International Schools

    Good day,
I need some information in regards to international schools for expats relocating to Cape Verde. I have Googled and found 4 but only 2 of them have contact details, I have reached out to Portuguese school of Cape Verde and Ecole Internationale Les Alizes. There are no websites or email addresses for Colegio International Or American Learning Centre of Cape Verde.
If you have contact details, besides telephone numbers, please send these through to me or if there are any other recommended international schools please let me know.

Regards
Nicolette
   

    -@niccivdb

Hi Nicolette,

In Cape Verde, the Portuguese school, Les Alizes (French) and the Colegio International (Portuguese) are the only international schools with fully developed educational curriculum and professional teachers. The Colegio International does not have an online presence but I do have a phone number for them (though they don't speak English). They are all located in Praia. They are schools that provide primary school and/or secondary school education. There are also some other highly regarded private primary/secondary schools in Praia.

The American Learning Center is not an actual international school with a curriculum. They simply teach English to local children and I'm not even sure that is operational as there are dozens of these small informal operations that purport to give English language lessons to the locals, plus there are also lots of private individuals giving private lessons. However, there are no English-language primary or secondary schools in Cape Verde that provide an organized or formal educational curriculum. On the other hand, the University of Cabo Verde offers a 4-year bachelors degree proram in English.

Hope this helps. I can provide you wih the phone number and an email address for the Colegio International if you send me a priovate message.

Cheers,

Angelo

Thanks so much Angelo, it helps a lot. Les Alizes has already replied so just waiting on the Portuguese school now. I will contact you for the other information required.

Dear Nicolette,

this is a very important topic here.

In Sal, Cape Verde there is only one international school, EIS in Murdeira, recognised by AEFE and homologated to the French CV. The French Ministry of Education conducts regular audits in order to keep the educational standards and the teachers are professionals recruited from France and there are local expats helping with teaching support and administration.

website https://www.eis-capvert.com

mail escolainternationalsal@gmail.com

The school offers some open day during the year, you can request an online meeting or a virtual visit and you can discuss openly with the pedagogical staff about your kids need.

There is no school recognised with an English/American CV but there are some homeschoolers. Anyway I tried myself this approach on the island, and I would say that it is not the solution for younger kids.

What they really need here, it is to feel part of the international community and do not miss the social part. It is so important while away from Europe to keep that connection and to build a social group around the school and create a centre for cultural exchange and discussion.

The psychological burden of moving abroad it is something many parents still do not understand: here I can see individualities growing in selfish and autonomous realities, and I can read the discomfort growing in the children; on the other side I witness parents not realising how difficult it is to set up an international school with no fundings apart from the monthly fees, or pretending to follow their homecountry model.

It is very interesting to watch the process and being part of it: when relocating the choice of the school it is very important and the staff taking care of the students should be aware of these social and psychological assets. I have seen families leaving cause of that and I was thiking the same because I could not find any perfect options. But we need to learn to thrive where we are planted and see the positive side, and build together.

I am helping now the school as volunteer: I am educated Physiotherapist and Psychologist with Master in Learning and Memory Technique, and in the last 3 years I studied intensely online about Teaching and Children development and bilingualism... because my children's education is my biggest mission.

And I believe kids here are priviledged, learning from different cultural background, languages, and they are doing that in small groups.

So you are welcome to ask any question if you like. I will be gladly here.