How children of European officials went to school in Brussels half a century ago

euronews (in English)

As the holiday season nears its end, another school year has just kicked off in the EU capital — a great time to remember how things were decades ago at the school for Europan Common Market delegates in 1972.

Transcript

00:00It's a large school with over two and a half thousand children.

00:05Most of their parents are accredited to common market organisations or NATO.

00:10Teaching is in the five main common market languages.

00:14French, Italian, German, Dutch and now English.

00:19Danish may be added next year.

00:22Lessons in English started only three months ago and so far only at primary school level.

00:27Next year up to three hundred more English speaking pupils are expected here

00:31and English will be taught at all levels.

00:35There are now some forty English speaking children.

00:38Their basic education is in English.

00:41But from the age of six they have one lesson a day in a second language.

00:47When you are doing this you must put the names of the children along the bottom.

00:54Do you understand?

00:59And moreover they are quite likely to pick up a good grasp of other languages

01:03as they mix together in the playground and during certain lessons like music, art and handicraft.

01:10From thirteen years old children are taught geography in their second language

01:14and the following year history as well.

01:18The British School of Brussels however bases its curriculum on the principles of British education.

01:23There are over eight hundred pupils.

01:26Eighty percent are British and most of the parents are in business.

01:29The fees are up to eight hundred and twenty pounds a year.

01:33But as in many schools in Britain a continental flavour does creep in from time to time,

01:38especially near Christmas.

01:40Here in Brussels special emphasis is placed on teaching French.

01:44Singing in French.

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