Berlin Metropolitan School is an international school in Mitte, Berlin, Germany, serving kindergarten through grade 12. As of 2023 there are 1,135 students originating from 65 countries. There are around 146 staff members from 38 counties.[1]
Tuition
It is a private school that charges an enrollment fee of 1,100 € and monthly tuition of €210 to 1,340 €, depending on grade level and yearly household income.[2]
History
Berlin Metropolitan School (BMS) is the oldest and largest international school in Berlin Mitte, founded as a private school in the former East of the city in 2004. Initially bilingual and focused on gifted students, BMS transitioned into an integrated Secondary School focused more on being inclusive and welcoming with an international IB profile in 2006. They do not have any advanced classes independent of the IB program in the secondary section of the school.
Following negotiations in 2007, BMS acquired its current school grounds and buildings from the Berlin state government, investing in modernizing the campus. In 2016, a building in the back courtyard was acquired for future development. A major project in 2021, led by Sauerbruch Hutton, added modern learning spaces, two school libraries, an auditorium, and a rooftop terrace.[1]
Criticism
In 2018, there was an incident involving a teacher at the school, which was also investigated by the public school authorities with regard to discrimination and racism at the school.[3]
In a scientific 2016 study, two researchers from the WZB Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) found out that Berlin's private schools, including the Berlin Metropolitan School, were charging too high fees from parents.[4] This violates the principle enshrined in the German constitution that "a segregation of school students according to the parents' wealth is not appropriate". The scientists came to the conclusion that the school should never have been granted a permit. This accusation was taken up in public[5][6] and led to an intensified Governmental review of the school.[7]
In the school year of 2022–2023, BMS offered a debate club as an after-school activity for secondary students. The clubs later cancellation—despite increasing demand—caused several parents to question BMS’s capabilities.[citation needed]
Authorizations
Cambridge Assessment International Education
Senate of Berlin (Senate Administration for Education, Youth and Sciences)
Legal Status
Kindergarten and Preschool Center
Primary School – state-recognized substitute school, School Number 01P16
Integrated Secondary School – state-recognized substitute school, School Number 01P16
Upper Secondary School – state-authorized substitute school, School Number 01P16
Memberships
Council of International Schools (CIS)
Association of German International Schools (AGIS)
European Collaboration of International Schools (ECIS)
References
- ^ a b "Home." Berlin Metropolitan School. Retrieved on August 26, 2018. "Berlin Metropolitan School Linienstraße 122 10115 Berlin"
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Schulaufsicht prüft Vorgang an Berliner Elite-Schule - Lehrerin baut Verschlag für Erstklässler".
- ^ Michael Wrase, Marcel Marcel (2016) : Das missachtete Verfassungsgebot - Wie das Sonderungsverbot nach Art. 7 IV 3 GG unterlaufen wird, NVwZ - Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht 3 (22): 1591-1598.
- ^ Jan-Martin Wiarda: Private schools: Not for poor people. Zeit online, 12 July 2017 (DIE ZEIT No. 29/2017)
- ^ Michael Wrase: Between pedagogical freedom and selectivity: Why the promotion of free schools is constitutionally at stake (Verfassungsblog, 3. December 2016)
- ^ "Berlin will Vorwürfe gegen Privatschulen prüfen".
External links
52°31′36″N 13°23′25″E / 52.5268°N 13.3902°E
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