THE GERMAN SCHOOL SYSTEM
Three school types
Although the state does supervise the education system in Germany, most educational policy is decided upon by the individual federal states. State regulations mean that children must attend a form of school for at least twelve years.
How does it all start?
Education in Germany begins later than in the UK, with children starting Grundschule (the German equivalent of primary school) at six years of age. Kindergarten (for children between the ages of three and six) is optional, although since 1996, each child in Germany is entitled to a place in a Kindergarten. In their last year of Grundschule, children are taught in different classes depending on their ability, and then they have three options. They can attend a Hauptschule, a Realschule or a Gymnasium, or a Gesamtschule, which combines all three types of school, with children being taught in different classes concentrating on different aspects of the curriculum.
Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium
At a Hauptschule, pupils must attend up until year nine, and year ten is voluntary, whereas at a Realschule, pupils must attend until year ten. A Hauptschule often leads onto further vocational training, and a Realschule also offers vocational training, although pupils with a high academic achievement can also transfer to a Gymnasium, the German equivalent of a grammar school. Pupils leave a Realschule with a certificate called the Mittlere Reife. At a Gymnasium, pupils normally study for around nine years. Pupils study for their Abitur (the German equivalent of A-levels) in the last two years at a Gymnasium. The Abitur will then allow them to study at a university.
