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
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: 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
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!