Danube International School Vienna | 30 April 2021 | 09:00 am
At International Schools, children of different nationalities are learning together. Danube International School Vienna More and more parents – also Austrian ones – wish for their children to be multilingual and to have a diploma that is recognized worldwide. Mathematics, art and physics in English language, classmates from all over the world and a diploma that is recognized beyond country borders: International Schools are offering many things that ordinary schools do not – however, these additional services come at a certain price. Often, it is a 5-digit amount that is due per school year – but this does not limit the demand at all. On the contrary, as educational researcher Kurt Schmid reports: “The demand is growing from two sides – from the parents’ side, but also from the economy’s side, as these schools are an important asset for large and technology oriented companies in order to acquire highly skilled employees. Besides Austrian parents, the target group who want to provide a bilingual education to their children is mainly leading staff and professional experts from all over the world. “For them, it is important that their children can quickly dive into the curriculum and that they can use their acquired knowledge once they move on”, Schmid explains. Therefore, international schools aim to structure their educational content in a similar way and to find internationally consistent solutions regarding the diplomas. International diploma Currently, there are two possible graduating scenarios plus a third option: Most often, students receive the International Baccalaureate (IB) after their 12th grade. “The Baccalaureate is recognized worldwide and determines with which points a student can study in which country”, explains Sabine Biber-Brussmann, CEO of Danube International School Vienna. “In some countries, it is possible to skip one or two years compared to a national diploma.” However, speaking from her own experiences, this can be complicated too: When Biber-Brussmann wanted to join an Austrian university 10 years ago, the native Austrian was required to provide proof that she spoke German. In most cases, such ‘additional qualifications’ are no longer required, as Schmid explains. “But they might still be required due to the autonomy of universities“, he says. “Because of this autonomy, the HAK-Matura is not always recognized internationally, because it is often considered a professional education and not a higher education entrance qualification.” Notwithstanding such individual cases, students at the so-called ‘IB schools’ can be sure to receive an approved diploma and to be taught at an approved school that is equipped with the corresponding curriculum and teachers’ qualifications. There is also talk about a new ‘European Baccalaureate’, but this is still far in the future. “This diploma has been introduced a few years ago and it would be possible to offer it in Austria, but nobody does it at the moment”, Schmid explains. At International Schools that follow US regulations – such as the American International School (AIS) in Vienna and Salzburg, students acquire a high school diploma, and usually one additional qualification. “Between 70 and 95% of the students decide to enrol in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in addition to the high school diploma”, says Kathryn Miner, director or AIS Vienna, where children from 65 nations are currently taught. International Schools that offer the IB or a high school diploma must not be confused with foreign schools that teach the curriculum of their home country and provide a corresponding diploma, plus the Austrian Matura, without being accredited as an International School from ‘The International Baccalaureate’ or the Council of International Schools. “In Austria, this would apply to the Lycée Français, for example”, Schmid explains. “On the other hand, there is an Austrian School in Turkey.” Soft skills and networking Next to the academic qualifications, students of International Schools shall also be taught in special soft skills. “Everyone knows what it feels like to be the new guy”, Miner says. “Our kids are amazing when it comes to accepting a new classmate in their community,” Biber-Brussmann confirms. “We have children from 54 nationalities at our school, about one third of them have one Austrian parent,” which naturally results in a certain fluctuation that creates a dynamic that the school leader is especially proud of: “You can feel that children are there for each other and once they leave the country, they stay in contact with each other.” And this not only applies to their school days: “Many of them meet again later at various universities”, the school leader says (SMA). INFORMATION International Schools. From the Japanese School to Svenska Skolan: 16 international schools reside in Austria, eleven of them in Vienna. An overview of the Vienna Schools can be found at: www.wien.gv.at/english/education/internatschool.htm. ("Die Presse", Print-Ausgabe, 30.04.2021) Translation
