Partner contributions
The Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA)
The Central Agency for Schools Abroad promotes a network of more than 500 schools abroad offering qualifications recognized in Germany. This network of German schools abroad and national schools offering the German Language Certificate, as well as their cooperation with other schools in the network, will be strengthened and extended. Additional school coordinators and advisors will promote quality-based school development and support the establishment of new private schools with a German profile. They will intensify cooperation with local schools offering German as a foreign language and provide advice on structuring German lessons. Working with seconded extra teachers they will allow the creation of new courses leading to German qualifications in accordance with international standards. These include the multilingual International Baccalaureate with German, the Deutsche Internationale Abiturprüfung and the German Language Certificate of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (DSD).
The Goethe-Institut (GI)
The Goethe-Institut helps the schools it supports to introduce or develop German as a subject. It offers teachers further training on instruction methods and language courses and equips schools with modern teaching, learning and geographical materials and multimedia. Additionally, the Goethe-Institut seconds teaching experts all over the world to assist partner schools within the context of the initiative. Youth courses in Germany for pupils of the participating schools are designed to improve language skills, boost intercultural competence and provide insights into German life. An Internet learning platform hosted by the Goethe-Institut allows pupils to interact with one another across the world and to communicate in German in training fora and supervised chatrooms. It also gives teachers the option of providing web-based lessons.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
The DAAD scholarship programme for graduates of German schools abroad and partner schools is to be expanded significantly in 2008. The number of full grants for study in Germany will double from 60 to 120 and will be advertised internationally for the first time. Another novelty is the BIDS programme (BetreuungsInitiative Deutsche Auslands- und PartnerSchulen), a support initiative for German schools abroad and partner schools which is aimed at German universities. The goal is to improve direct contact between German universities and the schools abroad and partner schools to attract graduating pupils. Assistance is provided in the form of motivational scholarships, personnel for intensive support as well as contributions in the shape of equipment or travel expenses to foster cooperation with specific schools abroad and/or partner schools.
The Educational Exchange Service (PAD)
The PAD is expanding school exchanges and partnerships within the context of the initiative. The international award programme for foreign pupils promotes outstanding learners of German from more than 90 countries, giving them the opportunity to get to know Germany first hand during a four-week trip. Moreover, the PAD also organizes three-week visits to German schools or two-week further-training courses in Germany on instruction methods and the German way of life. These services primarily target German teachers from the ZfA network of schools abroad. Personal contacts with other teachers from abroad or German colleagues at the host school are designed to help participants set up email projects or partnerships between their schools and thus reinforce or expand the network.
Last updated 18.02.2008