THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF GERMANY

PRESCHOOL – KINDERKRIPPE AND KINDERGARTEN

-between eight weeks and three years

-between three and six years

PRIMARY EDUCATION

● primary school ( state school)● Waldorf School● Montessori method school

SECONDARY EDUCATION

options for secondary schooling

● GESAMTSCHULE ( comprehensive school)● REALSCHULE● HAUPTSCHULE● MITTELSCHULE● (combination of REALSCHULE and

HAUPTSCHULE)● GYMNASIUM

HAUPTSCHULE

until grade 9

final qualification:

HAUPTSCHULABSCHLUSS

QUALIFIZIERENDER HAUPTSCHULABSCHLUSS

REALSCHULE

until grade 10

final qualification:

Realschulabschluss ( Mittlere Reife)

MITTELSCHULE

a combination of Realschule and Hauptschule

● grade 5/6 orientation phase

● grade 7 – split up into● Realschulklasse-

Hauptschulklasse

GYMNASIUM

GYMNASIALE OBERSTUFE

FACHGYMNASIUM/ BERUFLICHES GYMNASIUM

until grade 12 or 13

final qualification:

Abitur / Hochschulreife

( qualifying for university)

BERUFSSCHULE ( VOCATIONAL SCHOOL)

two, three or three-and-a-half year apprenticeship

normally: twice a week – Berufsschule

the other days – working at a company

SCHOOL YEAR

● starts after the summer break● two terms● 12 weeks of holidays ( + public holidays)

TIMETABLES● 30 to 45 periods of 45 minutes each per week● ( 90 minutes lessons = Block)● breaks of 5 to 10 minutes after each period● lunch break of 25 to 90 minutes● about 12 compulsory subjects: physics, biology,

chemistry, mathematics, art, history, music, German, geography, PE, religious education/ ethics, social studies

● languages: English, French, Russian, Latin, Spanish...