For parents new to the Rhein-Main region, finding a school which best suits a child’s needs presents a dilemma between choosing the traditional but inflexible German public school system, or a private but very expensive alternative.

German schools represent more than just an opportunity for your child to learn a second language and experience a foreign culture. Enrolling your child in a German school can aid in the integration of both the child and the parents in the community. What’s more, the public education system is government-subsidized and is therefore tuition free.

International schools are accustomed to dealing with children from all over the world and with varied linguistic backgrounds. One advantage of the international education system is portability and continuity of the curriculum, which helps prevent learning gaps if the family moves to another location or returns home. And as private schools, they can often afford better facilities, extensive extracurricular activities and longer hours – in some cases up to 6 p.m. But you pay for the privilege: tuition fees can run to well over 13,000 euros a year.

Frankfurt International School
An der Waldlust 15
Oberursel
06171-2020
www.fis.edu
The Frankfurt International School, founded in 1961, is far and away the largest international school in Germany, with a student population of approx. 1,770 from more than 52 countries. The school also employs 286 faculty and staff from 28 countries, and all teachers have at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.

The school is organized into four school divisions: the Primary Division, the Elementary Division, and the Upper School in Oberursel, and the International School Wiesbaden (ISW) which operates as a branch of FIS at a separate campus in Wiesbaden. The main (Waldlust) campus in Oberursel, about 15 kilometers from downtown Frankfurt, houses the Elementary School starting with grade 2, and the Upper School. The Primary Division, with classes from age three through grade 1, is located on the main campus, in the Hohemark section, separated by woods but merely a five minute walk within the campus to the elementary and upper division.

Internationale Schule Frankfurt-Rhein-Main
Straße zur Internationalen Schule 33
Frankfurt
069-348297-0
www.isf-net.de
The ISF International Schule Frankfurt-Rhein-Main was jointly founded by the City of Frankfurt, the State of Hesse, the Chamber of Commerce, and several multinational corporations in 1995. ISF provides a high-quality, college-preparatory education, with approximately 900 students ranging from age 3 to grade 12 or 13 from 50 different countries.