In an exclusive interview with Saudi Gazette, Volkmar Guenl-Baxmeier said: “We are different from other educational systems which are very strict and rigid, as they burden their students with fixed curriculums. We concentrate on the quality, not the quantity of education provided. We offer special classes to help some of our students and to enhance their knowledge in various subjects.” He added, “We don't have any fixed agendas, but we focus on and enhance the individual abilities of our students, which will guarantee their success in the future.” In Germany, schools are mandatory for children aged from the age of six to 15. The German educational system is different in many ways from the other educational systems offered in Anglo-Saxon countries because it focuses on the performance of its students. The school system in Germany is also different from its American counterpart. All children attend the elementary schools, but at the age of 10, they go to one of three different types of schools. The school that they attend will determine which type of school they can enter next, and whether they will be able to go to a university or enter a technical college. From grades one to four, children attend elementary school (Grundschule), where they are all taught the same subjects. After the fourth grade, the children are evaluated and then sent to either Hauptschule, Realschule, or Gymnasium according to their academic performances. “We always promote after-school vocational education and training; the students choose the training according to their interests and future professions,” Guenl-Baxmeier explained. “Our system highlights the importance of vocational training to provide the market with highly qualified professional workers.” He added that said that the Hauptschule (grades five to nine in most German federal states) teaches the same subjects as the Realschule and Gymnasium, but at a different pace and with some vocational-oriented courses. The Realschule (grades five to 10 in most German federal states) offers part-time vocational programs. “After finishing the Hauptschule or Realschule, students have to do their vocational training for three years. It is compulsory for young people to attend their training, so they become familiar with the work environment and the people working with them,” he said. The German educational system is well prepared to deal with the requirements and challenges of the 21st century. “Our school places emphasis on the appropriate explanation of various topics in the curriculum and focuses on languages. Even in pre-school, we are teaching Arabic as a foreign language. Wherever a German school is located, it has to include the language of the host country into its curriculum.” Guenl-Baxmeier added that their school teaches four different languages – German, English, Arabic and French – at the moment. They have also started to offer Spanish classes as an after-school activity. “Our curriculums are strict but they are derived from a wide range of subjects. That's why we take our time to teach students using special training programs to improve their abilities according to modern educational systems such as the Internet. Our main aim is to develop their character, self-esteem, and their confidence. German schools all over the world adhere to the same principles. We follow the same curriculums, but we amend and adjust them according to the country, its circumstances and the students´ needs,” he stated. “I have tried to make the school a part of the parents and students' daily life. I always advise my teachers to take the students on field trips to explore the real world. They should realize the importance of team work in order to be able to work with others successfully.” The school's students, along with their teachers, also go on educational trips. “Students with their teachers and I have already been to different countries on educational trips, which helps them with their education. Here I took the students to old Jeddah as part of their Geography lessons to understand the subject” Guenl-Baxmeier said. “In that trip, all the students enjoyed the area and learned a lot of things about Jeddah's geography and history. That's how we keep an eye on students' skills and interests – by giving them practical experiences.” Guenl-Baxmeier has been all over the world, it seems. He came to Saudi Arabia in 1983 for the first time as a young teacher and worked at a private German school in Riyadh. “We had too many teachers in Germany. After my final exams, which I passed successfully, I couldn't get a job, so I came to Saudi Arabia. The school belonged to a big construction company with nearly 100 students,” he explained. After a year, he got a chance to come to Jeddah. He liked the city and stayed here for two years before moving to Sumatra. He stayed there for another two years and later moved to Singapore where he worked for the German school. “I moved back to Germany and stayed there for almost one year, then I moved to Hong Kong to a big school. This job was very interesting because I was part of the German Swiss International School with more than 1,400 students. It was very interesting to teach in such an international school. All the rich businessmen in Hong Kong wanted to enroll their children to this school!” After working in Hong Kong for two years, he got a job offer as a vice principal in Frankfurt. “I moved back in 1994 after 11 years and stayed in Frankfurt as vice principal in the center of Frankfurt for seven years. I then worked as the vice principal of the German school in Jakarta from 2001 to 2006 and then went back to Frankfurt as a vice principal of a big school with more than 650 students,” he said. He returned to Jeddah in 2009 and succeeded in changing a lot at the school in the years since. He started afternoon school activities, remedial classes, swimming courses, karate and other extra school activities. In addition, the school is now building a new library and a new cafeteria because the number of students has increased. He teaches students Geography and Mathematics and gives them football training. “It is very important to work with the teachers and students in order to understand their needs and monitor the school's development,” he said. Guenl-Baxmeier encourages all teachers to implement new teaching techniques to enhance students' education experience. He tries to stay in touch with all the companies that will provide students with the necessary vocational training, as one quarter of the students will continue their high school and the others will be encouraged to find suitable job opportunities. “It is not always important to get an education for three years, but it's important not to end up on the streets,” he noted.
