Can I send my child to a public school in Germany?

Expert Info

Posted by

on 17 Jul 2014

Hi there,

We are moving to Berlin at the end of the year as my husband has a job offer. I am worried about my 12 yr old son and his schooling. I am not sure whether my husband will get much of an allowance to cover school fees and I see that international schools in the city are crazily expensive. What are my other options? Can he attend a public school or will the language barrier be too much of an issue.

We are from the UK and my son doesn't speak German.

Cheers

Sally

Anonymous (not verified) on 18 Jul 2014 - 08:37

Hi Sally,

Berlin has a lot of international schools, but you are right fees are really high.

A traditional German public school doesn't work for most expat children (unless they are young enough to pick up the language). I certainly don't think it would be wise for a 12 year old who doesn't speak German to attend a school where German is the language of instruction.

However, luckily there is another option that can work for you. Bilingual schools are public schools in Germany which teach children both in German and another language. Fees are low or non-existant and its a really great option if you want your son to mix with local kids. The only downside is that you'll find that these schools are also popular with German people, so the tend to be oversubscribed. They often have waiting lists. So I would advise you to apply as soon as possible.

For more info check out the Education and Schools in Berlin page.

Good luck

Shantalie

Anonymous (not verified) on 4 Aug 2014 - 21:29

Everything Shantalie said was correct. What you are not factoring in is that your son will experience culture shock due to the language and this will make making friends difficult. If you don't speak German, your best bet is to seek out an international community and introduce your son to these people as they will probably speak English and be in a similar situation.

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