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".

This was the teacher you spoke to admylin or an Erzieher?

I spok eto the teacher - he's usually very good and quite strict but he totally missed my point I think. The Erzieher don't bother with things like that at all as far as I can see, they might as well have a pic nic or go to sleep in the playground.

I'm afraid when it comes to bullying/violence there is an unüberwindbare cultural Mauer there admylin. Even totally reasonable, decent people seem to find this kind of thing if not acceptable then at least par for the course. You will never see eye to eye with those in the German educational system on this type of thing. (Ha! saw someone on another thread this morning saying they would like to experience Germany again now they have school age dc! Good grief.)

ooh I feel a RANT coming on.... Can I stop it, can I ...?

I'll tone it down though: I really object on principal to Erzieher working in the schools. I know it is just the system here but I think these people are totally under-qualified to work with dc. You can strike lucky and have one with a heart of gold who is just lovely with dc but I really don't see why people who have barely any kind of school qualifications, no degree and a year's Ausbildung can be thought qualified to take charge of school-children. I really don't see why we can't have well-educated and well-trained staff looking after our dc. Sure it would cost more, but wouldn't it be worth it in the long-run?

Hello everyone. I have been in the UK for 2 1/2 weeks and not best pleased to be back, although I missed ds1 and dh who weren't with me for the last 6 days.

admylin Sandy, you are spot on with the cultural Mauer. It is dreadful. I'm already anxious about this bit for mine later on.

We have a crisis with ds1's Kinderladen currently, about which I will bore you another time. Anyone know any good kigas in Schöneberg/Steglitz/Zehlendorf?

Exactly, I totally agree about the erzieher. Ds had one and when she asked us what h's job is he told her and she laughed and said Ooh, I can't even pronounce that it sounds so complicated, just made me wonder about her education standard - they usually or often come straight from the Hauptschule.

I see what you mean about the unüberwindbare cultural Mauer you have a point there. I was really shocked and my I wa snearly shaking at seeing such violence close hand and he was standing trying to explain how it was OK. I'm still shocked now.

Hi berolina, it's hard when you come back at first isn't it? I always missed the friendly shop keepers most of all!

Whatever you do, go round as many kitas as you can and take your time deciding where to send your ds. Does the place where your dh is doing his research/work offer child care (might do if it's one of the unis)?

Is this the Integrations-KL Bero? You mentioned before that it would have to close - or is he already in a new one?

I was thinking of you last week and tbh with you, if I had the time again, I would send dd to nursery at the British School, despite the travel and cost. Have you ever been there, spoken to them?

If you are planning on sending him to QB later, your best bet will to have English very clearly as his first language. They test the dc. I know plenty of dc from English families who were classified as German speakers after the test. As English speakers you get a place, as German he would have to go in via Losverfahren. So if that's the school you're looking at, you are not best of with a German language KG. Just a thought.

Look at the bilingual Montessori too, although getting to Zehlendorf every day is a pain.

Or try the JFK one - I think they also get first choice for primary school if the dc has attended the kita.

you can try JFK but they will tell you that if you are not either German/American, you won't have a chance. I think if you apply there you are best of putting down ds' nationality as German, I wouldn't mention the English - Losverfahren again apparently. As a non-American English speaker they will be biased against you and I think their statutes say quite clearly they must take either German or American dc whose background reflects teh culture of the passport they hold - something like that.

oh thank you Sandy, I didn't know that. The BBS looks lovely but both the cost and the location are prohibitive, aren't they? We could just about do the fees, at least for nursery, but that Anmeldegebühr - would be a big chunk out of our scrimped-for savings. Thing is we wanted to send im to the bilingual Montessori from next summer, but if we move him this year, which is looking increasingly likely, we don't want to have to move him next as well - so we are looking for a new kiga or kinderladen with good Vorschularbeit really.

