International School in Brasov, Romania - Case Study
by Jane E. Hoonhout, RN, BSN, Greater Grace
International Academy Greater Grace
International Academy (GGIA) is a K-12 American school located
in Brasov (bra' shove), Romania. It began school year 2001 with a
handful of students, most of which were not American. The founders are
French Pastor Philip Ribe established in Romania 10 years, and Patrick
Carter, an American missionary with the previous experience of starting
and running a successful NGO in Romania. Patrick is presently the
Director of GGIA. The past and present nations represented by GGIA's
student body include France, Canada, Scotland, Holland, Germany, The
United States, El Salvador, South Korea, Hungary, and Romania. The
majority of families are missionary type, with some business types. We
remain a small school with a present enrollment of 29 with high
expectation of surge in enrollees following the approval from the
Romania government to operate as a 'foreign school operating in
Romania. ' This process has just become attainable through some laws
enacted in late 2004 and we wait even now for a positive response to our
application. We call ourselves an American school because our curriculum is
currently based on the A Beka curriculum, out of Pensacola, FL, and,
except for some matter adapted to suit our international needs, we
function and have goals similar to a private, academia-focused, American
Christian school. All of our present teachers are native English
speakers hailing from North America, Great Britain, and Australia. One
of our current great needs is new teachers for both elementary and high
school levels for upcoming school year 2005-2006. Recruiting native English-speaking teachers is a challenge for most
international schools, especially those who don't offer much monetary
compensation. Fortunately, Romania is one of the easier countries for
native-English speakers, especially Americans, to live in as the
citizens admire them. English is the language most desired to learn by
the Romanians, as well. It is a wonderful thing to be valued by the
people you meet everyday. Romanians in general are very warm and
hospitable. We have found this to be one reason that those who do come
to work with us here in Brasov for 'a year' tend to remain longer. In
fact, most foreigners who come to this area for short-term commitments
may stay three, five, even twelve years. This intransience might also be
attributed to the fairytale setting of Brasov, nestled in the
magnificent Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania (yes, the home of
fictional Dracula). The seasons and temperatures reflect those found in
the northern states of the U. S., and the hills, valleys, rivers, and
forests are a nature-lover's and skier's paradise. Furthermore, the Old
City district of Brasov with its medieval architecture is enchanting and
peaceful; the rest of Brasov is busy growing to meet the needs of its
most modern visitors. Another plus is it can be a relatively inexpensive
area to live and raise a family. It's a very special place and there
exist many advantages. But as with all good things, there are some
challenges. Finding quality education for family members is one thing
that may be difficult. The longer we are in Romania and involved in education, the more we
observe the desperate state in which parents living abroad find
themselves in regards to their children's schooling. Brave souls enroll
their children in the local Romanian school system. This typically does
not last long due to the ineffectiveness of huge class sizes,
theory-based teaching styles or total lack of instruction, overloads of
self-taught homework, and reports of teacher-student abuse. Students
become defeated and withdrawn-a wretched, heart-breaking consequence. Or parents may choose home schooling, which, though in itself is a very
useful tool, has potential drawbacks. We have watched issues such as
seclusion, boredom, and familiarity create frustration in both the
parent/teacher and the child/student. Apart from making daily life
miserable, we have repeatedly witnessed this discontent lead to the
eventual breakdown in structure and routine resulting in loss of grade
levels. Another solution is for the family to be split apart so the children
may attend a suitable school while the parents fulfill their objectives.
Sometimes, we realize, this is the only solution for parents forced into
business priorities. Hopefully, if this is the situation, the children
will be in a school where they find themselves accepted, cared for, and
valued. GGIA is proud to offer a high-quality education in an environment where
mutual respect, morality, and discipline make it a safe place to both
learn and be cared for. Special emphasis is placed on creating an
environment that encourages thinking, self-discipline, responsibility,
and respect for and the understanding of other peoples and cultures.
GGIA offers a program designed to prepare students to be well-balanced
world citizens while trying to help each meet their specific goals,
including undergraduate education in America's finest universities. We
believe ourselves to be the academic solution to the problem of every
parent of a school-aged child who finds himself called to Romania. Do you find life's path leading you toward Romania? If so, let us help
you. Being or knowing someone who has been here long enough to have
contacts and trustworthy cohorts is the way to overcome what sometimes
seems like unsurpassable tasks. There can be many challenges to living
in this beautiful, somewhat backward, country, and we want to assist you
in meeting some of those challenges. Jane E. Hoonhout, RN, BSN, Greater Grace International
Academy
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