German Schools

[finknottle]

Get it off your chest

There are, as anywhere, good and bad aspects to the school system.

So if you want advice, help or an embittered rant - feel free.

On a postive note - anyone see the thread on Primary about security? I've just taken dd to kg and on the way back wanted to drop off a school library book ds2 has had since before Christmas and forgot again.
All I did is walk in, went to his classroom and left it on his PE kit so he'll see it at break.

No one worries unduly about security here. The caretaker has an office (all glass) outside the main building but he's rarely in it.

Is it only village schools? Looks so odd to me to have a school "locked down".

Im truly at a lost at what went on,he is a demanding little beastie lovely witty I think he was a round peg in a square hole.

Feel he deserves a happy time it is even harder as I have worked in nursery
they should be happy,

Have been told that if a child hits at a private nursery they can be told to leave

have you been in to that private one and had a chat to them at all? Would be good to know how they deal with hitting for instance, also to get a feel for the place.

the private one was where they all looked so bored?

DH says he sees no problem with ds
Am tired so will bore you no further,we are hoping to move next spring

UNless dh gets a massive pay rise would still like to go, has been a very hard time

hi tis confusing sorry

the private one was the one we tried

the bored one is the car one

and sod the bad one

oh yes they all sound .......

the more I read what I write the worst I feel

think I need sleep now
ta for listening

off you go then and get some well-earned kip! I know you've had a hard time. Hope it works out with next spring.

thank you very much

night

cinderella, in your situation Id probably keep ds at home and work on the move.
Are there any playgroups in your area? We have one that runs twice a week, for children without kiga places. It is run by a fantastic lady, who gives her time completely free.
you could send him to the bored one, and get very involved yourself, but prob not worth it if you are moving anyway?

Ssandy, I tried the psych route last year. School psych said no, she wouldnt look at how he was affected by being put down, but she would "help him come to terms with it"
I found this even more depressing. There really is only 1 route in the minds of the authorities around here. Knock a child down, and then send him to a psych to make him accept it.

I woke up thinking it may truly be best to keep him out,seems sad
He is unique are't all humans,not here maybe we are not conformists
It is a good thing dh is on nights this weekend will keep the stress level down
I can not believe the circles I have gone round in all

till later

cinderella, are there other p*ed off parents in your town, and could you get an independent kiga group together in a church hall somewhere, even once a week?

They moan but use them, because they are free!

Need to write it all down today
and look at it in black and white

dh is just soo blinkered
I will be back later have heaps to catch up on and dh and ds are out for a while

NN I was thinking not a psychologist employed by the school, if it's feasible. You need a referral from your paediatrician but it will all take some time. Obviously the school one is just toeing the school line. I don't know how you manage. I barely manage and my school issues are minor in comparison yet they stop me functioning normally.

cinders could you possibly handle him at home another year. It did sound like he was wearing you out and you could do with the break. I suppose you could try again now, give it 3 months maybe and if it doesn't work out, I do hope your dh will be willing to move.

Is he very settled there already?

Morning everyone.

NN - I will be in touch. dh and I are having a think

Cinderella - sympathies. That's one thing about Berlin - certainly in some areas you can't move for good-or-at-least-reasonable kigas. Would be nice to say the same about schools Sandy and Admylin - can't remember if we've discussed this, but what do you know about the Quentin Blake?

The longer I live here, the more anger and Unbehagen the 3-tier system causes me. On current impressions ds1 will probably be one of those who coasts along to the Gymnasium, but I still find the system repugnant and often distressing. Our nephew (Y4, very bright, ADHD) has been issued with the threatened Hauptschulempfehlung. Just because of the bloody Noten and the fact that no doubt the Real and Gymn aren't set up in any shape or form to cope with him. What really does my head in is that it is almost openly seen as acceptable to shut off opportunities to children who don't fit the easy-to-teach norm, whether they have SN or a minority ethnic background or socio-economic issues or or or. dh is starting a project with his Stiftung to wotk with Hauptschüler. They are just so crying out, it seems, for someone to say 'we value you, we take notice and are prepared to put our money (= Engagement) where our mouth is'.

There was a great article about this in 'Die Zeit' last year. Shall see if I can find it on their site to link.

Can't find it, but this is interesting.

QB has nice playground facilities since it was built as a school for the Am army kids, it is more like we'd expect a primary school to look than the standard local ones. I have heard conflicting reports about the staff/quality of teaching, so since I have no first-hand experience of the school I'm not sure what to say about it. It will all depend on the teacher you get of course and the Elternsprecher. That's a major factor and not something you can influence in advance. I know one woman who is EXTEMELY unhappy with the school and is not intending to place her second dc there. Her major concerns were the length of the school-day and the low academic achievement/std of teaching as she sees it.

IME the real issue with schools here is what happens when a problem arises (IME at some stage it will arise). It seems to always be a total minefield because you are not given any say in the matter, so even if something happens which is detrimental to your dc and concerns you greatly, you will have to put up with it. If you can make your mind up ahead of time to accept that, perhaps you'll negotiate the schools without too much difficulty.

They will have open days every year for prospective parents, maybe call the secretary and go to one of those. How do you feel about the 8-4pm school day? If you will be working full-time, perhaps it would suit you.

Thanks Sandy. Oh no, I won't be working FT if I can possibly avoid it, but probably PT. I do wish they wouldn't start so very early - 8-4 is long. That's one thing I liked about Phorms - 9am start.

I find the day much too long but I suppose it is because I am making comparisons with our system. Still even putting that aside, many dp are frustrated with it and tell me their dc are always tired. I just think it isn't right but I cannot overturn the system personally, however mad it seems. That is what you will find most frustrating about schools here (perhaps anywhere). They are in the right, always, even when they are culpably in the wrong.

here's a QB example: one dm told me her ds (half-German, she is black) was top of his class but his teacher refused to allow him to be monitor, although he was elected, saying that as he was "coloured", he wasn't bright enough. Now of course your ds won't hear this particular comment but something will come up at some stage. How will you deal with it? The dp brought it up with the head and the head didn't do anything, so they had to get a lawyer, involve the Schulrat or some body and in the end the teacher was not allowed to continue to teach the class.

You and I would expect a higher cultural sensitivity in a bilingual school with a large number of non-German pupils and would have expected the head to see things the same way, nicht wahr?

keep an eye on phorms, maybe it will be established and looking reasonable by the time your ds is ready

Sssandy, that's horrific. At least they got rid of the teacher eventually but very that the head did nothing.

You can always rely on me for horror stories , can't you?! Well I very nearly placed dd in that school but I met this mum there at the summer fair and felt so sorry for her and her family, just thought, even if that teacher is now gone and that particular problem presumably wouldn't arise again, it didn't sound like the kind of caring environment I wanted for dd.

IME unfortunately the head doing nothing (of what the dp would like to see happen) seems the norm. Perhaps I haven't met many of the fantastic heads there are out there.

Did the head stay at the school? IMO they would have good grounds for removing him too.

If I remember correctly, even said teacher is still there in a different capacity. However don't quote me on it, can't remember all the details now. Had no repercussions for the head AFAIK

are teachers Beamte? I think so, if so could have something to do with that job security the civil servants have here.

Sandy can you imagine that happening in the UK? The teacher's feet wouldn't have touched the ground, neither would the head's. Goodness me, that is dreadful.

Yes, most teachers are Beamte, particularly the older/longer-serving ones (increasingly newer ones are starting as Angestellte) and I think (judging from these stories) that it shows.