No, it hasn't closed - it gets more complicated by the day - there is a more or less schism in the Erzieherteam and the Integration thing has not been happening (the I-kids were excluded from the kiga trip ) - which really disappointed us, and children have been picking up on rows between the Erzieher . All quite horrid.

could you cope with just keeping him at home till he moves next summer? Or would you go mad?

I can spell honestly! But for some reason it always comes out "of" not "off" today. Ha! IT worked!

I haven't been keen on the JFK actually, from what I've seen/heard. And that Spiegel article put me right off Phorms. We are looking at the QB really - assuming we're still in Berlin then. ds1 starts school in 2011 if I've got that right - he misses out age-wise on being a Kann-Kind - and we might well be leaving by 2010 - but that's not certain either.

I have to go back to work 2.5 days end of August. dh is going to clear some time and we will look for a childminder for 3 mornings for ds2 and dh will have them 2 afternoons, but we really need ds1 to be in a kiga mornings. Otherwise I'd keep him at home - I'd do it tomorrow. It's all a bit

what have you heard about JFK that has put you off bero?

What does your dh think? Did he not grow up in Berlin? I know a family where the dad is from here and refuses to even comtemplate sending his dc to any 'fancy' schools. They have to go where he went - I know they row about it!

My h is also not the helpful type, he just says millions of Germans cope with the system and schooling so why can't we It just seems to get more and more complicated the older they get doesn't it (the dc I mean not h's!). You get them settled at kiga then they have to suddenly turn into school kids over night and then the next stage (Gymnasium/real- or Hauptschule) is even worse. Are we going to be giving our selves headaches about which university they go to as well? I wonder!

oh that is tough bero. It is so hard to have to do things when you aren't convinced that those options will be good for your dc.

I will have a think and ask around a bit

Bero's dh is from Brandenburg

Dd has just told me she's getting a grade 2 in maths on her report (the teacher told them their grades last week) - I'm so proud because she really struggles with maths and hates it. So the pracrise really does pay in the end, we put alot of work into it and this means we can relax abit on holiday! I was all prepared to take loads of maths books and set an hour a day aside for maths! We can do spelling practise instead now

Any ideas what to get the class as Abschied sort of thing? They don't want a party at all (phew) but was thinking of getting them to hand their classmates a card with new address and some small gift - but what. Dd's class is 25 and ds's only 12 pupils. Also a few parents are getting the teacher a Gutschein for a posh wellness-hotel for massage and sauna so don't have to worry about anything for the teacher.

Well done your dd, admylin We don't get the reports for a couple of weeks and there's at least one more maths test to get through before then. Last one was a 2/3 so slightly better than the 3+ before that.

Not sure what would be suitable for the class as a leaving present. A game perhaps or a book. Or something edible? Don't think it needs to be much.

yes I agree with taipo, something edible might be best. Maybe just a cake per class? The best friends you could maybe give a little address book to with your new address written in it?

I've designed a little address change card on the computer so have printed it off for each child but thought I'd get them each some small thing to go with it.

Well, dd in bed but not asleep, has set her alarm for 6am and we have to be at school at 7am -wish I had some nice wine or something to relax now but as usual nothing in.

sweets maybe?

How did it go this morning, you feeling ok about it?

Everything went ok, dd quite happily abandoned me (sob), her best friend was busy showing her all the crisps and sweets she had packe din her rucksack the mum just said, oh well if they're sick atleast we won't have to deal with it - still will feel better when I know they have arrived and I hope the phone kette will work so we all get told.

Think I'll just get some sweets - easiest thing. Ds off school today, he begged to be allowed to stay home as the reports have been handed in by all the teachers so they are just hanging about, playing games or doing 'stupid stuff' as he puts it - so I gave in and let him stay off. Tomorrow they go to the police to do their cycling proficiency exam so he#LL BE GOING IN FOR THAT:

oh that sounds good. At least you like and trust her teacher admylin and that makes it so much easier to hand them over.

I like this idea of cycling proficiency tests actually. Do they practice for those at school?