The German School System

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The German School System

• Michele Smith
• And
• Dave Woodsome

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German Kindergarten

• Its very hard to find a place at a kindergarten.
• Parents usually ask about kindergartens as soon
  as their children are born.
• You can attend kindergarten at the age of 3 until
  6.
• Kindergartens are all day.
• In 1995 there were 500,000 kindergartens and they
  were short 46,000 teachers.

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Volksschule (elementary school)

• It begins at 6 years old.
• Consists of 4 years. (Grades 1-4)
• One main teacher who teaches many subjects and
  then usually 3 others(I.e. music, art, and
  physical education.)

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• They learn to read and write
• Basic math
• Religion
• Social standards and values
• Music
• P.E.
• Art
• HSU (Heimat und Sachunterricht) which combines
  biology, history, and geography.

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Time to Choose

• Age ten teachers and parents choose between 3
  possibilities.
• The Hauptschule
• Realschule
• Or the Gymnasium

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Hauptschule

• lowest-achieving students attend the Hauptschule.
• slower paced and more basic instruction in the
  same primary academic subjects taught at the
  Realschule and Gymnasium.
• Additional subjects at the Hauptschule have a
  vocational orientation.
• students enroll in the Hauptschule beginning in
  the fifth grade and continue their education at
  the Hauptschule through the ninth grade.
• About 25 percent of German students attend
  Hauptschulen.

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Realschule

• The Realschule provides students with an
  education which combines both liberal and
  practical education from the 5th through the 10th
  grade, but the emphasis is on liberal education.
  
• About 24 percent of German students are in
  Realschulen, and an additional 7 percent are
  enrolled in combined Haupt/Realschulen called
  Mittelschule
• The education focus of the Realschule is
  differentiated between the Unterstufe (lower
  level), which incorporates the 5th, 6th, and 7th
  grades, and the Oberstufe (upper level), which
  includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades.
• The lower level has a strong liberal arts
  emphasis, while the upper level is more closely
  oriented to various disciplines.

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Gymnasium

• The Gymnasium provides students with a liberal
  education and traditionally leads to study at the
  university.
• About 30 percent of German students are enrolled
  in Gymnasien.
• Students may enroll in the Gymnasium at the lower
  secondary level (5th grade) or may transfer to
  the Gymnasium after the completion of the
  Realschule (11th grade).
• The final 3 years of Gymnasium (grades 11-13 in
  most states) are called the Oberstufe (upper
  level).
• The three most common education tracks offered by
  standard Gymnasien are classical language, modern
  language, and mathematics-natural science.
• Students who successfully complete study at a
  Gymnasium (or Berufliches gymnasium) and pass the
  comprehensive examinations receive the Abitur.

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Gesamtschule

• Known as comprehensive schools
• Arose out of a social movement in the 1960's that
  promoted the idea of equal access to education
  for everyone, and it is the school form most like
  public schools in the United States.
• Most are located in states that have been
  governed by the Social Democratic Party.
• Gesamtschulen enroll students of all ability
  levels in the 5th through the 10th grades.
  Students who satisfactorily complete the
  Gesamtschule through the 9th grade receive the
  Hauptschule certificate, while those who
  satisfactorily complete schooling through the
  10th grade receive the Realschule certificate.

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The grading scale used throughout the German
education system ranges from 16. (A "6" is the
equivalent of a failing grade). Teachers are
permitted to add a plus or minus in parentheses
to provide further differentiation.1 very
good 2 good 3 satisfactory 4 adequate 5
poor 6 very poor
Grading and Examinations
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University

• Winter and Spring Semesters
• 9 semesters
• 4th semester you take a test and if you pass you
  can continue your major
• You have to complete an internship in your major
  in order to graduate.
• Each state has a university.

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Bibliography

• Gerhart Hoffmeister and Frederic C. Tubach,
  Germany 2000 Year. From the Nazi Era to German
  Unification (New York Ungar Publishing, 1992),
  159-179.
• Milotich, Ute E. The Educational System in
  Germany Case Study Findings. Washington, DC US
  Department of Education, 1999.