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Hello, my wife and 12-year-old son are moving here with me this fall. We have visited Loyola, but are told that the Internet connection is very spotty there and technology may not be able to be taught.

Can you offer your experience or feedback from anyone you may know that have suggestions for a seventh grade young man coming from the United States who speaks limited Spanish his passion is robotics and technology.
‘gratefully,

Jack

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My grand daughters attend Thomas Jefferson in Guadalajara as we think it is the best.  One is in the 7th grade and they certainly have the latest for tech education.

It is a bi-lingual school (Spanish/English) if that is a necessity, with two campuses, one south and one north, in the west side of Guadalajara.

Many students there from different countries and most, even the Mexican students, speak English.  I think it is as good as the American School, but less expensive if you are a foreigner.

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18 minutes ago, Natasha said:

Don't forget that altho' present plan is for school to start here around Aug 18, that MIGHT not happen at all..... and no prediction when.

You are addressing public schools. I know this bilingual school here will be going, online that is.  http://iiop.edu.mx/

 

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If you think its important for your child to learn Spanish, I would think twice about putting my child in a billingual school where most kids are fluent in English.  It will slow down their drive and ability to learn Spanish if they can just fall on English anytime they want.  We have raised 1 American born child down here (currently in HS now) and now we are raising the 8 year old sibling who is currently in Decroly.  Our HS student went to Loyola and we were pleased with it.  But before that he did his elementary years at all Spanish speaking Colegio Chapala.  He later went to Loyola and now is in the Chapala Regional High School which is run by the Unversidad de Guadalajara.  I knew if he had gone to a billingual school it would have taken him longer to learn Spanish.

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Jack, inferring that you have established a household already, I'd guess that the greatest opportunity for the development of specific then broadening opportunities in any category of education, but particularly technology, would involve a fast and dependable net connection at home.  There is a universe of resources online, and immersion in the real thing is the real thing.  

I don't know anything about it, but there is a technical school of some sort on the Libramiento Chapala Ajijic Highway at # 202.   See: https://conalepjalisco.edu.mx/web/index.php/conocenos/planteles-jalisco/planteles-metropolitanos-2/plantel-chapala 

A few years ago, the U. of Guadalajara was supposed to be remade along with the city into a digital media oasis;  AFAIK, they sponsored one class in Python.  See: https://ciudadcreativadigital.mx/en_US/ .  Welcome to Mexico.

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3 hours ago, dichosalocura said:

If you think its important for your child to learn Spanish, I would think twice about putting my child in a billingual school where most kids are fluent in English.  It will slow down their drive and ability to learn Spanish if they can just fall on English anytime they want.  We have raised 1 American born child down here (currently in HS now) and now we are raising the 8 year old sibling who is currently in Decroly.  Our HS student went to Loyola and we were pleased with it.  But before that he did his elementary years at all Spanish speaking Colegio Chapala.  He later went to Loyola and now is in the Chapala Regional High School which is run by the Unversidad de Guadalajara.  I knew if he had gone to a billingual school it would have taken him longer to learn Spanish.

Second that thought.  We briefly knew an American couple with kids who came here as a business transfer for the husband (fruit import to U.S. from Mexico).  At first they put their 3 into private school. But then they realized the kids were not learning Spanish, and not integrating. So they went into the school system and were VERY happy with the results.  (Mom made sure they kept up with some basics a little lacking). Kids were happier too and chattered away in Spanish in no time.

Technology is highly prized as a scholastic achievement in Jalisco,  and kids from here regularly win tech and robotic  fairs in other Mexican areas as well as other parts of the world. 

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We are mighty proud up here in Seattle which is considered by many to be the center of the world where Google and Microsoft are located. Even Bill Gates lives up here.

Why did they all choose Seattle? Well, it's because it rains so much that everyone stays in and works. And the second they are old enough to retire they move away. What am I doing in Seattle? I'm trying to figure that out.  Maybe it is this Corona thing. Yes that's it, Costco is having a sale on Corona beer and afterwards maybe I can get the new anti-corona injection. I'm getting so old, I can't remember...…..

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Let me just start off by saying that México is a beautiful, wonderful, and culturally fascinating country.  With all its beauty, attractions, history and wonders it is still a developing country.  Not 3rd world like El Salvador or Nicaragua but still years behind first world countries like the United States, Canada, Australia and much of Europe.  Most people do not immigrate or expat here thinking that I am going to México to give my child a top notch, the most highly advanced education possible.  Yes, very good education is available for the upper class here, but it will cost you a pretty peso and the foreign child might just miss out on what it is like to live in the real México.  Many people move here with the sole purpose, knowledge, and understanding that their children will most likely not be attending Ivy League schools while in México, they move here because they believe and understand that exposing their children to a new and exotic culture and having them be fully immersed into a foreign language and culture will benefit them in the long-run and will change their lives, for the good.  My personal opinion is that bilingual schools do not benefit English speaking students in the least, the English spoken is poor and often times damaging to the already fluent kids, the sole purpose of the bilingual schools is to benefit and to teach English to the Spanish speaking children.  If an English speaking child begins his Mexican education in a bilingual school, he or she will might likely begin to hang out with mostly advanced English speaking Mexicans and his learning of Spanish will most likely never reach its potential.  He will begin to rely on the English speaking children to be his friends and translators.  My opinion would be to send them to an all Spanish speaking school for the first year to two years, allow them to become totally fluent and immersed in Spanish and to develop self confidence with the language, than later if you choose to pursue a higher level of education in the bilingual schools, your child will be in a better position to thrive.  By the way, most secondary and preparatory schools in México have the mandatory robotics classes.  A child younger than 12 years old would be quicker at picking up fluent Spanish, but in all honesty, 12 years old is a perfect age to learn Spanish.  The older they get the harder to develop a native level of proficiency in the language.   If you put a 12 year old in an all Spanish speaking school, he most likely will become a native speaker by the time he reaches High School or Preparatory as it is called down here.  I wish the best of luck to you and your child, just remember that there are many options when it comes to educating your expat children down here at Lakeside.  All in all, there are many many expat children living down here, and most are spread out in the many private schools down here.  I have no possible way of knowing how many expat kids live here, but my guess is that it is at least over a hundred kids or more.  Many are also home schooled, but I will always recommend immersing them in an all Spanish speaking school in their initial years here so they can make friends and learn the language and culture of México.

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