Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb):
The education system in Germany

Interactive graphics – The German education system – Benjamin Erfurth (23.07.2013) © bpb

Presenting the German education system is not that easy, especially since, strictly speaking, there is no German education system. Because the federal states are responsible for educational policy in Germany. There are some differences between the federal states in the design of the general school system, but also in the other educational areas. It’s worth taking a closer look.

Compulsory schooling

Compulsory schooling generally begins in the year of sixth birthday. From this age onwards, all children are legally obliged to attend school. In exceptional cases, however, a school-age child can be postponed from starting school for one year, namely if it is found not to be “fit for school” in the course of a school medical examination. As a rule, compulsory schooling extends up to the age of 18 and consists of two parts: The so-called full-time compulsory schooling comprises nine, in some federal states even ten years of attendance at a general school.

Educational areas and educational institutions / courses

The education system consists of five major areas of education: pre-primary, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and tertiary level. Each of these educational areas in turn comprises different educational institutions or courses. Elementary level With the crèche, kindergarten, day care and pre-school classes at elementary schools, the elementary area includes the care and educational offers for children aged a few months up to school entry. Visiting these facilities is not compulsory in Germany. Nevertheless, early childhood education has now become an integral part of the educational biography: nationwide, over 90 percent of 3- to 6-year-olds attend a day-care center. In contrast, the childcare quota for children under 3 is much lower at just over 20 percent. But here, too, demand has risen steadily in recent years. From 2013 onwards, every child who is one year old has a legal right to a childcare place.

Primary education

With the onset of compulsory schooling, children enter primary education. The primary school comprises grades 1 to 4 (in some federal states, grades 1 to 6) and is the only educational institution that is attended by almost all students together. At the end of primary school, a school career recommendation for the secondary level is made on the basis of school grades (and possibly other criteria such as learning and work behavior). In most federal states this is not binding. However, depending on the federal state, when choosing a type of school that is not recommended, the pupils usually have to pass an entrance examination and / or pass a probationary period at the chosen school.

Lower secondary education

In the lower secondary level, the education system is divided into different types of schools or courses of study, which are taught according to different curricula. In the Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium, lessons are generally based on a specific qualification. School types with two courses offer both the main and the Realschule course; at school types with three courses (also called cooperative or additive comprehensive schools) there is also a high school course. At integrated comprehensive schools, on the other hand, the pupils do not attend any particular course. Instead, you can choose between courses with different levels of difficulty in the individual subjects – so-called remedial, basic and extension courses. At the end of lower secondary level, a general school-leaving certificate can be obtained in all types of schools and courses. This certifies the skills and abilities acquired in school in a certificate and entitles – depending on the degree – to attend various further educational institutions in upper secondary level.

Upper secondary education

Upper secondary level includes general and vocational full-time schools as well as vocational training in the dual system. Which of these educational institutions are open to a young person depends to a large extent on which school leaving certificate he or she has obtained: The main school leaving certificate qualifies primarily for taking up dual vocational training. To do this, however, the young people first have to find an apprenticeship in a company. If this does not succeed – and this applies to a considerable proportion of school leavers with a secondary school leaving certificate – the young people, especially since they are still of compulsory schooling, have to complete a vocational preparation measure in the transition system. For young people with a secondary school leaving certificate (MSA), the range of options is significantly greater. In addition to dual vocational training, the MSA also enables full-time school-based vocational training and – in some cases subject to a certain average grade – opens up access to the various types of vocational secondary school (FOS, BOS, technical high school) and the upper level. In the dual and full-time school-based vocational training, you obtain a professional qualification that qualifies you to take up a specific job. The other (also professionally oriented) courses lead to the general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or the advanced technical college entrance qualification, and thus entitle the holder to take up a degree in the tertiary sector. However, a considerable proportion of young people who have obtained a university entrance qualification also take up dual or full-time school-based vocational training.

Special schools (primary level, lower secondary level I and upper secondary level II)

In an international comparison, a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs in Germany are taught outside the general school system. Depending on the federal state, there are up to eleven different types of special schools (e.g. special schools for the deaf, blind, speech-impaired, learning disabled), which in some federal states are also called special schools, support centers or schools for the disabled. More than three quarters of all special needs students leave school without a secondary school leaving certificate. In 2009 Germany ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. Article 24 of this international agreement obliges the contracting states to guarantee an “inclusive” education system. In this context, it is required that children with and without disabilities should be taught together in general schools.

Tertiary education

The tertiary sector includes universities, technical colleges and other types of universities that lead to an academic degree. Your degree qualifies you to take up employment and entitles you to pursue a doctorate above a certain average grade. On the other hand, the tertiary sector includes institutions that offer professional courses and institutions of professional (further) education. The vocational academies provide a science-related and at the same time practice-oriented vocational training in the form of dual study programs. Your visit requires a training or employment contract with a company. Health care schools provide training for non-academic health care professions (e.g. nurses, midwives, masseurs). As a rule, they can only be attended after the age of 18 and usually require relevant vocational training or the successful attendance of a school institution preparing for the training. Technical schools, on the other hand, serve for further professional development. They require completed vocational training as well as work experience and conclude with the state examination to become a technician. The same admission requirements also apply to the further training to become a master and industrial foreman carried out by the chambers. With these vocational training qualifications, the university entrance qualification is also obtained.

Source:
Federal Agency for Civic Education – bpb.de – Benjamin Edelstein (23.07.2013) – Benjamin Edelstein (23.07.2013)

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