What is education like in Germany?

Education in Germany is excellent, students obtain high marks, motivated by educational institutions that impart knowledge and promote strategies for the training of successful people, capable of facing the challenges of an increasingly competitive field of work.

Characteristics of Education in Germany

In Germany education is compulsory, school-age children must attend public or private school, home schooling is not allowed, unless it is a student with special medical conditions.

In general, education in Germany begins at an early age, as parents of children under 6 years of age often send them to childcare centers, before entering the formal school system.

The school year in the German educational institutes is divided into two semesters, the summer holidays last 6 weeks and in the Christmas period, the students enjoy 2 weeks of rest.

The grading system responds to a scale that goes from 1 to 6, where the minimum passing is 3 points.

In the German nation there are schools called Förderschule which children suffering from a disability, physical or mental, can attend.

The Education System in Germany has international support, represented by the schools called Auslandsschulen, which remain within the German educational method.

These institutions are located abroad, they teach children of German origin and natives of the host country.

Primary Education or GRUNDSCHULE

In the primary education stage, children remain in a common course until the fourth grade. In this period they learn to read, write and count.

Then, at the end of the fourth grade, the student’s abilities are evaluated and the teacher recommends which of the schools is most recommended for them to continue their studies.

As the next step in the child’s education, the teacher recommends the alternative for them to continue their studies, which can be 4 or 6 courses.

This choice is presented to the student after analyzing important aspects such as the student’s personality, academic performance, as well as other specific abilities and skills.

Children finish the primary stage at 10 or 12 years depending on the option that is taken. At the end of primary education, no diploma is awarded.

Secondary Education

In the German Education System, secondary school is taken according to the academic level that has been maintained. Educational institutes are divided into Gymnasium, Realschule and Hauptschule.

The Gymnasium is one of the types of secondary education where, after 6 years of studies, an Abitur degree is awarded, with which you can opt for a university quota.

The Realschule is the option where the student graduates two years earlier than in the Gymnasium, in these institutes the Mittlere Reife title is obtained, with which they can access technical professional education.

The Hauptschule is a secondary training school, when this stage is completed, the student is allowed access to basic vocational education.

There is a fourth option, the educational centers called Gesamtschule, which does not separate the students, since it offers an educational program that covers the subjects together, while providing different levels of learning.

When the Realschule (after 100) and the Hauptschule (after 90) are completed, all students complement their education with training that includes learning a trade. In addition to this, they can alternate school attendance with the performance of the occupation learned.

English is the only foreign language that is compulsory learned in secondary school in the first years, then you can choose between Latin, Spanish, French, Russian or Italian.

There is no doubt that education in Germany is very well founded and can be taken as an example. Thanks to this, young people and adolescents can enter the labor field well prepared. If you liked the content of this article, find more interesting content on this topic on our blog and share.