Aged 15 in Bahrain and without a school

Dear Betsy,
Are not all children entitled to an education in Bahrain?

We have recently moved to Bahrain and because my son is not a 15 year old genius we are unable to get him into a school.
What I would like to know where do expat children attend if your children are not academically superior. Not everyone has English, for example, as a first language.
And at the age of 15 this year of schooling is the most important not only for staying on to gain further qualifications to hopefully gain entry to university but for making friends in a new country.
So does my child miss out on his education because he is an average grade student although he is also a great natural sportsman?
Bahrain may be a great place but the education and school process leaves a lot to be desired for expat families new to Bahrain.
Gabriela

Dear Gabriela,
This is not the first time I have heard about this problem and I do sympathise with you.
Many expat families here face a similar problem with their child’s education. In some cases it seems that certain schools are just full and have no places available and in other cases it is that the child is unable to pass the entrance exam which is geared towards children whose first language is English and who have previously been in the British or American School system.
I know this may seem harsh but these schools need to have certain standards if they are to maintain their international accreditations and their pupils are to achieve exam results that enable them to gain university entrance.
I agree there is a definite gap in the expat education market .I do not know what nationality your son is or what languages you speak but there are many other language-specific schools such as the Phillipino School, Ecole Francaise and other multi-nationality schools such as Al Noor School, Modern Knowledge, Bahrain School, Al Hekma School, etc
It is a pity that this is not something you looked into, or were properly advised abou,t before coming to live in Bahrain and it may be worth your while to check with your husband’s (or your) employer as many companies offer assistance to their expat employees and, in fact, many families thoroughly research and explore this area and enrol their children well in advance of their arrival to Bahrain with employer assistance.
Contact the British Council, the Alliance Francaise and Berlitz Langauge School who all offer language courses for all age groups and levels of study.
 It may be that you need to consider some form of home schooling this year while your son takes extra English lessons that will help him to enrol next school term/year.
I know this is not ideal but it is a temporary solution and can be seen as a unique educational experience, character building and a chance for you to become closer as a family.
You could also approach your embassy or consulate for assistance as there may support groups and other forms of help available to you. 
The social side of things is not so easy if you are not at a mainstream school, but as your son loves sports then you should enrol him at one of the local sports or leisure clubs where they have football, rugby, tennis, swimming and athletics activities.
Look in the yellow pages for details of sports and leisure clubs and organisations such as the British Club, Dilmun Club, Bahrain Rugby Football Club, Country Club and  Bahrain Athletics Association. This will help him meet other teenagers and build up social contacts as well as allowing him to indulge in his love of sports and develop his talent and skills.
Perhaps other readers have faced this problem and can share their experiences with us or perhaps there are some schools or educational institutes out there who can write in with their sugestions to help Gabriela and others like her?
IF YOU CAN HELP EMAIL
 betsymathieson@hotmail.com.