SCHOOL
special PULL-OUT
An introduction to education on the Costa del Sol THE attraction of the Costa del Sol for bringing up children is growing in popularity. A safe, friendly and family-orientated environment, Andalucia has the third highest birthrate of all the autonomous regions of Spain meaning that it has developed plenty of choice for families with children in terms of services, entertainment and education. The allure of the laid-back lifestyle with few traffic problems, stunning scenery and some of the best beaches in the world, make the Costa del Sol a top choice when considering relocation. Mild winters, divine springs and autumns along with tolerably hot summers, the climate here welcomes and encourages an outdoor lifestyle whether for socialising, sport and fitness or educating your child in warm and gentle yet vibrant social surroundings. One notably frequent comment from those who have experienced living in other areas
of Spain, for example, is how relatively little people in the Malaga Province swear or curse when compared to other provinces. International education along the Costa del Sol is full of excellent private and state options, all schools focused on a bilingual education in which cultural diversity is not part of an enforced educational programme, but part of a natural landscape with scores of different nationalities having decided to bring their children up on this coast. The most populous foreign nationalities throughout the Costa del Sol are made up of Europeans, Americans and Africans. Sports facilities are plentiful in the area and kids are actively encouraged to get involved. As well as the most obvious, such as football and basketball, paddle tennis, golf, sailing and handball are all represented in both schools and sports fa-
cilities. Local municipal councils invest heavily in sports centres, keeping the cost of signing up for after-school activities low cost and high quality. With more than 150 kilometres of coastline along the Malaga coast, the Costa del Sol is bathed in its biggest attraction, the Mediterranean Sea. The pleasant climate and warm sea invites locals to take up water and beach activities, whether fishing, rowing, diving or paddle boarding, or simply having a relaxing family barbecue on the beach at one of many public ‘moragadores’ - a sand-filled boat on the beach which can be used for barbecues. The benefits to health brought about by more hours of sunlight and the Mediterranean diet, coupled with the friendly lifestyle are too numerous to mention all here, but happy parents tend to make happy children.