German Education System
Today, we are going to talk about the German education system. This article will provide a clear idea to those planning to move to Germany.
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When we talk about the German school system and German university system, it is important to note that there is actually no unified system. Each federal state is responsible for its own education system, especially when it comes to school education. So, there would be different components and different names. We tried to summarize the main information to give an idea to those interested in studying in Germany.
Generally speaking, the German education system consists of 5 stages or levels:
- Elementary level (Elementarbereich)
- Primary level (Primarbereich)
- Secondary level I (Sekundarbereich I)
- Secondary level II (Sekundarbereich II)
- Tertiary level (Tertiärbereich)
Let’s take a closer look at what the education system in Germany consists of.
Elementary Level (Elementarbereich)
The elementary level includes nursery (Kinderkrippe), daycare (Kindertagespflege), kindergarten and preschool (Vorschule), which can be public or private. Children can visit the facilities of the elementary level from several months old up to starting the primary school. Visiting those facilities is not mandatory in Germany, so the parents can decide if, how long and to what extend they want to use such services.
Primary Level (Primarbereich)
With it, starts the German school system. The primary level includes the primary school (Grundschule). In Germany, there is the so-called compulsory school education (Schulpflicht), which means that all children of school age have to go to school. As a rule, school age is from 6 to 18 years old. Apart from exceptional cases, homeschooling is not allowed in Germany. Most of the schools are public and can, therefore, be attended for free. However, there are also private and international schools to choose from.
Usually, primary school is from grade 1 to grade 4, or grade 6 in certain federal states. At the end of primary school, based on the academic progress, the students get a recommendation for a specific type of school for further education (Schullaufbahnempfehlung). This means that for the secondary level, there are several options to proceed. The student does not have to follow the recommendation, however, should they choose the option that was not recommended, they might have to fulfill certain additional requirements, such as admission exams and probation period.
Secondary Levels I and II
After finishing the primary school, there are several options of further education. Different federal states and specific schools may offer different combinations of the following:
1. Hauptschule is one of the types of secondary school in Germany and presents the secondary level I. As a rule, such schools are visited from grade 5 to grade 10 and are then followed by the so-called dual education (duale Ausbildung) at level II.
2. Realschule is another type of secondary school at level I that is visited from grade 5 to grade 10 and can be followed by either vocational education, comprehensive school (Gesamtschule) or grammar school (Gymnasium) at level II.
3. Comprehensive school (Gesamtschule), which covers grades 5 to 10 as level I and grades 11 to 12 or 13 as level II. It may offer different kinds of high school diplomas at the end, depending on the federal state and the respective education system.
4. Grammar school (Gymnasium), which also covers grades 5 to 10 as level I and grades 11 to 12 or 13 as level II. After completing the education here, students get the so-called Abitur, the kind of high school diploma that allows them to study at a university(Universität) or university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule).
Thereis also such a school type as special school (Förderschule). Such schools provide education to students with disabilities and special needs and cover the primary level as well as secondary levels I and II. However, it should be mentioned that Germany actively promotes integration of special students at all other schools to enable a smooth education process for all students together within the education system in Germany.
Tertiary level (Tertiärbereich)
Tertiary level represents the German higher education system. It encompasses all higher education institutions where you can obtain an academic degree, such as universities(Universitäten) or universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen). It also includes facilities that provide advanced vocational training and study programs qualifying for professions, for example, vocational academies (Berufsakademien).
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