We educate integral human beings

Every year, the media publishes lists of the best schools in the country. Parents look with emotion or concern at the position of the institution in which they trust their children's education. However, analysis simply for being in a position is a rush. For Anke Käding, Rector of the German School Medellín, "these rankings are useful for making comparisons; however, at our institution we also follow the German educational framework in which many aspects are included that are not taken into account by those who make the lists".

Aware of this situation, the Academic Committee team, made up of parents, undertook a rigorous analysis of the results provided by the “Saber” and Dinero magazine test scores. "We believe that these measures are, by definition, limited and simplistic in reducing a student, a school or a country to a metric. Our school has other broader indicators of success," say Juanita Eslava and Alberto Giordanelli, parents of the Academic Committee. After looking closely at each piece of information, the result is encouraging as Colegio Alemán Medellín has done well in terms of education.

The Committee also invites a review of the Synthetic Index of Educational Quality, which provides more detailed data and considers other elements that go beyond simple ratings. "Our objective is to take a critical look at the ratings, to go beyond the imaginary and to provide the Educational Community with objective elements that serve to contextualize the information," explains Juanita. In addition, one of the best indicators parents can have has to do with the dialogue with their children: "they have to be asked, to know first-hand all the experiences they live in the school", adds Alberto.

Rector Anke Käding emphasizes that the German School Medellín goes beyond a quantitative list. Although she recognizes that these classification lists are useful for detecting points in which one must improve, she assures that "education is not only a question of grades, one must also give elements that help form the personality. In addition, the work at school is very demanding, every day of class is a challenge". In this way, it becomes clear that, although the lists are a frame of reference, the work done every day goes beyond seeking a place on a list. "We want our students to be educated, not with a view to occupying a place, but to be integral human beings.

On the other hand, Alberto and Juanita emphasize that rankings do not read all the information a school produces and that, in addition, the numbers may not be a true reflection of the real situation.

"We cannot compare ourselves to schools that present only a few students to the “Saber” tests or that do not take academic programs such as the International Baccalaureate. We have to look for peers who have similar educational models to ours and, in relation to these similar schools, the German School of Medellin has a very good level," they explain. They also add differentiating elements that make the Colegio Alemán Medellín model unique: the German quality framework, the certification as an Excellent German School Abroad granted through the “BLI” and the International Baccalaureate are points that a list does not take into account and that make great differences; furthermore, they contribute to an evident improvement of the indicators.