INCA Education around the world
Germany : Education Structure (ages 3-19)
Structure of education - diagram
Home schooling
3.1 Compulsory education
Compulsory schooling in Germany starts at the age of 6 and usually lasts around 12 or 13 years, consisting of nine years of full-time schooling (10 in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Nordrhein Westfalen) and three years of, at least, part-time schooling (or more, according to the duration of vocational training for a recognised occupation). For young people who, in the last three years of compulsory education neither attend a school to continue their general education, nor enter into the dual system of vocational training (that is, training provided at an educational establishment and in the work place), individual Länder often impose regulations to prolong their compulsory schooling, usually in some type of full-time vocational school,12 or they at least offer the option of attending a voluntary final (usually tenth) year of education to obtain additional qualifications.17
Structure of education - diagram
The diagram which follows provides a guide to the organisation of education in Germany. Users should be aware that the system and organisation varies between individual Länder.
|
|
|
|
Y |
T | ||||||||
| Ter- ti- ary edu- cat- ion |
General university system |
|
Professional |
Conti- |
| |||||||
|
| ||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||
|
19+ | ||||||||||||
|
Cert- |
Hoch- |
Fachgebunde |
|
|||||||||
|
Sec- |
Gymnasiale (for the |
Full-time |
Dual |
13 |
18 | |||||||
|
12 |
17 | |||||||||||
|
11 |
16 |
|||||||||||
|
Cert-ifi-cate |
|
|
|
Mittlerer Schul-abschluß Realschula-bschluß |
Haupts-chula-bsc-hluß |
|
| |||||
|
Sec- |
S |
Gym- |
|
|
Reals- |
|
|
10 |
15 | |||
|
Gesamtschule iv |
Hau- |
9 |
14 | |||||||||
|
8 |
13 | |||||||||||
|
7 |
12 | |||||||||||
|
|
Erprobungsstufe |
orient- |
- vii |
6 |
11 | |||||||
|
5 |
10 | |||||||||||
|
Prim-ary educ-ation |
Grundschule viii |
4 |
9 | |||||||||
|
3 |
8 | |||||||||||
|
2 |
7 | |||||||||||
|
1 |
6 | |||||||||||
|
Pre-prim-ary edu- |
Voluntary Vorklassen or Vorschulklassen to prepare children |
|
5 | |||||||||
|
Kindergarten |
4 | |||||||||||
|
3 | ||||||||||||
Bold=compulsory phase. Full-time education is compulsory for a minimum of nine years (10 in some Länder), followed by at least three years of compulsory part-time education or training.
i Full-time vocational education is available in Berufsfachschulen, Fachoberschulen and Berufliche Gymnasien/Fachgymnasien
ii Berufsschulen are vocational schools which provide part-time instruction in general and vocational subjects to trainees receiving vocational training within the dual system (that is, combined on-the-job training and part-time vocational school education).
iii The Gymnasium provides full-time, general education for students aged 10 or 12 (dependent on the Land) to around age 16, and, in the gymnasiale Oberstufe, prepares students aged 16-18+, who have reached the required standard, for the Abitur, the upper secondary leaving examination.
iv Gesamtschulen are non-selective (comprehensive) schools for students aged 10 or 12 to 15/16 (dependent on the Land), many of which are full-day schools (still relatively unusual in Germany)
v The Realschule provides general education for students aged 10 or 12 (dependent on the Land) to around 16. Originally conceived in the nineteenth century as a 'practical' alternative to the Gymnasium, the Realschule is popular because of its curriculum, which stresses maths, science and modern languages, as well as the numerous vocational courses it offers.
vi The Hauptschule is a lower secondary school, which provides 'basic general education' for students aged 10 or 12 (dependent on the Land) to 15/16 (Year 9/10 respectively). In most Länder, students remain in the Hauptschule until the end of Year 9 and can then voluntarily stay on for Year 10.
vii Years 5 and 6 of compulsory education can be organised as an orientation phase, with the choice of school career being left open until the end of year 6.
viii In some Länder the Grundschule (primary school) phase lasts for six years.
Children may not normally be educated at home, unless they cannot attend school as they are recovering from illness. Under such circumstances, children may be taught at home, by qualified teaching staff, during the period of their convalescence. Compulsory schooling involves regular attendance at lessons and other compulsory school events. Both students and parents are responsible for seeing that this obligation is met. The companies providing vocational training (in the dual system of education and training offered in upper secondary education) are also responsible for ensuring that their trainees fulfil their obligations to attend vocational school. The school headteacher checks on attendance records and can, if necessary, enforce attendance through various measures against the student, parents or the company providing vocational training.17
Students with special educational needs are also required to attend school and complete their compulsory education. This may either be in mainstream state schools or, dependent on the type and extent of their special needs, in special schools (Sonderschulen).17 See the supplement to this Archive, "Germany: special educational provision", in addition. (Simply click on the 'special' button on the top left of this page.)
Some Land authorities are beginning to allow exemptions to the compulsory schooling rule. Home schooling remains very rare in Germany, however. Where permitted, this is usually because it is considered to be in the interests of the child. 83
