Das deutsche Schulsystem

German Kindergarten Not mandatory, but most attend—approx. 80+% You can attend kindergarten at the age of 3 until 6 More like a pre-school German culture values “learning through play” Kindergartens are all day, some might have different options

Grundschule (elementary school) 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.)

Grundschule Cont’d: Learn to read and write Basic math/geometry Religion (can choose whether it’s R.C., or P.) HSU (Heimat und Sachunterricht) which combines biology, history, and geography. Social standards/values (ethics) Music P.E. Art

Nach der Grundschule: Time to Choose Age ten teachers and parents choose between 3 possibilities. The Hauptschule Realschule Or the Gymnasium

Hauptschule: Generally less academically-minded students attend the Hauptschule—attracts students who enjoy more hands-on work or who are interested in pursuing apprenticeships later on The academics are slower paced & contain more basic instruction in the same primary academic subjects than what is taught at the Realschule and Gymnasium. Additional subjects at the Hauptschule have a vocational orientation. Students begin Hauptschule in 5th grade & continue their education at the through the 9th /10th grade; after that schooling is part-time, usually partnered with apprenticeships or other job-based learning About 25 percent of German students attend Hauptschulen.

Realschule: The Realschule education combines both liberal and practical education from the 5th through the 10th grade, but the emphasis is on liberal education (as opposed to hands-on work) 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.

Gymnasium The Gymnasium provides a liberal education & 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 (after 10th 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.

Das Abitur/Die Matura At the end of successful completion of Gymnasium, German students take the Abitur test In Austria, it is called the Matura Exams are usually taken from March to May or June. Each written basic-level examination takes about three hours; advanced-level examinations take four-and-a-half hours, and written exams are in essay format. Oral examinations last about 20 minutes. Papers are graded by at least two teachers at the school. In some parts of Germany students may prepare a presentation, research paper or participate in a competition, and make take oral exams if the written exam is poor.

Abitur/Matura Although some tested subjects are chosen by the student, three areas must be covered: Language, literature and the arts German, foreign languages (typically English, French, Latin, Ancient Greek, Spanish, Italian or Russian) Music, visual or performing arts Social sciences Political Science, history, geography, economics, psychology, philosophy Mathematics, natural sciences and technology Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science Sports (for schools focusing on physical education) Berufsorientierte Gymnasien--offer vocational subjects such as pedagogy,  business informatics, biotechnology and mechanical engineering Numerus Clausus—quota system for certain fields of study; students with the best scores = first chance at their choice of Uni/field of study

Große Pause Große Pause

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. Still not as popular a choice as the other options

A “5” is the lowest grade you can get in Austria! Grading and Examinations The grading scale used throughout the German education system ranges from 1—6. (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 = sehr gut / very good A+ 2 = gut / good A-/B+ 3 = befriedigend / satisfactory B-/C+ 4 = adequate / ausreichend C-/D 5 = poor / mangelhaft F 6 = very poor, failed / nicht bestanden FF What’s behind here?? A “5” is the lowest grade you can get in Austria!

University : Each state has a university Free/very few fees except for books, supplies = living expenses Winter and Spring Semesters After the 4th semester you take a test & if you pass you can continue in your major You have to complete an internship in your major in order to graduate Largely on your own when it comes to career planning & figuring out what classes to take Not as organized as the US system; students drag out their studies Major pushes to reform the Uni system Overcrowding Quality of the students—i.e. Unis not choosing their population Since it’s free, students take forever to graduate The US system generally considered to have some of the best Univ. in the world …. But our fees are outrageous…

Percentage of jobholders holding Hauptschulabschluss, Realschulabschluss or Abitur in Germany: 1970 1982 1991 2000 Hauptschul-abschluss 87,7 % 79,3 % 66,5 % 54,9 % Realschul-abschluss 10,9 % 17,7 % 27 % 34,1 % Abitur 1,4 % 3 % 6,5 % 11 %

Percentage of students graduating with Abitur or FHR: (Studienberechtigtenquote) Historically, very few people received their Abitur in Germany, because many attractive jobs did not require one. The number of persons holding the Abitur steadily increased since the 1970s and younger jobholders are more likely to hold the Abitur than older ones. The percentage of students qualified for tertiary education is still lower than the OECD average. Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Percentage 37.2% 36.1% 38.2% 39.2% 41.5% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 42.5% 43.4% 44.5% 45.1% 46.5% 49.0%

DAS ENDE!

Bibliography & Disclaimer 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. Please Note: I have heavily redacted and modified this PowerPoint from its original to better suit our students’ needs and to provide updated information, through my own sources, and various websites, including Wikipedia. I do not know who the original author of this PPT is, so please do not copy or reuse this without permission. Thank you, Tracy F. Spampinato