A woman describes how she chose a school for her children.
Res.: To which school had you sent your children?
AN.: Co… my children the… my Costis eeh… he went to
Sokratis… to Sokratis. To Saint George along with… there was Mr. Andreou then…
then… principal. He completed the Fou… the Fifth grade, the Fourth grade,
because at the time it was up to the Fourth grade. And then they went to… they
went to the English schools. Finally… Two years he went to… [...] Majesty and
he moved on to university. My… my daughter… I attempted to put her again in
the Greek schools, but to go to an English one, but to also attend Greek, but
unfortunately... she was unable to… to learn it, to… to learn the three
languages, to understand the three language and she confused them. And our
teachers… they told us, you have to choose, because three languages are very
difficult for the girl. She speaks Greek, she reads a little, but not that
much. She couldn’t… progress that is, in Greek, the third… the third language.
Res.: I understand.
AN.: And we had to choose and as you understood I chose
English and French rather than Greek. Alright. She speaks Greek, she dances.
She’s Greek that is, but she just didn’t go to school.
Res.: And for what reason did you choose English and
French over Greek?
AN.: Look. Because I knew that we’re in Canada, the
children are Canadian, little Canadians, therefore these two languages I think
would… be… certainly… And don’t forget, it was also years ago. It’s not like
Greek is today.
Res.: Right.
AN.: We’re talking about many years ago. And you then,
why did you send your son to an English school rather than a French one? Back
then they weren’t, they weren’t forcing us to go to the French ones. In the
time when… my children were going to school, we couldn’t get them into the
French ones. It was… it was, you could register the children only in the
English ones.
Res.: How come?
AN.: It was some law, I remember. It was… I can’t
remember precisely. I remember that… when my son was going to school, it was
the English ones where you’d take them. The immigrants like us, they were
putting them into the English ones. You had to be French, I think, to be
French… Aah how to say? ahmm… Their religion, how’s it called? I’m forgetting
it.
Res.: Ah Catholic.
AN.: Catholic to be eligible. If I’m not mistaken. I’m
not a hundred percent sure but there was something, that’s why all the kids
who are my son’s and daughter’s age were attending, attending the English
school. Then they changed and they were attending the Engli… the French
schools. Initially there were the English schools, like myself when I came,
when… at the time they were paying if-they were paying them, but to go to the
English one not to the French school. At the time when I came, if I wanted to
go to school, only to the English school.
