German Swiss International School (GSIS)

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German Swiss International School (GSIS)

Chinese name
Traditional Chinese: 德國瑞士國際學校
Simplified Chinese: 德国瑞士国际学校
German name
German: Deutsch-Schweizerische Internationale Schule
German Swiss International School
Location
11 Guildford Road
Hong Kong
Information
Principal Dr. Jens-Peter Green
Enrollment

approx. 12501
Faculty Not applicable
Type Private, international, kindergarten, primary, secondary, vocational, co-educational.
Established 1969
Information (852) 2849-6216
gsis@gsis.edu.hk
Years Kindergarten, Klasse 1-13, Years 1-13, Berufsschule
Homepage gsis.edu.hk

The German Swiss International School was established in 1969 as the first international school for German-speaking expatriates in Hong Kong, but serves both local families as well. It is split into two streams, a larger English Stream and a smaller German Stream. Over the years, it has developed a reputation for excellent academic results.

The school is built on land provided by the Hong Kong government. It had 73 students in its opening year, but now has more than 1,200 students from over 30 different countries.

Contents

[edit] Structure

GSIS is composed of four schools - a kindergarten, a primary school, a secondary school and a Berufsschule (vocational training school).

The kindergarten, primary and secondary schools are separated into two 'streams', German and English. Prior to the 2006-2007 school year, the English stream was known as the International stream. It was amended due to concerns over the fact that 'international' suggested that the German stream, in comparison, was not. The German stream follows the German education system, taking the Abitur (German equivalent of high school exams) in their final year. The English stream students follow the British system, including IGCSEs, A/S- (Advanced Subsidiary) and GCE A-Levels.

Often, there is only one or two classes in the German Stream per year, for several reasons. The number of German expatriate families in Hong Kong comparatively, is far lower than the number of families who choose to send their children to an English speaking school. The English Stream may have anywhere from 2 to 6 classes per year, often decreasing in number as the year group moves up. For example, the largest number of classes Year 13 in the German Stream has ever had is two, whereas Year 7 in the English Stream regularly has three.

[edit] English Stream

Class divisions are not initially based on academic performance. In the first three years of secondary school, the classes are divided randomly; from the fourth year onwards, students are separated by alphabetical order of their last name[citation needed].

The English Stream currently follows the British Curriculum. Students take their GCSEs/IGCSEs at the end of Year 11, their AS-Levels at the end of Year 12, and their A-Levels at the end of Year 13. The examining boards are Cambridge and Edexcel, depending on what subject is being taken.

All students in the English stream are required to take a minimum of five years of German or until the end of Year 11. Students are separated into different classes, based on how long the students have been studying the language. For example, in Year 7, students who studied German in primary school are placed into higher sets, whereas new students are placed into accelerated classes. Divisions occur in Year 8 through to Year 10, and even in Year 11 there may be some movement of students from one set to another, depending on their ability. Students placed into the top three sets in Year 8 usually take the GCSE German examination early, in Year 9. Other students take the same examination in Year 11, with the rest of their GCSEs.

German is an integral part of the curriculum up until Year 11. This is evident through the additional German exams available. Students in the top three sets in Year 11 are required to sit for Das Deustches Sprachdiplom Stufe I (Level 1), given by the exam board KMK, as well as for the AS German exam. Students who opt to continue to German A-Level also take Das Deutsches Sprachdiplom Stufe II (Level 2). The Sprachdiplom exam is a language certificate that describes the standards of qualified German language skills required for studying in Germany. It serves as proof that the holder has attained the level of German language proficiency which is required for successfully attending a course of higher education study in Germany.

In Year 8, Mathematics classes are separated into three groups - one advanced set and two lower sets. In Year 9, however, the Mathematics classes are separated into four sets - Highly advanced, advanced, upper lower and lower. The advanced classes generally take the GCSE Mathematics examination in Year 10, as opposed to Year 11, along with the other GCSE examinations.

