In Germany, control and organisation of the education system are determined by its federal structure. Much of the responsibility for educational legislation and administration is devolved from the federal Government to the 16 Länder (federal states), which use the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs) as their main means of cooperation. In addition, local school districts are responsible for matters such as the recruitment of staff, the selection of texts and determining detailed curricular content.
Public sector schools are normally set up, organised, administered and funded by local authorities and, in principle, attendance at these establishments is free of charge.
Privately-maintained institutions exist at all levels of the education system, although the governing bodies of most private schools receive some financial support from the Länder. Such schools are generally subject to state supervision.
There are few private schools at primary level. At secondary level, there are two main types of private schools: complementary schools, which complement the range of courses on offer from public bodies and are mainly in the vocational sphere, and alternative schools, which provide general compulsory education similar to that offered in public sector schools, but fulfil their own educational mission. Many alternative schools are owned by the Catholic or Protestant churches.
In 2004, 93.5 per cent of students attended schools in the public sector.
The language of instruction is normally German. However, in some regions, there are schools which cater for minorities and use their native language as the language of instruction. For example, in Schleswig-Holstein, children belonging to the Danish minority may attend private schools where teaching takes place in Danish.
Compulsory education in Germany starts at the age of 6 and lasts around 12 or 13 years, consisting of nine years of full-time education (10 in some Länder) and three years of, at least, part-time education.
Compulsory education is organised in three phases as follows:
| Phases | Age range | Year of compulsory education |
| Primary education | 6 to 10 years (6 to 12 years in the Länder of Berlin and Brandenburg) | Years 1 to 4 (or 1 to 6) of compulsory education |
| Lower secondary education (Secondary 1) | 10 to 15/16 years (or 12 to 15/16 years) | Years 5 to 9 (or 7 to 9/10) of compulsory education |
| Upper secondary education (Secondary 2) | 15/16+ to 18/19 years | Years 10/11 to 13 of compulsory education |
Kindergarten is the traditional form of pre-school education for children between the ages of 3 and 6. Kindergärten are provided either by the State, churches, welfare organisations or private bodies and are subject to state supervision. Most receive some form of financial assistance from the State, but parents usually also have to make some contribution to the cost. In addition, care facilities for babies and children below the age of 3 are often available. Attendance at pre-school institutions is voluntary but, since 1996, all children who have reached the age of 3 have had the right to a place in a Kindergarten.
In the past, there was no state-defined pre-school curriculum. However, in 2004, the Kultusministerkonferenz agreed on a common curricular framework for pre-school education in all Länder. The framework sets out the key curricular areas to be covered, which include: language and communication, writing, mathematics, natural sciences, art, physical exercise, health education, and personal and social development.
In Germany, education is compulsory from primary to upper secondary level (ages 6 to 18 or 19). Between the ages of 15/16 and 18/19 young people are required to attend school at least on a part-time basis. Education at this level may take the form of:
The regulations regarding compulsory education in Germany apply equally to children with special educational needs, who, wherever possible, attend mainstream schools. In addition, various forms of alternative provision exist in all of the 16 Länder. One of the main alternatives includes Sonderschulen (special schools), which provide education for students from Year 1 to Year 10 (ages 6 – 16).
The school year consists of three terms and officially begins on 1st August, ending on 31st July, although the actual dates depend on the dates of the summer holidays. The Länder fix the six-week summer holidays between mid-June and mid-September in accordance with a rota system, whereby they take turns to have summer holidays earlier or later. Other holidays, decided annually by the Länder, fall in October, at Christmas and in February, as well as at Easter and in late May. The total duration of school holidays is 75 working days, plus an average of 10 public and religious holidays.
Schools open on five or six days a week (mostly mornings). The school year comprises between 188 (five-day school week) and 208 (six-day school week) days in the period from August to July. The length of the school day and week is determined by each of the Länder. Each week entails 19-29 lessons at primary school, and 28-30 lessons at secondary level. A lesson lasts 45 minutes. The average minimum number of annual teaching hours is around 698 in primary education, and from 875 to 987 depending on the school type in lower secondary education.
