Aleksandra Arefieva
3/5
Actually I think 3.5 stars would be more accurate, but 3 I think is fairer than 4.
The 3 stars are for the opportunity to learn for a low price. For German classes, compared to Goethe and other private schools VHS is definitely a steal and a great opportunity.
The building is also pretty clean, classrooms are big and bright, and there are smart boards for the teachers to use. I would say in general the school is well-equipped.
Now to the negatives. I was studying here for 2 months in the spring, and for most of that time the elevator did not work. The VHS classrooms are floor 4 and 5, and one must take the stairs to get there. Fine if you're healthy and mobile, but if you have any kind of mobility challenge - good luck. I honestly think this is ridiculous. I would often see the older staff members struggling with the stairs, and that kind of attitude from management is just deplorable.
The quality of instruction is kind of OK, and you get what you pay for. I had one teacher who was nice and at the very least fun to learn with, and another who was so boring I stopped going to her classes. She made us read aloud and copy stuff off the board for hours on end (at C1 Level!) and her lessons were a complete waste of time. This teacher could also be quite rude and in general I felt really unwelcome in her class, like we were annoying her by showing up and being students.
In general, I would say that you get what you pay for. What teacher you get is always a gamble and some of them are good, while others are terrible. Would be nice if management collected some kind of feedback on teachers from students or something, but they clearly don't give a toss.
