Moving to Languedoc - better for the children?

It depends what you mean by “better”.

The benefits mentioned above (healthier diet and lifestyle, less stress, more outdoor activity) certainly enhance family life. Crime rates in rural France are undoubtedly lower than in larger UK towns and cities, so if you move from the latter to the former, yes, you will be raising your brood in a “better” place.

The downside to France for kids, in our opinion, is the education system.

So much has been made of French schooling – the old-fashioned politeness, the three-course lunches, and above all, the fact that French education, with its learning of poems parrot-fashion and beautiful joined-up handwriting, is decidedly “old school” in its approach.

But could it be that our love of all things retro, and a general tendency to perceive traditional ways as somehow superior, blinds us to the short-comings of the French school system?

The fact is, there is very little room for creative thought in French schools. Children are encouraged to memorise chunks of text, copy patterns, and not ask questions.

It’s an approach that can seem rigid and inflexible. Some kids thrive on it, others struggle. The alternative is to hunt down Montessori or Steiner-based schools, or even home-school.

THE BOTTOM LINE

When it comes to raising a family, France is probably as good a place as any, and better than some. If relocating across the Channel means more family time and perhaps a nicer house, bigger garden or a greener, more peaceful location, then so much the better.