German International School Sharjah
Sharjah, UAE · est. 1976 · PrivateThe German International School Sharjah is the oldest German school abroad in the Emirates: it was founded in 1976, and it was from here that the Dubai branch split off in 2004 and later became a school of its own. The school is small and says so plainly: more than two hundred children, a family-like and attentive environment, individual support. It teaches the curricula of the German state of Thuringia, lessons are in German, and in the 2024-2025 school year it was again awarded Germany's "Excellent German School Abroad" quality seal. Its leaving stage is unusual for a German school: instead of the familiar German Abitur it runs the mixed-language IB Diploma, a bilingual form of the IB Diploma in which German, history and biology are compulsory subjects taught in German. The point of that form is practical: in Germany it is recognised as a full basis for university entry and needs no extra German-language certificate such as the DSH or TestDaF. Clubs run Monday to Thursday from 13:30 to 15:00, and from this half-year the school runs them for the first time not only with its own staff but with outside partners - Alliance Française Sharjah, the Sharjah Chess Academy, United Karate Group International and Logiscool.
Key facts
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
ZfA · accreditationIB · DP · authorised programmeWhat stands behind each entry
A German federal agency. It recognises a school as a German school abroad, funds it and grants the right to award the German leaving certificate. Quality is examined by a state inspection about once every six years, and schools that pass receive the mark of an excellent German school abroad.
What the badge means for this school. The school has been through this organisation's accreditation. It was judged as a whole: governance, safeguarding, staff, premises, teaching. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.
What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: DP (ages 16-19). DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →The German school programme. Recognised German schools abroad award the Deutsches Internationales Abitur, the German leaving certificate used for entry to universities in Germany. Behind the recognition stands the federal agency ZfA.
What this means for this school. ZfA recognition comes at levels: a school that takes pupils through to the German leaving certificate is one thing, a school with the DSD language diploma, where German is taught as a subject, is another. Which level this school holds is not stated here.