’s. We have a night out on Monday and I am going to drink Coke Zero instead of wine and see if I can keep up all my good work.
Well done to anyone managing to lose weight and chin up (or in my case chins 🙂 ) for those who are struggling.