High School No.18 Almaty

High School No. 18 in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, is located in the centre of the Eurasian continent, in the south-east of the Republic of Kazakhstan. With over 1200 pupils and 74 teachers, the school plays an important role as an educational institution in the region. It comprises three levels: primary school, lower secondary school and upper secondary school. In addition to its focus on humanities, the school also places great emphasis on the natural sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) as well as maths and computer science as the publisher of the Mint certificate. English and German are offered as foreign languages.

The development of German lessons at KGU Gymnasium No. 18 began in 1978, and international student exchanges have been organised between the Ernst Abbe Gymnasium in Oberkochen, Germany, and Gymnasium No. 18 since 1993. In addition, the school has been recognised as a DSD school by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs since 1999/2000. From 10th to 11th November 2006, the eighth German Teachers’ Conference took place at Gymnasium No. 18, organised by the German Teachers’ Association, the Goethe-Institut, the DAAD and the ZfA. The grammar school teaches and awards the German Language Diploma DSD II, which entitles students to study at a German university without having to take a language examination.

Along with being recognised as a DSD school, Gymnasium No. 18 has been part of the PASCH (Partner Schools of the Future) initiative since 1999. The pupils of the school take part in various PASCH activities and have participated and won many international competitions.