Education System in Germany
– Education in Germany is primarily the responsibility of individual German states (Länder), with the federal government playing a minor role.
– Optional kindergarten (nursery school) education is provided for pre-school children.
– School attendance is compulsory after kindergarten.
– The schooling system varies throughout Germany because each state (Land) decides its own educational policies.
– Most children attend Grundschule (primary or elementary school) for 4 years from the age of 6 to 10 years or 6 years in Brandenburg and Berlin.
Secondary Education in Germany
– German secondary education is separated into two parts: lower and upper.
– Lower-secondary education prepares individuals for upper-secondary education.
– Upper-secondary education in Germany offers a variety of vocational programs.
– German secondary education includes five types of schools, including Gymnasium, which prepares pupils for higher education.
– Gymnasium typically lasts from 10 to 18 years of age.
Historical Development of Education in Germany
– Lutheranism had a strong influence on German education, with Martin Luther advocating compulsory schooling.
– The Kingdom of Prussia introduced free and compulsory primary education during the 18th century.
– State certification requirements for teachers were introduced in Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars.
– The final examination, Abitur, was introduced in 1788 and extended to all of Germany in 1871.
– The German Empire centralized the school system and established separate secondary schools for females.
Education during the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany
– The Weimar Republic established a free, universal four-year elementary school (Grundschule) and four types of secondary schools.
– During the Nazi era, the basic structure of the education system remained unchanged, although the curriculum was reshaped to teach the beliefs of the regime.
– In East Germany, the Polytechnic Secondary School (Polytechnische Oberschule) was the equivalent of primary and secondary schools.
– Students attended the Polytechnic Secondary School for 10 years, from ages 6 to 16.
– At the end of the 10th year, an exit examination was set, and students could choose to continue education or undertake an apprenticeship.
Performance and Challenges in German Education
– In PISA 2018, students in Germany scored above the OECD average in reading, mathematics, and science.
– Average reading performance in 2018 returned to levels observed in 2009, reversing previous gains.
– In science, mean performance was below 2006 levels, and in mathematics, PISA 2018 results were significantly below those of the 2012 study.
– The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that Germany is achieving 75.4% of what should be possible for the right to education, at their level of income.
– There have been ongoing discussions and challenges regarding the length of the lead section of articles on education in Germany. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Germany#University_entrance_qualification
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Education in Germany is primarily the responsibility of individual German states (Länder), with the federal government playing a minor role. Optional kindergarten (nursery school) education is provided for pre-school children, after which school attendance is compulsory.
The schooling system varies throughout Germany because each state (Land) decides its own educational policies. Most children, however, first attend Grundschule (primary or elementary school) for 4 years from the age of 6 to 10 years or six years in Brandenburg (since 1991) and Berlin from the age of 6 to 12 years.
