Learning for life

Vivalgarve: Mrs. Liebig, were you a good student in former times?

Christa Liebig: I was pretty smart and did not need to study lots. If I hadn’t been so lazy, I could have achieved much better grades. (laughs)

Is that good enough to get on with life?

Sometimes. I managed to get a place in university right away as there was no ‘numerus clausus’ at that time. But anyways, I first completed job training as I wanted to experience the practical side of life.

What was your grade point average in the final exam and were there subjects you absolutely positively could not stand?

I excelled in science. In maths, as well as in physics and chemistry I had the best grade point average possible. My weaker side were the languages. French was the worst. But then again, I was also plain lazy.

Are students attending the German school here smarter than the ones attending Portuguese schools?

No, this is absolutely the wrong way to put this. All over the world, in all kinds of schools, there are smart and clever students and some that are not so smart. There are diligent ones and some that are not so diligent. The over-achievers don’t study much, know and do everything and are simply very good. Then, there are hardworking students, whom I especially appreciate because they really put out an effort to earn good finishing grades. Those you find all over the world, in each and every school.

What then is the difference between the German and the Portuguese school?

The main difference lies in smaller study groups. We have 15 students per class. If there are more, we divide the groups up again. This provides a much better possibility and interactive ambience to study and learn. There is much less plain teaching going on here in our school compared to the Portuguese schools with their large classes. We also provide group lessons and workshops and in this way we encourage and promote the independence of our pupils.

We are sitting here in the library. Looking around I don’t see a whole lot of books. How come?

This is mainly due to money problems. We are very much dependent on donations. We just now received one, but we are still lacking professional and trade literature, reference books and classical literature. Some of the books are in use by the teachers and are upstairs in the teacher’s room because they are also needed in the classrooms. But we are still very much in need of more books. There is never enough money to accomplish everything at once.

You also have a computer room. Is the computer an alternative to the library? Can you download knowledge and an education?

Difficult. I think there has to be room for both. We are living in the computer age and computer science and information are of the utmost importance. But I do believe that students should not forget to glean their knowledge from paper-sourced literature. The library should be of equal importance as the computer room.

How many teachers work at this school and which nationalities do they represent?

Mainly German teachers work here because we teach the German curricula for foreign schools on the Iberian peninsula. Right now, we have three Portuguese teachers working in the twelve full-time positions the school has, plus we have eight teachers working part-time.

Do you pay the teacher’s salary during the summer months?

The teachers with full-time work contracts receive their salary during the vacation period also. I’m a firm believer in continuity being important for pupils.

Sport is supposed to be very good for the body and it also helps to loose excess weight put on through bad diet.

If and when I offer sports, it has nothing to do with nutrition. In our cafeteria we offer very little sweets, mostly fruits, yogurts and one meal per day. For me, sport is very important. We offer as much as possible, including football team workshops. We have a designated space for a playing field drawn up in our blueprints and it is also already approved. The only thing missing now are the necessary funds. We are working on that in conjunction with the parents and sponsors.

How do you get on with the Portuguese school authorities. Do you meet all the conditions and standards prescribed by the Ministry of Education?

We have no problems with them. Our relationship is very cooperative. We are very well liked. There is the outer framework of the buildings where we have to comply with all the required rules and regulations. Otherwise we are not allowed to work here. Our educational content is dictated by the German Bund-Länder Committee for School Education Abroad. They are in charge of everything that pertains to German schools abroad, including passing grades and examination regulations.

Who checks that everything is done in the proper manners?

When Germany did not perform well at all in the first Pisa study, proper school inspections - even for German schools abroad - were implemented. Two years ago we had such an inspection here in our school.

Unannounced?

They can show up unannounced - but the first time around they always let you know ahead of time.

How do German and Portuguese students get along with each other?

We are primarily an encounter school. Starting right away in first grade, children are taught bilingually: in Portuguese as well as in German. We have many children from bi-national parents: Portuguese and Germans, but also Dutch, Swiss and an ever increasing number from just Portuguese parents. We accept children of all nationalities. Our model is named PAM (Portuguese as Mother tongue) and PAF (Portuguese as Foreign Language). We also emphasize physics, chemistry and mathematics, art and music; with English we start in the 3rd grade and after that we teach French from the 6th grade on.

Thank you very much for the interview.