Schule

Germany's school system is perhaps in some ways more complex than the various systems found in the United States. A German child will start, like an American child, by going to Kindergarten, but already at this level the German system is somewhat different. The German Kindergarten covers the range of the American Kindergarten, but in addition covers much of what in America is called preschool. While Kindergarten in the United States is usually one year (for a half-day in the better American school systems, otherwise for a full day), a German child may attend Kindergarten for two or three years of half-days, starting at a somewhat younger age than the typical American Kindergartner.

Next comes the Grundschule, the German version of grade school, grammar school, or elementary school. All children attend the Grundschule in the same manner from grades one through four. After fourth grade, teachers make a comprehensive evaluation of each student, including, but not limited to, thorough standardized testing. After this evaluation, a decision is made about which school the child will attend for fifth grade.

There are three common options for school after the Grundschule: the Hauptschule, the Realschule, and the Gymnasium. The Hauptschule includes grades five through nine; some students there will attend an additional optional grade ten. The goal of the Hauptschule is to prepare a student to successfully enter an apprenticeship program and become a Lehrling in a trade or profession. Students who do well in the Hauptschule occasionally transfer to a Realschule.

The Realschule includes grades five through ten, and aims to prepare students for further technical study at variety of institutions, usually called Fachhochschulen. Some students finishing the Realschule may instead choose to become Lehrlinge, and others may seek to enter a Gymnasium.

A Gymnasium included, until recently, grades five through thirteen. Now, however, many of Germany's sixteen Bundesländer have restructured their school systems so that the Gymnasium is grades five through twelve. The years at the Gymnasium are divided into two phases: after tenth grade, students are considered to be in the Oberstufe. Students who complete the Gymnasium go on to undergo a grueling set of examinations called the Abitur. An American student can complete high school and a four-year degree at a university without undergoing a test as rigorous as the Abitur. It lasts for several days, and includes written and spoken examinations on a variety of subjects. After the Abitur, students usually begin studying at a Universität , but some will choose to become Lehrlinge instead.

The typical school day, at any of the various schools mentioned above, often ends earlier than an American school day. Many German children will have lunch at home, school having ended perhaps shortly after noon. After fourth grade, each day of the week will have different classes, and some days end later than others. A student may be done with school at 12:30 one day, but 1:30 the next day. For those students attending a Gymnasium which has made the transition to a twelve-year program instead of a thirteen-year program, the school days may be a bit longer, as they have to cram the same amount of curriculum into a smaller number of years. The school day usually includes a Pause and a Große Pause, somewhat like a coffee break in an American office, not long enough for a meal, but rather merely a snack and a chance to go outside for a few minutes.

Other types of school in Germany include a Gesamtschule, which is a blending of a Hauptschule, a Realschule, and a Gymnasium in one building; a Sonderschule which is a school for students with special needs; and a Ganztagsschule is a school which keeps students busy until late in the afternoon instead of letting them out earlier. A Ganztagschule may have a Mittagspause, offering lunch either in a school cafeteria, or at a nearby Imbiß. A Waldorfschule offers an alternative style of education, based on the methods of Rudolf Steiner.

Some Gymnasien specialize in a few subjects, while others offer a larger variety. A altsprachlicher Zug is a series of courses which emphasizes ancient languages like Latin and Greek. A neusprachlicher Zug emphasizes modern languages like English and French. In any case, a German student will usually have two or three foreign languages. A naturwissenschaftlicher Zug centers on the natural sciences like chemistry and physics. All students in Germany attend religious instruction at their public schools. Because of Germany's strong belief in the freedom of religion, a student can choose which type of religious instruction she or he attends. For Christians, classes are offered either by a Roman Catholic church or a Protestant church; for Jews, a local rabbi will offer instruction on behalf of the synagogue; for Muslims, an Imam or a Mullah will instruct. Likewise, Buddhists or Hindus will receive instructions regarding their faiths. Students who refuse to take any form of religious instruction may attend a class in ethics instead.

Students participate in Klassenausflüge, which are like American field trips to local sites. A Klassenreise is a bigger and longer trip, and may last several days.

The school year includes more vacations in Germany than in America. German students may get a week or two at Pentecost for Pfingstferien. Although there are more vacations in the German schools than in the American, the total number of schools days is similar, corresponding to the fact that the German schools have a much shorter summer vacation to compensate for the more frequent vacations during the school year.