THIS IS AN ENGLISH EXPLANATION OF GERMANY'S SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED EDUCATION SYSTEM
The education system in Germany varies from state to state, although
the basic K-12/13 system is fairly uniform. (Some states still require
13 years of secondary academic study.) As in the US, education is the
responsibility of each of the 16 German states (Bundesländer), but there is a national conference of state education ministers (Kultusministerkonferenz,
KMK) that serves to coordinate educational practices at the national
level. However, there is still a lot of variation in the school systems
across Germany.
Secondary
school students in Berlin on a field trip to the former
Hohenschönhausen Stasi (secret police) prison and interrogation center
in Berlin. PHOTO: H. Flippo
General Overview
Compared to the United States, the German primary and secondary
school system is a rather complicated one in which there are sometimes
as many as five different kinds of secondary schools (usually starting
at grade 5) and various paths leading to academic higher education,
advanced technical training or a trade. For more about the types of
schools in Germany see
below.
In addition to Germany’s extensive public school system, there are
also some private and parochial schools, but far fewer than in the US
and most other countries. Among the private schools, Montessori,
Waldorf, Jena and other alternative education models are popular. But in
all of Germany, a country of 80 million people, there are only about
2,500 private and parochial schools, including boarding schools (
Internate).
There are also a good number of international schools all across
Germany, which can be a good option for English-speaking expats. (See
more about international schools
below.)
Compulsory School Attendance
Part of the reason for the dearth of private or church schools is the
German conviction that public education is a vital element that
contributes to a well-educated citizenry and a sense of common purpose.
Germany has a compulsory school attendance law. The law requires school
attendance (
Schulpflicht), not just instruction, from age 6 until age 15. This helps explain why homeschooling is illegal in Germany.
The German Educational Class System
Although most Germans claim to be against elitism and favoring any
social class, their entire educational system is basically a three-class
system that divides students into three different tracks: (1)
Gymnasium for bright students headed for college, (2)
Realschule for the next step down, kids headed for average or better white-collar positions, and (3)
Hauptschule
for the bottom tier, generally aimed at the trades and blue-collar
jobs. By the age of 10 most pupils in Germany have been put on one of
these three educational tracks. Although it is possible to switch
tracks, this is not very common.
Efforts over the past several decades to reform this system, with its
emphasis on tracking, have largely been unsuccessful. Essentially the
same tracking system also exists in neighboring Austria and Switzerland,
which have also resisted educational reforms. Citizens of the
German-speaking countries seem to feel that the current system produces
good results – despite a poor showing in recent PISA rankings and other
educational studies that indicate German schools don’t always produce
the best educated students.
The Gesamtschule Reform
In some states, usually governed by the SPD (Social Democratic Party),
there was an attempt to reform the system by creating a more inclusive
kind of secondary school, more like the American high school. Beginning
in the late 1960s, the
Gesamtschule (comprehensive school) was
introduced as an alternative to the traditional three-tiered secondary
education system. Instead of three different schools, there are three
different tracks within one school. Beginning in the late 1960s and the
early 1970s, the first
Gesamtschulen appeared in West Berlin
and a few other Länder, but soon there was resistance from the
conservative CDU (Christian Democratic Party), teacher unions and parent
groups, who felt that the comprehensive school was inferior to the
traditional sytem.
Although the original idea was to replace the old three-school system (
Gymnasium,
Realschule,
Hauptschule) with a single secondary school, the
Gesamtschule or
Einheitsschule, in practice it has not worked out that way. Rather than replacing the three-school system, the
Gesamtschule has merely been added to the traditional system. Some
Gesamtschulen are also
Ganztagsschulen
(all-day schools), with a class schedule that runs longer than
traditional schools, which usually only have classes until noon or 1:00
p.m.
The decade between 1972 and 1982 was supposed to be a trial period to see if the
Gesamtschule was superior or not. The verdict was mixed, and the
Gesamtschule
now only exists in various forms in about ten of the 16 German states.
In some German states, including Bavaria, Hamburg, Saxony, Thuringia and
others, the Hauptschule and Realschule have been combined to create the
Mittelschule (also known as Regelschule or Regionalschule) to
create a two-tiered system rather than three. Even in former East
Germany, where the “unified school” educated everyone to be good,
socialist citizens, the
Gesamtschule has not been adopted uniformly. The good old academic
Gymnasium has endured in most of Germany to this day. In Austria and Switzerland the
Gesamtschule concept has never drawn any real support.
