Berlin - School Report Question and Answers
Greatest challenge?
BIS is now being challenged by the local Berlin Senat for school accreditation for not offering enough German-language education (they are trying to ensure against other ethnic schools preventing lack of assimilation, ie they don't want the Turkish immigrants attending Turkish-only schools and then not learning decent German). This has resulted in recent changes to the curriculum to include more German course work at the upper grades for Mother-tongue and advanced German language students: ie our older child receives Ethics instruction in German (though the teacher also provides guidance in English). This is to meet the local government's requirements and remain an accredited school. Some local German parents are upset (as they're paying for English-language education at a private school) but the school is trying to do what it can to pacify the politicians AND keep the parents happy. - Oct 2015
The substitute program is confusing. If there is a teacher absence, the class is divided up and incorporated into another class. - Apr 2014