The half-day school is the traditional form in Germany, with schools opening from around 7.30am to 1 or 2pm (later in upper secondary education). However, in a bid to raise standards nationwide, the Government has recently provided funding to set up increased numbers of ‘all-day schools'.
In all Länder, compulsory curricula exist for all subjects in all types of compulsory school.
| Phase | Age range | Subjects studied |
| Primary education | 6 – 10 (6 – 12 in the Länder of Berlin and Brandenburg) | Includes, in most Länder: German, mathematics, Sachunterricht (interdisciplinary subject providing an introduction to economics, social studies, history, geography, science and technology), art, sport, music and, increasingly, a modern foreign language from around Year 3 (ages 8-9). |
| Lower secondary education | 10 to 15/16 years (or 12 to 15/16 years, depending on the Land) | Subjects vary between Land and school type, but usually include: German, mathematics, social studies, history, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, art, music, sport and one or more modern foreign languages. |
| Upper secondary education | 15/16+ to 18/19 years | The curriculum followed depends on the type of institution a student attends and the course he or she is studying. |
Religious education is usually included as part of the curriculum in public sector schools. Parents have the right to decide whether their children should receive religious instruction although, from the age of 14, students make the decision themselves. Where students do not participate in religious education, they are usually taught ethics as an alternative subject.
Civics education (Sozialkunde) is included as a compulsory subject in the curricula of all Länder, as a subject in its own right and as part of other subjects.
All students in the final year of compulsory full-time education (usually aged 14 -15) generally receive some form of careers education/guidance. This may involve classes taken by specially trained careers advisers. In addition, in the lower secondary Hauptschule, students also study Arbeitslehre, which aims to provide a basic knowledge of industry and the world of work, and to improve students' ability to select a suitable occupation. The subject is supplemented by information visits to commercial and industrial enterprises and by two periods of work experience lasting several weeks.
Textbooks are produced by commercial publishers and approved by the Länder for use in schools. The Länder prescribe the cost, content, format and quality of textbooks and produce an approved textbooks list. Teachers are free to select from this list the books they wish to use in class. Schools usually loan textbooks to students free of charge.
There is no formal, national system of assessment during pre-school education. However, children are monitored and only allowed to progress to primary school at age 6 if they have reached an appropriate level of development. If children are not judged ready for primary school at this stage, they may be required to attend special preparatory classes, known as Vorklassen or Vorschulklassen.
There is similarly no formal, national system of assessment in compulsory education, although continuous teacher assessment is a common feature of classroom life, and there is agreement between the Länder on the use of a standard six-point marking scale and on the recognition of school leaving certificates.
A 2003 agreement will also see the introduction of common educational standards, setting out levels of competence which students are expected to achieve in certain subject areas at particular points during compulsory education.
Generally, in all forms of compulsory education in Germany, student performance is reported twice a year, at the end of the first half of the school year and at the end of the school year.
There is no compulsory examination at the end of primary education nor, in most Länder, at the end of compulsory, full-time lower secondary education. However, there are leaving certificates from some types of lower secondary school, which grant access to certain types of upper secondary education.
The main academic qualification on completion of upper secondary education is the Abitur, which allows successful students to progress to higher education. Successful completion of many of the vocational courses offered in vocational schools at upper secondary level either enables students to enter higher education or to practise a particular profession.
Teacher training courses are provided in universities and other higher education establishments and are usually divided into two stages, a course of higher education, followed by a period of practical teacher training. The curricular content of courses depends on the level and type of education for which the trainee teacher is preparing. At the end of the higher education course, trainee teachers take the First State Examination, which entitles those who succeed to progress to the practical stage. Practical teacher training concludes with the Second State Examination, which is the pre-requisite for employment as a teacher, although successful completion does not guarantee a teaching position.