Educational System

The German school system as such is comparatively old since compulsory schooling was first introduced in 1717. The school system as it is today dates back to the 1960/70s when the existing system underwent some major changes. Being an industrial country with almost no raw materials Germany is largely dependent on a skilled labour force and therefore invests heavily in education.

All children start school when they are six years old and attend primary school (Grundschule) for four years. In some "Bundesländer" (federal states), for example Berlin and Brandenburg, primary school lasts six years. According to their talents and preferences children then go to one of the following post primary schools: Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium, or Gesamtschule.

All students attending a post-primary school have to learn at least one foreign language. Most students learn English, a few start off with French and some with Russian. (Russian used to be the main foreign language in the former German Democratic Republic before the unification). Unlike Irish students German students do not wear a school uniform and attend school only in the mornings. In post-primary schools students have to to repeat a year if their marks are far below the average in two of their subjects. This dreaded rule applies, for example, if a student gets the equivalent of two Es or one F in his/her end of year report. (German marks range from 1 (very good) to 6 (unsatisfactory).

The Hauptschule (main school) is geared towards students who want to do an apprenticeship (Lehre) when they have finished school. Thus the main emphasis is put on teaching practical skills and the practical application of the theoretical knowledge acquired in the various subjects. Students attend the Hauptschule for six years and finish by acquiring a certificate called Hauptschulabschluss.

The Realschule (intermediate school) offers a broader general education than the Hauptschule. Students have, for instance, the option to learn a second foreign language. Generally speaking the individual subjects are studied in greater depth and students are expected to work more independently than in the Hauptschule. In comparison to the Gymnasium, however, the Realschule offers a more vocationally oriented education.

Students who go to the Gymnasium (grammar school) attend school for nine years before doing their final exam which is called Abitur. The Gymnasium is aimed at students who want to study at a university (Universität) or technical college (Fachhochschule). Thus considerable emphasis is put on academic learning and a large variety of subjects are taught. After the first six years the students can specialise in certain areas (humanities, science, etc.). In comparison to the Hauptschule and the Realschule students of a Gymnasium are expected to be fairly self-motivated. Because the Gymnasium lasts for nine years and German children start school later than their Irish counterparts German school leavers tend to be two to three years older than Irish ones.

In 1969 a new type of school, the Gesamtschule (comprehensive school), was introduced. The Gesamtschule basically corresponds to Irish Comprehensive Schools, but it has not been adopted universally in Germany. One reason for this is that the various "Länder" have a say in what kind of schools and what form of schooling they want to promote. All of the 16 Bundesländer in Germany have their own Ministry for Education and can exercise a certain freedom in regard to the school system of the Bundesland. Bundesländer with a traditionally more conservative government have been less enthusiastic about introducing the Gesamtschule than others. In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, for instance, there are only three Gesamtschulen. In North-Rhine Westfalia, however, there are 203 comprehensive schools.

Although the Ministers of Education have had to agree on a basic system which all of the Länder have to adhere to the regional differences are considerable. In Bavaria ,for example, the Abitur resembles the Higher Leaving Certificate in so far as the exams are set by the Ministry and all students sit them on the same day. In North-Rhine Westfalia the teachers of each school set the exam for their subjects themselves. Thus at different schools different exams are taken in the same subject.

These are only some of the many differences which exist in the various Bundesländer. The reasons for the differences are the varying regional traditions. The advantage of this variety is that it allows for a certain diversity in culture.

Since the turn of the last century there have been a number of well-known alternative schools in Germany. Two of the longest standing are the Waldorf-Schule and the Montessori-Schulen which offer both primary and post-primary schooling. The alternative schools in Germany are private and therefore fee-paying schools. However, they are not elitist and basically open to everyone.

Currently there are about 1 million non-German students attending schools in Germany. Since their number has constantly risen over the years some adaptations have been made. Children who were not born in Germany or whose parents do not speak German at home sometimes have problems with the German language and need extra lessons (Förderunterricht) in order to improve their oral and writing skills.

Foreigners whose children are born and raised in Germany are often concerned that their children are losing their cultural roots. So children with non-German parents have the right to some tuition in the mother tongue of their parents, and German schools provide extra lessons for them in languages like Turkish, Polish, etc..

Students with a disability usually attend a Sonderschule (special school). There are various kinds of special schools which specialise in different kinds of disability (e.g. schools for the deaf, for children with speech defects, etc.). However, many people are now favouring the idea of educating disabled children with non-disabled children, and many normal and special schools have started to work together. These are termed "cooperative forms of school". Depending on the disability a disabled child can now also attend a normal school.