Special Education
As opposed to the US system of inclusion of students with special needs
whenever feasible, Germany also promotes tracking in that area.
Förderschulen or
Sonderschulen
are separate schools for students with moderate to severe learning
disabilities, blind or deaf students, or those with physical
disabilities. This practice, which puts some 430,000 German students in
special, separate schools, has been criticized for not meeting the 2008,
EU-ratified UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
which calls for a more inclusive, integrated education for disabled
students. Critics say that by separating special-needs students from the
general population, the German special education system fails, in that
it puts disabled students at a disadvantage and prevents their
integration into daily life. This is especially true for students with
physical disabilities. Only in a few places in Germany are some
special-needs students integrated into regular schools.
The School Day in Germany
Traditionally, the German school day has started at 8:00 a.m. and
finished at 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. – and that is often still the case. But in
recent years, some schools in Germany have started offering a full day
of education (
Ganztagsschule). They offer study hours for
homework, extracurricular activities and a hot lunch at the cafeteria.
Since most German schools never had a cafeteria, this often requires new
construction to provide them.
Class Schedule
German secondary schools have a class schedule that resembles a US
college schedule, with different classes offered each day. Some subjects
are taught three days per week, with others taught only twice a week.
On Monday a typical schedule might offer four 45-minute classes (and
sometimes double 90-minute classes) in (1) math, (2) history, (3) art
and (4) English, while on Tuesday a student might have five classes: (1)
German, (2)
religion, (3) calculus, (4) French and (5) PE.
There are also break periods, usually a short and a long break (
große Pause),
during the school day. Most students eat lunch at home, since schools
usually have no cafeteria, and the school day ends fairly early.
Although there is some physical education, German schools are more
academic in nature. Competitive sporting events between schools are
rare. Athletics is usually done outside of school by belonging to a
sports club.
For a long time in many parts of Germany the school week included
Saturday. In the 1980s schools in Baden-Württemberg still had classes
every other Saturday. In East Germany Saturday was a school day
nationwide. Since the early 1990s most German school students, including
those in Baden-Württemberg, have enjoyed a full weekend. Only a very
few local schools still have Saturday classes (
Samstagsunterricht).
Now let’s look at the various types of schools in Germany.
Preschools in Germany
Surprisingly, in the land that invented the kindergarten, preschool
education is not part of the public education system. Most preschools or
daycare centers for young children in Germany are run by churches or
other non-profit organizations. The federal government does provide some
funding to the states, but despite new laws that “guarantee” at least
half-day childcare for children between the ages of one and three, there
are not enough places available. Efforts to increase the availability
of childcare have been hindered by a lack of funding, plus a lack of
trained staff. Less than a third of three-year-olds in Germany had
access to daycare in 2012.
The German preschool system varies from state to state, but in general it works this way:
- Kinderkrippe (literally, “crib” or “crèche”) – For ages eight weeks to three years.
- Kita (short for Kindertagesstätte (children’s daycare center) – For ages 3-6, open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or later.
- Kindergarten – For ages 3-6; half-day or full-day kindergarten.
- Hort or Schulhort – Provides after-school daycare for elementary school pupils.
Finding a place for your preschooler can be difficult, since there
are also many other parents trying to find a good Kita or kindergarten.
The better facilities tend to fill fast, so it is necessary to plan
ahead. Finding a place for your child often depends on where you live.
Getting your child into a good facility near where you live is
considered a wonderful stroke of luck.
Elementary Schools in Germany
After preschool, German pupils attend primary school (
Grundschule, “basic school,” grades 1-4). Compulsory school attendance
Schulpflicht
starts in September after a child has turned six. All students attend
elementary school from grade one to grade four in most states. Before
beginning the fifth grade (seventh in Berlin/Brandenburg), students and
their parents must choose the type of secondary school they will attend,
in other words, which educational track they will be on.
The majority of children attend a public elementary school in their
neighborhood. As in the US, schools in affluent areas tend to be better
than those in less-affluent areas. In bigger cities students “with a
migratory background” (as the Germans refer to immigrant Turks and other
non-Germans migrants) often lower the quality of education in schools
with a high percentage of foreign students. Efforts to combat this
inequality have met with limited success.
