T E A C H E R S M E E T I N G I N U E T Z E

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

The German School System

Basic Principles

� German Constitutional Law (Grundgesetz) Art. 7: The wholeschool system is under the supervision of the state

� Federal states are the exclusive owners of the culturalsovereignity

� Have the right and the responsibility to pass any school-related decrees

� Compulsary number of school years as a full-time student: 10

� Compulsary number of school years usually ends after finishing an apprenticeship (Ausbildung) or 12 years of school

Cultural Sovereignity of the Federal States

16 federal states…

…16 school systems

Cultural Sovereignity of the Federal States

� Certain basic agreements of the states:

� Conference of the Ministers for education (Kultusministerkonferenz) decides on principles

� Still some differences among the federal states

Lower Sachsony - Niedersachsen

� The Lower SachsonySchool Law (NSchG) regulates the forms ofschools that are allowed in Lower Sachsony

� Forms of schools areformed by the entryrequirements, theirpaedagogical tenor and thepossible degrees

Lower Sachsony – School forms

General education schools(allgemeinbildende Schule)

die Grundschule,die Hauptschule,die Realschule,die Oberschule,das Gymnasium,die Gesamtschule,das Abendgymnasium,das Kolleg,die Förderschule.

Vocational schools(berufsbildende Schulen)

die Berufsschule,die Berufseinstiegsschule.die Berufsfachschule,die Fachoberschule,die Berufsoberschuledas Fachgymnasium unddie Fachschule.

Sectors

� Primary sector (Primarbereich):

�grade 1 to 4

� Secondary sector I (Sekundarbereich I):

�grade 5 to 10

� Secondary sector II (Sekundarbereich II):

� grade 11 to 12/13

Lower Sachsony

Grundschule

Gymnasium

Realschule

Hauptschule

Oberschule

(Integrierte) Gesamtschule

(most common) Degrees

� Abitur (grade 12/13)

� (erweiterter) Realschulabschluss (grade 10)

� Hauptschulabschluss (grade 9)