German School of Barranquilla

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German School of Barranquilla main entrance

German School of Barranquilla (Spanish: Colegio Alemán de Barranquilla, German: Deutsche Schule Barranquilla) is a private German international school in Barranquilla, Colombia.[1] It is a German School of excellence abroad, who is officially sponsored by the Federal Republic of Germany.[2] It is the oldest German school in Colombia, and one of the only two schools in the Colombian Caribbean coast that offer an IB Diploma, or the International Baccalaureate program.[3] The School serves nursery, which starts when children are 3 years old, kindergarten, primary (grades 1-6), and senior high school (grades 7-12).[2] The institution offers a 3-6 month exchange program in Germany (when students reach Grade 10),[4] and Summer Camps to improve language immersion.[5]

The main instructional language is Spanish. As of circa 2015 under 1% of students are native German speakers.[6]

History[edit]

The school first opened on February 9, 1913, making it the oldest German school in Colombia. Its first facility was a tenement building in the center of Barranquilla,[7] and initially the school used rented facilities. It moved into its own building in 1930.[8]

The school originally used German as the language of instruction,[6] and it used a German-Spanish bilingual program.[9] In 1940 the pre-World War II school reached its peak student population of 253. 65% of the students were Colombians, 26% were Germans, and the remaining 9% were of different nationalities.[8]

It closed in 1942 due to political reasons stemming from World War II,[8] it did not reopen until 1956.[6] In the interim there were secret classes held at the Colegio del Prado. When the school officially reopened with 255 students,[9] it became a Spanish-medium school,[6] while German was only an academic subject. Students were required to use the Colombian curriculum. In 1957 the student body increased to 345. The first post-war teachers from Germany came in 1959. In 1961 an inspection committee from West Germany looked at the school. That year the first post-war graduates finished their studies. In October 1961 the National Ministry of Education officially acknowledged the German School of Barranquilla.[9]

The West German government eventually canceled its financial aid till since German was no longer the medium of instruction.[9] It did, however, give financial aid to the construction of the building which opened in 1963.[10]

In the 2000s the school moved to its current location, midway between the center of Barranquilla and the center of Puerto Colombia.[11]

Curriculum[edit]

The main instructional language is Spanish.[6] The German language is offered as a subject from nursery to grade 12,[11] and the school offers Levels I and II of the German Language Exams.[10] German is used as a medium of instruction in some electives, Biology and History and advanced Math classes.[12] English classes are taught in English.[6] Students also graduate with an IB Diploma and a Cambridge Certificate ranging from levels B2 to C1.

Amenities[edit]

The School offers several places of recreation and learning for its students, equipped with the newest technology to enhance the students's learning and overall experience.

Sports[edit]

The German School of Barranquilla prides itself on supporting the students talents, thus having several places intended for sports practice. These being a Sports Center that offers space for mixed sports, a Gym, a Volleyball and a Basketball court. The school offers a beach volleyball court, a synthetic football field, a dance studio, multiple table tennis tables, an Olympic-size swimming pool and Track and field, among others.[13]

Music[edit]

The school counts with and Auditorium for the use of several performing arts, a Youth Symphony Orchestra, Multilingual Choruses, multiple music classrooms fully equipped, among others, which are fully available for any student interested.[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Contact Us Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine". German School of Barranquilla. Retrieved on September 25, 2015. " German School, Barranquilla Carrera 46 - Vía al Mar - Poste 89 Barranquilla / Colombia"
  2. ^ a b "El Colegio". Colegio Aleman - Barranquilla. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  3. ^ "Bachillerato Internacional". Colegio Aleman - Barranquilla. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. ^ "Intercambio". Colegio Aleman - Barranquilla. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  5. ^ "Campamento de verano". Colegio Aleman - Barranquilla. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  6. ^ a b c d e f History page 1 Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine. German School of Barranquilla. Retrieved on September 25, 2015. Spanish version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, German version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ History page 2 Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine. German School of Barranquilla. Retrieved on September 25, 2015. Spanish version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, German version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ a b c History page 3 Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine. German School of Barranquilla. Retrieved on September 25, 2015. Spanish version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, German version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ a b c d History page 4 Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine. German School of Barranquilla. Retrieved on September 25, 2015. Spanish version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, German version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ a b History page 5 Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine. German School of Barranquilla. Retrieved on September 25, 2015. Spanish version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, German version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ a b History page 7 Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine. German School of Barranquilla. Retrieved on September 25, 2015. Spanish version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, German version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Introductory Remarks Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine". German School of Barranquilla. Retrieved on September 25, 2015. Spanish version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, German version Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Deporte". Colegio Aleman - Barranquilla. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  14. ^ "Música". Colegio Aleman - Barranquilla. Retrieved 2018-09-13.

External links[edit]


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