Germany and its

School System

Björn Hennings (Director, International Programs)

History • Structure • Challenges

Germany and its School System

Outline

1. Germany: Facts and Figures

2. Germany: The Political System

3. A Brief History of Schoolingin Germany

4. Two Shocks and theirAftermath

5. The Situation Today

6. Schools and Migrants in Bayern and Berlin

1. Germany: Facts and Figures

1914

1937

Germany: 1937 and 1950

19371950

Germany: 1950 and 1990

19901950

Germany: Facts and Figures

Germany compared to North Carolina:

Size and Population

Size: Germany: 137,847 sq mi NC: 53,819 sq mi

Length: Germany: 550 mi NC: 560 mi

Germany compared to North Carolina:

Latitude and Longitude

Germany: Facts and Figures

Inhabitants:

81.3 m inhabitants

11.3 % citizens with migration

background

8.9 % non citizens

Economy: 4th largest in the world (GDP)

Major Cities:

Berlin 3.5 m (28 % migrants)

Hamburg 1.8 m (30 % migrants)

München 1.4 m (34 % migrants)

Köln 1.0 m (31 % migrants)

Population Pyramid: Germany and the US

USA 2014Germany

2015

Citizens with migration background

Foreigners

Germany: Population with Migration

Background

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

0-5 5-10 10-20 15-20 20-25 25-35 35-45 45-55 55-65 65-75 75-85 85-95

2014

2. Germany: The Political System

Federal Republic

16 Federal States (Länder)

five „new states“ (former GDR)

three city states (Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen)

Less sovereign than US states

federal judicial system, tax system, traffic laws

education is under state jurisdiction

Representative Democracy

Two chambers: Bundestag and Bundesrat

Bundestag -- federal parliament

elected through proportional system with 5% threshhold

Bundesrat – states’ chamber, elected by states’ parliaments

proportional to state population

Germany: The Parliamentary System

Bundestag

Main legislature

Elects chancelor, who cannot be forced

to step down unless a replacement is elected

Currently four parties in the Bundestag:

CDU/CSU: conservative, christian (41.5%)

SPD: social-democratic, 150 years old (25.7%)

The Left: socialist, popular in former GDR (8.6%)

The Greens: environmentally oriented (8.4%)

Bundesrat

Has to approve laws that affect states’ budgets or organization, laws

that change the constitution

Germany: The Parliamentary System

Bundestag

Bundesrat

Chancellor

• Angela Merkel

• Head of the Government

President

• Joachim Gauck

• Head of State

• No executive power, has to sign the laws

• Represents the country

• Elected by gathering of Bundestag and

same number of states‘ representatives

3. A Brief History of Schooling in

GermanyThe Beginning of the Modern School System

Monastic Schools since the 6th century

Latin Schools since the 9th century, later “Gymnasium”

City schools with German as language of instruction since late middle ages

Since 1763 compulsory schooling for all children between ages 5 and 13 in

Prussia in state supported Volksschulen (half day, teaching in shifts and seasonal

teaching)

In the early 19th century introduction of the ”Humanistisches Gymnasium”

based on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy

Realschule as third vertical type of school added during the first half of the 19th

century

In the second half of the 19th century the half day time structure of schooling

slowly expanded from the Gymnasium to all schools for a variety of reasons

The Implementation of the German

School System in the Weimar Republic

The Weimar Constitution of 1919

Germany becomes a democratic republic

Regulated the division of responsibility for education between state, family

and churches: The state has responsibility for school education, private

schools are an exception and only allowed under state control.

The School Law of 1920

Introduction of the obligatory 4-year elementary school (Grundschule)

Final implementation of the tripartite half-day school system for secondary

schools: Volksschule, Realschule and Gymnasium.

Final implementation of the dual secondary education with professional

schools (Berufsschulen) and apprenticeship on the one hand and the Gymnasium

that led to the Abitur as precondition for university study.

German Schools under the Third Reich

The Takeover of the National Socialists in January 1933

Ended the republic and democracy.

The NS state formally accepted the division of responsibility for

education between state, family and churches.

De facto it took over all responsibility for education.

Jewish children and children from other “unwanted” groups (for ethnic,

political or social reasons) were either excluded from school education (Jews) or

severely limited in their choices and options.

Jewish, communist, socialist, social democratic and liberal teachers were

dismissed.

During the Second World War

More and more schools were destroyed during the Allied air raids; less and less

children went to school. This was a challenging burden after 1945.

Two German School Systems after 1945

Division of Germany in two states in

1949 West Germany (FRG)

East Germany (GDR)

A Divided School System developed on both sides against a two- or

threefold demarcation Third Reich (East and West)

Communism (West) / Capitalism (East)

Allied influence (West)

Two Weimar Traditions

FRG: Weimar mainstream: tripartite half day

system, school responsible for Bildung;

family for Erziehung

GDR: Weimar reform: comprehensive half-

day school (Einheitsschule, 10 years) with

complementary all-day childcare

Mittlere Reife

Intermediate

certificate

Abitur

University

Qualification Exam

West German School System in 1955

Volksschule Hauptschule

General Secondary School

74 %

Real-

schule

Inter-

mediate

Secon-

dary

School

9 %

Gymnasium

Academic

Secondary

School

16 %

GrundschuleElementary School

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Sonder-

schule

Special

EducationHauptschulabschluss – General Certificate

Lehre / Berufsschule

“Dual System”

