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

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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.

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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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