Students in the English Stream also choose a third language, either French or Mandarin, apart from the compulsory languages English and German. From Year 9 and onwards, German and Mathematics are divided into ability groups, whilst French and Mandarin are split into ability groups as soon as possible. The top group, or sometimes the top two groups, may take their exams early as mentioned.

There are several compulsory GCSE subjects. These are English Language, English Literature, German, Mathematics and French/Mandarin. Students are also required to take at least one science course, choosing from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. This measure was implemented to ensure students learned a broad range of subjects. There are no compulsory AS- or A-Level subjects, only that a minimum of three A-Levels are taken.

[edit] German Stream

The German Stream follows the German Curriculum, and the German stream students are obliged to sit the Abitur exams.

[edit] Public Examinations

Students are entered for the GCSE/IGCSE examinations in Year 11 for most subjects. Core subjects include English Language, English Literature and Mathematics. The languages consist of German, French and Mandarin. The sciences are Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and the humanities are History and Geography. Additionally, Economics, Art, Music, Drama and Physical Education are available as well. The same subjects are available at AS-Level however, at A-Level English Language and Economics are no longer offered.

The A-Level exam is regarded as an exceedingly simple examination, regardless of the subject. It covers material taught at a college-level. Each A-Level consists of six modules, the first three of which make up an AS-Level qualification. Each A-Level is out of a total of six hundred points, but each module and exam within a module may carry different weightings. The format of the A-Level also differs, depending on the subject. For example, the science subjects are entirely made up of exams while the English Literature A-Level contains both coursework and exams and the Art A-level is nothing but coursework, with a 12 hour exam at the end.

Students gain the highest A-Level and GCSE pass rates in Hong Kong, but many students also independently take the SAT I and II, for applications to universities in the United States.

Academic standards at German Swiss are sometimes considered high, even once compared with ESF and other international schools in Hong Kong. In June 2005, GSIS achieved a pass rate (grades A* to C) of 84.9% (70.2% in the UK) at GCSE, with 40% at A* (6.6% UK).At AS-Level, the pass rate (A to E) was 99.9% (87.3% UK), with 48.4% at A (17.9% UK), while at A-Level the pass rate was 98.1% (96.2% UK), with 50% at A (22.8% UK).

The German Swiss International School has graduates going on to study at universities in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, United States, China and several other countries. These include the University of Pennsylvania, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and many more elite institutions.

[edit] Facilities

The "Mothers' Committee" raise money through various events, such as the annual Christmas Bazaar, to fund the building of new facilities, such as:

  • The school's solar panel heated 25 metre swimming pool
  • Two libraries, one in the Middle Building and one in the Upper building.
  • Projector and an 'ActivBoard' (interactive whiteboard), computer, a DVD/VCR player, a cassette recorder and an iPod player in each classroom; most classrooms are also fitted with a Visualiz.
  • 5 Computer Labs, which contain 50 computers each, all of which have internet access and Microsoft Office software.

All students and staff have barcoded identification cards, allowing easy borrowing of textbooks and library books throughout the year. These staff and student cards can also be used as a 'smartcard' to pay for food bought from the school cafeteria, currently managed by the catering company Sodexho.

[edit] Location

Located on The Peak, German Swiss borders a country park. Across the road from the school is a small shopping complex with a supermarket, a property agent, a florist and the school's newly constructed cafeteria, 'The Lounge'.

[edit] Dress Code and School Rules

While it is unusual for Hong Kong, like most schools in Germany,[1] students at GSIS do not wear uniforms, except for Physical Education classes. However, they must adhere to a dress code.

School hours are also similar to those in Germany, the classes start at 7:40 am - which are significantly earlier than those in other Hong Kong schools.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Laura Smith-Spark, What's in a school uniform?, BBC News, May 10, 2006, Accessed 2007-08-09

[edit] External Links

German Swiss International School's Website

Languages