Apprenticeship and Vocational School

The First ShockOctober 4, 1957: USSR launched Sputnik

Diagnosis: Educational Catastrophe:

Die deutsche Bildungskatastrophe

(Georg Picht, 1964)

Educational Reform was Needed

Primary schools remain as local as possible

Increased enrollment in Gymnasien

Since early 1970s large comprehensive schools as

experimental schools (Gesamtschule)

Disapproved in large parts of middle class and by

conservatives (CDU/CSU)

Result: four tier school system in Länder governed

by SPD

4. Two Shocks and their Aftermath

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

19551965

19751985

19952005

2015

Volks-/Hauptschule

Realschule

Gymnasium

Gesamtschule

Students by Type of School, 1955-2015West Germany /Germany

22

The Second ShockPISA 2000 (Programme for International Student Assessment)

Current Structure

Germany was behind the US in all areas.

23

Reform – Reform – Reform

Current Structure

An intensive public debate called for: Centralisation and standardisation

Reformed practices, such as autonomous and cooperative

learning

... resulted in several reform initiatives:

Since 2000: All federal states except for one introduced central

final exams. All three core subjects (Englisch, German, Math)

have to be studied, two have to be taken in the exam.

2002: Introduction of national standards of education in

Secondary I

Since 2007/08: Standardized comparative tests in grades 3, 6

and 8 (English, German, Math)

2013: Introduction of national standards of education in

Secondary II

24

Reform – Reform – Reform

Current Structure

Competence orientation of curriculum

(competences instead of fixed content) meant to

create leeway for local solutions.

Introduction of individual and cooperative learning

to foster learning skills, autonomy and deal with

heterogenity.

Language sensitive content teaching and special

support for migrant children.

Support programs to increase percentage of minority

teachers.

Introduction of inclusion and programs to gear

schools up to it.

Moves towards individualization and

inclusion:

25

5. The Situation Today

Current Structure

PISA 2012 (Programme for International Student Assessment)

26

Elementary Schools

Small comprehensive schools (200 –

400 students)

Grades 1 – 4 (Berlin and Brandenburg

1– 6)

Students enroll at age 6

Individual, cooperative, inclusive

learning

3 Rs + Science + Arts + 1st FL

After last year, recommendation for

secondary school based on grades and

exams

3.2% of elementary schools not state

run (without Waldorf schools)

Homeschooling not allowed

Current Structure

27

Lower Secondary School

Grades 5 – 10

Traditionally three tiered system

Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium

Development towards two tiers in most

states:

Gymnasium and less academic secondary

school (different names: Stadtteilschule,

Sekundarschule, Mittelschule, etc.)

Exam at the end of 10th grade

Torn between standardisation and

individualisation

Stretched to their limits because of inclusion

Different possibilities to move on after 10th

Current Structure

28

Upper Secondary School

Abitur at the end of year 12 or 13

Two courses at advanced level, remaining

courses at basic level; grades in two final years

count towards Abitur; final exam in four

subjects; project exam in previous year

A lot less diverse, fosters students’ autonomy

much less than previously because of focus on

core subjects and central final exams

Fachabitur at the end of year 12 (vocational Abitur)

Entrance exam to technical college or

vocational specific study at university

Apprenticeship and vocational school

Dual education: school alongside

apprenticeship; 1-2 school days/week or as

blocks between periods on the job; practical,

theoretical, general classes; apprentice exam

Current Structure

The School

System in

Bayern

30% 38% 32%

Schools and Migrants in Bayern

Students by type of school

13%

25%

63%

Non-Migrants

Mittel-/ Hauptschule

Realschule

Gymnasium

50%

22%

28%Migrants

Mittel-/Hauptschule Realschule

GymnasiumTotal

52%

82%90%

81%

48%

18%

10%19%

Non-Migrants Migrants

Schools by migrant status of

their students

Hauptschulabschluss /Mittlere Reife

Lower or Middle Level

Qualification Exam

Sonder-

schule

Special

Education

Abitur

University

Qualification Exam

Gymnasium

Academic Secondary School

43%

(of students in 7 – 10)

Lehre / Berufsschule

“Dual System”

Apprenticeship and Vocational School

The School System in Berlin

Integrierte Sekundarschule

Integrated Secondary School

57 %

GrundschuleElementary School

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Schools and Migrants in Berlin

Students by type of school Schools by migrant status of

their students

33%

67%

Migrants

48%

52%

Non-Migrants

Gymnasium

IntegrierteSekundarschule

Grades 7 - 10

Gymnasium IntegrierteSekundarschule

73%

59%

27%

41%

Non-Migrant Migrant

33

Conclusion: The Challenges

Current Structure

Has selectivity been reduced? Yes and no.

The rural catholic girl was the problem in the 1960s. She is no longer.

Girls perform better, even in science.

This does not lead to equality in the workplace. CEOs: 6%, middle management: 38%

The metropolitan minority boy needs support today.

Socio-economic status predicts success in the system: (only 16% of blue-collar children

acquire college entrance compared to 60% of civil cervants and 50% of white-collar workers).

Still bias against migrant children: (30% migrants in metropolitan regions but they make up

only 20% of Abitur-exams, 33,5% of apprentices; they write 20% more applications; they

make up 25% of start-ups.

Whether our approach to inclusion is right, nobody can tell a the moment.

34Current Structure

Conclusion: The Challenge

Poor kids! You have to go to the stupid school

every day!

Yes, to the Hauptschule. And the rich kids go to the

Gymnasium!