Secondary Schools in Germany
After completing their primary education (at 10 years of age, 12 in
Berlin and Brandenburg), children attend one of five types of secondary
schools in Germany. The five kinds of schools vary from state to state
in Germany:
Hauptschule (HOWPT-shoo-luh, grades 5-9 or 5-10)
The
Hauptschule is generally considered the least demanding of
the five types of secondary school, but it may be very appropriate for
students who wish to enter the trades or go through an apprenticeship
for certain types of industrial employment. The Hauptschule prepares
pupils for vocational education, and most of the pupils work part-time
as apprentices. Upon completion of the final
Hauptschulabschluss examination, after grade 9 or 10. They also have the option of earning the more prestigious
Realschulabschluss after grade 10. With that, the next step is often a
Berufsschule, an advanced technical/vocational school with a two-year course of apprenticeship and study.
Realschule (ray-ALL-shoo-luh, grades 5-10)
This is the most popular type of secondary school in Germany. About 40 percent of German pupils attend this kind of school. The
Realschule may be a step below the
Gymnasium
(more below), but it can be a very good school, with academic standards
that usually exceed those of a typical high school in the US. For
instance, Realschule students must study at least one foreign language
(usually English or French) for a minimum of five years. (In Gymnasium a
second foreign language is required.) Graduates earn a
Realschulabschluss
diploma. In some communities a Realschule and a Gymnasium may share the
same building, with a common library, and other common facilites.
Mittelschule (MIT-tel-shoo-luh, grades 5-10)
Only some German states have this type of intermediate school (grades 6-10) that combines the Hauptschule and Realschule tracks.
Gymnasium (ghim-NAH-zee-uhm, grades 5-12 or 5-13)
The German
Gymnasium is an academic secondary school that
prepares pupils for a university education. It begins with the fifth
grade (seventh in Berlin/Brandenburg). After grade 12 or 13 (depending
on the state), students earn a diploma called
das Abitur by
passing an oral and written examination. The Gymnasium has a long
history, dating back to 1528 in Saxony. Traditionally there was a heavy
emphasis on the study of Latin and Greek, but modern languages are
favored today. Until the 1970s there were separate
Gymnasien
for boys and girls. Nowadays they are co-ed. The Gymnasium curriculum is
highly academic, with two foreign languages required, plus higher math
and science courses. Students also have the option of taking more
advanced “honors” courses (
Leistungskurse).
Any student with an “Abi” diploma from a Gymnasium must be admitted to a German
university,
but there are no guarantees concerning the field of study. Popular
fields such a law and medicine are very competitive. Students often have
to choose a second or third choice for their major, or have to enroll
in a more distant university than they might prefer.
Gesamtschule (guh-SAHMT-shoo-luh, grades 5-12 or 5-13)
Only some German states have this kind of school, which combines the
three school types into a comprehensive school that is similar to an
American high school. (See the more detailed information
above.)
Even after parents have decided which school type they prefer, there
remains another choice, at least in larger communities. In a typical
city of even average size, there may be a choice of five or more
Gymnasien or
Realschulen
in the area. Unlike in the US, students are not zoned to a school in
their neighborhood or district. Students and their parents have a choice
of any school that will accept the student.
Some US vs Germany School Differences
The Grading System
The German grading scale runs from 1 to 6, with one being the best grade
(A) and six the worst (F). Poor grades in several subjects can result
in a student having to repeat an entire school year.
Class Schedule
A German class schedule is not the same every day. More like a college
schedule, with some classes three times a week, while others are only
two days a week.
School Days
German students attend school for 220 days in an academic year. The
school year in the US lasts 180 days. German students only get a
six-week summer vacation, but they have more frequent vacation breaks
during the school year.
School Vacation Dates
In order to avoid massive traffic jams, German schools in the 16 states have a staggered vacation (Ferien)
schedule that rotates each year. One year schools in Berlin may begin
their summer vacation in June, while those in Bavaria begin in July.
Another year it may be the reverse. There is even a website where you can find a state-by-state Schulferien guide for the next several years.
No Substitute Teachers
If a teacher is absent, there is no class that day, or the class is taught by a colleague who has a free period. Substitutes (Ersatzlehrer) are only hired for lengthy absences.
School Trips
School trips are often more ambitious and more extensive than in the US.
A typical English class in Germany might have an annual trip by bus to
London with their teachers for a week or ten days, staying in youth
hostels.
No Hall Passes, No Study Hall
If a student has a free period, she is free to do whatever she wants
during that time. There are usually no study halls (except in a
Ganztagsschule) or hall passes. German secondary students are not
treated like babies. They are expected to be responsible.
