By: Stephanie, Shauna, Krystal, Kayla, and Ceren Germany By: Stephanie, Shauna, Krystal, Kayla, and Ceren

German School Facts Preschool is non existent and kindergarten is not mandatory. Primary School (Grundschule) children are aged 6 through 9. Children must attend Grundschule. In Grundschule, children learn basic skills such as; reading, writing, math, and religion. 5th and 6th grades (the “orientation” grades) decide which track the student will go to next.

German Schools After four years of primary school, teachers recommend their children for secondary education. Secondary education includes traditional types of schools focused on different levels of academic ability. The Gymnasium: Provides demanding academic programs culminating in a university entrance; enrolls the most gifted children and prepares them for university studies. The Realchule: Less-demanding academic program. Leads to lower secondary diploma signifying solid academic skills. Intermediate students lasts six years.

German Schools cont. The Hauptschule: Offers a program designed for those deemed to have limited academic ability or interests and culminating in a school-leaving certificate. Prepares pupils for vocational education. The responsibility for the German education system lies primarily with the states (Lander) while the federal gov. plays only a minor role. The school year comprises between 188 and 208 days in the period from August to July. The length of the school day and week is determined by each of the Lander.

Fun Facts About School Over 99% of Germans age 15 and above are estimated to be able to read and write. In 2006, 6% of German children attend private schools. Most of the German universities are public institutions, funded by the Lander governments. Therefor, children can go to school mostly cost free. In 2005 the public universities introduced fees of about 60 euros per semester.

Fun Facts About School cont. German students at public schools attend school in the morning. Classes normally start between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. and can end between 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. Class periods are normally 45 min long. There can be a lot of homework and there is heavy emphasis on the “three R’s” being reading writing and aRithmatic. The curriculum explands as the student moves up from Grundschule and depends on which of the three secondary schools they attend.

Diagram of School System

Classroom Rules Be on time. Be respectful of administration and staff. Bring all materials; books, notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, and dictionaries to class everyday. Pass through the halls quietly. No food or drinks allowed in the classroom.

Classroom Rules cont. Rudeness, improper actions, and foul language are now allowed. Textbooks are the students responsibility, no writing in them. Makeup work missed due to absence is due soon after the missed day. There can be a lot of homework on the “Three R’s”

Homework Homework complements the work done in the classroom and should be done at the specified due date. The level of difficulty of the homework should be appropriate so the student can also work on it on their own. The grading scale runs from 1-5, 1 being the best. If the student receives a 5 in several subjects, the student must repeat the school year.

Grading System Germany uses a 6 point scale to evaluate the performance of school children. The 6 classifications are as listed: One is the best possible grade. Sehr gut (very good) Two is the next highest when the child meets the standard completely and are above average. Gut (good) Three is given which represents “average” academic performance. Befriedigend (satisfactory) Four is the lowest passing grade and is only given if the academic standard is met, but with a number of errors. Ausreichend (sufficient) Five is the higher of the two dialing grades, and is only given if the academic standard has not been met but the basics are comprehended. Mangelhaft (deficient) The last grade is six, which is the lowest possible grade. A six is given if academic standard has not been met nor have the basics been understood. Ungenugend (insufficient)

Grading System cont. Students with several poor grades will result in students having to repeat an entire school year. Students with poor grades could also have to switch schools, for example, a child going from the Gymnasium to a Realchule. Special Education students mostly attend particular schools to accommodate their needs, such as (Sonderschulen). This demographic of students are the only ones who have modified grades.

Random Facts Results of the PISA 2000 study came out and it showed that the knowledge and skills of German students were consistently below the performance of US students. The first two years of school, students have a classroom teacher, this changes in the third year to subject orientated teachers. No matter what schoola student attends, he/she must complete at least nine years of education.

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