Parent
Please be aware that this institution is not to be confused with a German school abroad (aka Deutsche Auslandsschule). It only offers German as a third language and to date has no international qualifications like the IB, let alone the DSD (German language proficiency certificate). Since the requirements for this unfortunately have never been met since the establishment of the school in 2016.
No modern or even European teaching methods are used as promised. The teaching is very old fashioned and the official language of the school is Spanish. It doesn't really create the intercultural background you would expect as an expat.
The few German teachers are mostly interns who only stay in Panama for a few months. Real German teachers (if any) rarely last a whole academic year.
Facilities are extremely limited: There is neither a proper gym nor an auditorium like in every other normal school.
No individual attention given to the students as advertised. The only professional thing about the school is social media marketing.
2 other reviews for Colegio Alemán del Istmo - (Reviews aren't verified )
Other
The school has a small community of families, teachers, and staff members with a strong sense of belonging, which supports the personalized guidance the institution promotes. Its urban location atop a hill offers a pleasant view of the surrounding cityscape. The school has also demonstrated solid operational capacity through the organization of a recent Summer Camp in Germany, as well as other well-executed events.
However, in practice, the organizational structure more closely resembles that of a national private school, and part of the local teaching staff shows limited genuine engagement with German culture. Additionally, a high level of staff turnover can be observed.
The school successfully implements public relations initiatives in the city through the institutional networks of its leadership. Nonetheless, the occasional visits by its current academic representatives to G... read full review
Teacher
Please stay away from this “school”. I wouldn’t even call it a school and it’s very far from a German school. It’s horrible and a scam in all aspects. The administration, teaching methods, organization and the treatment of teachers is a nightmare. No German knowledge, barely any materials and the administration has no idea how the German education system works. Furthermore the teachers from Germany won’t get any working permissions and have to work illegally without any knowledge about that. The school also refuses to pay everything correctly like they promise you in the working contract. The only thing the school can do is fake advertising and charge incredible high school fees. They promise inclusion but that’s also a lie. The school has students with certain learning disabilities but these students don’t get the right treatment or extra classes that they would need for a funct... read full review
