FAQ – Schools: Partners for the Future

Its aim is to arouse interest and enthusiasm for Germany, motivate young people to learn German, and above all create a worldwide network of PASCH schools.

The aim is to create a worldwide network: this includes the German schools abroad as well as national schools that offer the German language diploma or who receive, promote and expand German lessons in a special way. In addition, there are also offers to support the teaching of German as a foreign language in the respective national education systems.

The initiative aims to arouse interest and enthusiasm in young people for modern Germany and its society. It aims to build spirited and long-term ties with Germany and at the same time encourage schools, their teachers and pupils to openly exchange ideas and work together. PASCH schools abroad promote educational biographies and are part of an international learning community.

The best way to learn foreign languages is through communication with others – it strengthens mutual intercultural understanding.

Language promotion at schools is a particularly sustainable measure of foreign cultural policy: It strengthens intercultural dialogue and promotes mutual understanding. Openness to the diversity of cultures and tolerance to individuality are not mutually exclusive. Schools are places of understanding, common learning and creativity. The sooner we see ourselves as an international learning community, the better we will jointly solve problems of the future. This also applies to a growing number of PASCH alumni who maintain contact with each other and with their schools at home and abroad.

Other sponsors of this initiative are universities, preparatory courses and business enterprises that support a growing number of PASCH alumni with their education and in their professional career. These alumni stand for creativity and dynamism, they are - also with regard to each other – future partners in politics, business, science and culture.

Each partner in the PASCH-Initiative is an expert for different competences - thus the PASCH students and their teachers are looked after in the best possible way.

The initiative opens up attractive educational prospects for learners at PASCH schools and promotes educational biographies. More than 600,000 pupils and numerous students worldwide are part of this international learning and education community. They are supported by the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the Goethe Institut (GI), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Pedagogical Exchange Service (PAD) of the Secretariat of the Conference of Education Ministers - these institutions are each funded by the Federal Foreign Office.

They contribute their different core competences – from the implementation and strengthening of teaching German as a foreign language, to the introduction to German educational qualifications and scholarships for studying in Germany; this also includes school partnerships, exchange opportunities for pupils or observation programmes for teachers. Co-operations and networks are steadily expanding: between schools and teachers abroad and in Germany, German universities and increasingly also business enterprises that have a great interest in well-educated students.

Yes, as a communication and exchange partner for PASCH schools abroad.

A stronger networking of pupils in Germany is intended with learners at schools in foreign education systems who are interested in Germany and learning German. Partnerships between foreign PASCH schools and schools in Germany and the associated direct contact are a strong motivation for learning the German language. This often involves stays in Germany and a direct exchange with young German people and teachers. We need the support of host schools – and host parents – in Germany.

With German language skills you can communicate with millions of other people, and get to know Germany.

15.4 million people worldwide are learning German as a foreign language; globally, German is one of the ten most important languages in the world.

Factors such as demography (number of native speakers), economics (trade and investment flows) are decisive for this, but also for example: Number of speakers with second foreign language. When it comes to language usage on the internet German is in fourth place (after English, Chinese and Spanish). With approximately 100 million speakers, German is the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe and (after English) the most widely spoken foreign language in the EU. In addition, German is the key to an attractive language area - besides Germany it includes Austria, parts of Luxembourg and Switzerland - with modern business, technology and culture and a diverse civil society.

The selection is initially made via the Head Office for Schools Abroad or the Goethe-Institut.

The participating schools abroad are selected by the Central Office for Schools Abroad and the Goethe-Institut in coordination with the respective local mission abroad according to fixed criteria, which reflect in particular the respective qualities and potentials. A direct application by schools is not possible. The funding possibilities depend on the decisions of the German Bundestag about the respective federal budget.

PASCH schools receive staffing and financial support in different ways.

PASCH schools are supported in expanding or redesigning German as a school subject. They can receive modern, multimedia learning and regional study materials and, if necessary, technical equipment. ZfA, GI and PAD support the school in ensuring the high quality of German teaching: through teacher-training, school development measures (all), teachers from Germany (ZfA), school partnerships, pupil exchange and observation programmes, or the International Winner Programme (PAD) and international youth courses (GI).

The member schools can also draw on the expertise of specialist advisors and experts for teaching, who look after the pupils and German teachers directly on site and in the country.

Yes, there are different forms of co-operation.

In some countries, PASCH alumni have the opportunity to improve their German language skills at their own universities. German universities - partly supported by the DAAD's support initiative for German schools abroad and partner schools (BIDS) - offer introductory programmes for particularly gifted students. There are direct co-operations between schools and universities, study bridging opportunities and possibilities of the promotion by study colleges.

As a pupil of a PASCH school, one is networked with around 600,000 other students worldwide and can participate in various activities.

PASCH schools offer their pupils the opportunity to make various international contacts with pupils from other partner schools via the network at an early stage. This can also be continued later via the PASCH Alumni Platform (www.pasch-alumni.de). Contact and intensive exchange are a very sustainable way of fostering intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, even beyond the language.

Particularly committed pupils receive additional offers: by invitations to summer youth courses or as scholarship holders of the International Prize Winners Programme, or as awards for international (language) competitions or projects at www.pasch-net.de. In addition, there are regional co-operations and competitions across national borders, also with attractive premiums here, sometimes for entire school classes. And, of course, an exchange of students, participation in joint projects or competitions not only provides new knowledge and linguistic skills, but also significantly expands personal and social skills.

The opportunity to get to know the German language and the German cultural area can open the perspective for advanced students to study in Germany - possibly even with a full scholarship from the DAAD - and a subsequent career. Knowledge of languages can also be a ticket to an attractive vocational training, or to working for a German or European company in your own country.

German language diploma or the Goethe-Zertifikat: Fit in German.

Qualifications or examinations which can be acquired or taken at the PASCH schools depend on the local circumstances. They range from the German Abitur at schools with a comprehensive range of German language courses to the German Language Diploma of the Conference of Education Ministers (examinations in class grades B1 to C1) and language examinations of the Goethe-Institut at schools with increased German teaching (for levels A1 to A2).

Some of these degrees or examinations are also partially linked to entitlement to study in Germany, while others allow students to attend preparatory college in Germany or other preparatory courses abroad (e.g. study bridge).