Klassenlehrer
Beginning in the fifth grade in a Gymnasium (seventh for other school
types), students are grouped into “homerooms” with a particular teacher Klassenlehrer. They stay together for the rest of their school years.
No School Bus
Although there may be school buses in some rural areas, in most German
cities and towns, pupils walk or use public transportation to get to and
from school.
Berufsschule
Usually the
Berufsschule (vocational school, technical school)
is not part of the normal German public school system, but is financed
and supervised by the federal government in conjunction with industrial
groups (chambers of commerce/trade) and trade unions. As part of a
concept known as “duale Berufsbildung” (dual vocational education), in
which businesses and schools work together, a Berufsschule combines
academic study with an apprenticeship. In most cases, students must have
a diploma from a Realschule or Mittelschule in order to be accepted by a
Berufsschule, which usually has a two- or three-year course of study.
Successful tech school graduates are certified in a certain trade or
industrial field.
With the increasing sophistication of manufacturing
and other fields, Germany’s technical schools help fill an educational
gap in a way that the US and other nations could learn from. Austria and
Switzerland also have their own dual education vocational programs.
Educational Options for Expatriates
The public education system, including higher education, is available
to everyone living in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, including
English-speaking expatriates, pretty much free of cost. Ideally the
children of expats attend local public schools and become fully
integrated in the country’s language and culture. But of course, things
are rarely that uncomplicated.
The choice of a school for expat children will be influenced by
several factors: the age of the children, the length of the expat
assignment, affordability (tuition, etc.), the school assortment in your
location, and several other considerations. If there is an
international school in your area, you may have to consider that option
as well.
Some international schools, including the K-through-12 John F. Kennedy School
in Berlin, are part of the public school system, but in most cases such
schools are private and charge tuition. They usually offer the
International Baccalaureate (IB) rather than the standard German Abitur or the Austrian/Swiss Matura
diploma. The big advantage (or disadvantage, depending on how you view
it) is that most international schools offer English-language
instruction. Large cities such as Berlin, Vienna or Zurich each offer a
choice of several international schools, but they are also found in
medium-sized towns. In Bonn, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin and other cities
there are IB schools that are part of the public school system, but
admittance is usually very limited. For example, the public John F.
Kennedy School in Berlin posted an announcement (in German for Berlin
parents) in September 2012 for the 2013-14 school year stating that the
school’s waiting list was already “überflutet” (overflowing), and the
school could not accept any more first-grade students – almost a full
school year ahead of time!
Admission to the Kennedy School, which has 1700 American, German and
other students, is also very competitive. From the school’s website:
“All admissions to the John F. Kennedy School are probationary. For
grades K through 6 the period of probation is one year from the date of
admission. For students in grades 7 through 13, the period of probation
is half a year or one semester from the date of admission.”
Higher Education in Germany
Up until recently university attendance in Germany has been tuition
free. That is such an embedded German tradition, that when seven states
(between 2004 and 2007) introduced very modest tuition fees (
Studiengebühren) of 500 euros, or about $650 per semester, there were mass protests. By 2013 only Lower Saxony (
Niedersachsen)
still had university tuition fees. Bavaria recently dropped them, and
now Lower Saxony, the last holdout, has dropped its tuition fees,
starting in 2015.
So a German university education continues to be tuition free.
(Non-German exchange students may have to pay fees for some programs.)
Students usually have to pay only for textbooks, certain administrative
fees, and for room and board. However, most states continue to assess a
so-called
Semesterbeitrag (semester fee) that ranges from about
50 to 300 euros. In some states if a student’s studies exceed four
semesters, there is a special tuition charge of 500 to 800 euros per
each additional semester. Tuition policies in Germany depend in large
measure on which political party (or parties) has control of the state
legislature (
Landtag). In general the conservative CDU/CSU
party and the FDP (Free Democrats) are in favor of tuition fees, while
the Greens and the SPD (Social Democrats) oppose tuition for entering
students. The Linke (Left) party opposes any tuition fees, and none of
the states in what was once East Germany has even attempted to introduce
tuition.
As of 2013, there were a total of 427 institutions of higher learning
in Germany. Besides 108 universities (Universitäten), there were six
teachers colleges (pädagogische Hochschulen), 17 theological seminaries
(theologische Hochschulen), 52 art colleges (Kunsthochschulen), 215
technical institutes (Fachhochschulen) and 29 state administrative
training institutes (Verwaltungsfachhochschulen). Fewer than 100 of
these are private institutions.
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