This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/31/europa-berlin-schools
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Berlin schools bewilder French parents | Berlin schools bewilder French parents |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Getting your child into a primary school in Berlin is not straightforward. First of all, which school? A local state option doesn't really exist. Primary schools are big – around 500 pupils, and so there are fewer of them. | Getting your child into a primary school in Berlin is not straightforward. First of all, which school? A local state option doesn't really exist. Primary schools are big – around 500 pupils, and so there are fewer of them. |
| Above all, parents must choose between state schools and a whole series of other institutions: the Waldorf schools (following the principles of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner), which are very popular with hipster families; European schools, which offer bilingual education; the so-called free schools that are secular but in which the children get an extravagant amount of freedom; or the faith schools behind which you sometimes find a Montessori-type educational regime. | Above all, parents must choose between state schools and a whole series of other institutions: the Waldorf schools (following the principles of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner), which are very popular with hipster families; European schools, which offer bilingual education; the so-called free schools that are secular but in which the children get an extravagant amount of freedom; or the faith schools behind which you sometimes find a Montessori-type educational regime. |
| Once you've chosen the school, that's it: the child is supposed to stay with his or her friends for his entire primary education. Removing him from them is considered practically an act of abuse. On the other hand, in Berlin, parents have to decide whether their child will leave the school at the end of the fourth year to go to high school, or whether he or she will stay for two more years before going on to secondary education. A tough choice and a lively topic for discussion that families and teachers have from the start of year three. | Once you've chosen the school, that's it: the child is supposed to stay with his or her friends for his entire primary education. Removing him from them is considered practically an act of abuse. On the other hand, in Berlin, parents have to decide whether their child will leave the school at the end of the fourth year to go to high school, or whether he or she will stay for two more years before going on to secondary education. A tough choice and a lively topic for discussion that families and teachers have from the start of year three. |
| Another choice: the child can go to school from 8am until just 1.25pm, or stay on in a club until 4 or 6pm. Wednesday is not a day off – unlike in France – so it's a long week. Lunchtime meals are very limited, and canteens a rarity. Often it's up to the family to provide a Brotbox, a lunchbox. But watch out: just sticking a pain au chocolat in a box, as some French people do, is looked down on. A respectable family only uses organic, quality products. The contents of the box are a real indicator of social status. | Another choice: the child can go to school from 8am until just 1.25pm, or stay on in a club until 4 or 6pm. Wednesday is not a day off – unlike in France – so it's a long week. Lunchtime meals are very limited, and canteens a rarity. Often it's up to the family to provide a Brotbox, a lunchbox. But watch out: just sticking a pain au chocolat in a box, as some French people do, is looked down on. A respectable family only uses organic, quality products. The contents of the box are a real indicator of social status. |
| The child must also learn to get organised. From the early years, they must manage homework throughout the week. If they've gone to nursery school, they have a distinct advantage. From as young as two in nursery schools, children decide themselves on some of the activities of the week on a Monday morning. | The child must also learn to get organised. From the early years, they must manage homework throughout the week. If they've gone to nursery school, they have a distinct advantage. From as young as two in nursery schools, children decide themselves on some of the activities of the week on a Monday morning. |
| At school, the expanses of free time are numerous. French parents will discover to their horror, for example, that their child spent part of the morning drawing, sprawled in a corridor between pairs of boots and dripping coats. And because Berlin is poor, it is by no means rare for parents to be "invited" to get involved with the upkeep of the place. So it might be that the mothers sort out the removal of tables and chairs so that the fathers can do a spot of painting at the weekend. | At school, the expanses of free time are numerous. French parents will discover to their horror, for example, that their child spent part of the morning drawing, sprawled in a corridor between pairs of boots and dripping coats. And because Berlin is poor, it is by no means rare for parents to be "invited" to get involved with the upkeep of the place. So it might be that the mothers sort out the removal of tables and chairs so that the fathers can do a spot of painting at the weekend. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |