German students typically study five days a week, Monday to Friday, with lessons lasting between 20 and 30 hours. Homework is non-negotiable, with an average of 2 hours per day. The Goethe Institute provides guidelines for the hours of instruction needed, with A1 being approximately 60-150 hours and A2 being around 150-260 hours.
All children in the Federal Republic of Germany must start school at the age of six until they complete nine years of full-time schooling at the university. German students attend school for 187-190 days in an academic year, depending on the state. They only get a six-week summer vacation, but they have more compulsory education.
German students attend school in the morning, with classes starting between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. and ending between 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. Class periods are usually 45 minutes long with a short break in the afternoon. Students study a broad range of subjects at a high standard, including two compulsory foreign languages (often English, French).
Homework is considered very important in Germany, and the school day is structured to allow students to complete it and gain extra help or support where necessary. Even in primary school, students spend at least half an hour on homework every day (known as Hausaufgaben).
The course workload in German 2 is estimated to take 5-7 hours per week, with a typical week involving 25-30 study hours. The ECTS credits system is beneficial for students wanting to study abroad as they can easily transfer their studies.
In summary, German students have a rigorous education system that includes both early childhood schooling and formal education for all children aged 6 to 18. While kindergarten is optional, formal education is compulsory for all children aged 6 to 18.
📹 The German School System | Meet The Germans
Do you know your “Gymnasium” from your “Gesamtschule”? The German school system is certainly complicated. For this week’s …
What country has the shortest school day?
The school day in Finland is relatively brief, with an average duration of approximately five hours. In contrast, students in Brazil frequently do not receive homework assignments, which is the shortest school day on average.
Is 1.4 A good grade in Germany?
This tool helps convert grades earned in countries other than Germany using the “modified Bavarian formula” as stipulated by the resolution of the Kultusministerkonferenz. The result is equivalent to the student’s grade in the German grading system, where 1. 0 is the maximum grade and 4. 0 is the minimum passing grade. The tool is intended for a first orientation and is not binding. The results are not binding.
Can I work 40 hours a week in Germany?
The German Working Time Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz) is the primary legal framework governing working hours in Germany, aiming to protect employees’ health and safety by regulating their working time and ensuring adequate rest periods. The Act applies to most employees, including full-time and part-time workers, with specific exceptions for certain professions and industries. It sets clear rules on the maximum working hours per day and week, mandatory rest breaks, and special provisions for certain types of work.
The Act’s main goal is to prevent excessive working hours that could lead to fatigue, stress, and health issues. By setting legal limits, the Act ensures employees have enough time to rest and recover, promoting overall well-being and productivity. With the extension to 10 hours per day, employees can temporarily work up to 60 hours per week as long as the average over six months remains within the legal limits.
How long is a lesson in Germany?
Every state has its own school system, with each age group of students forming one or more grades or classes ( Klassen) per school. These grades remain the same for elementary school, orientation school, orientation phase, and secondary school. Changes can be made when there is a choice of subjects, such as additional languages, and classes will be split or newly merged either temporarily or permanently for that particular subject.
Students usually sit at tables, not desks, and sometimes arrange in a semicircle or another geometric or functional shape. During exams, the tables are sometimes arranged in columns with one pupil per table to prevent cheating. There is usually no school uniform or dress code, but some schools are testing school uniforms, which mostly consist of a normal sweater/shirt and jeans of a certain color, sometimes with the school’s symbol on it. It is a common custom to design graduation class shirts in Gymnasium, Realschule, and Hauptschule.
School usually starts between 7. 30 a. m. and 8:15 a. m. and can finish as early as 12; instruction in lower classes almost always ends before lunch. In higher grades, afternoon lessons are very common and periods may have longer gaps without teacher supervision between them. Some all-day schools ( Ganztagsschulen) offer classes or mainly-supervised activities throughout the afternoons to offer supervision for the students rather than increasing teaching hours. Afternoon lessons can continue until 6 o’clock.
In German state schools, lessons have a length of exactly 45 minutes, and each subject is usually taught for two to three periods every week. The beginning of every period and, usually, break is announced with an audible signal such as a bell. Exams are always supervised and usually essay-based, with most exams in the first grades of secondary schools usually span no more than 90 minutes.
Pupils study one foreign language (in most cases English) for at least five years at every type of school. In Gymnasium, students can choose from a wider range of languages (mostly English, French, Russian—mostly in east German Bundesländer—or Latin) as the first language in 5th grade, and a second mandatory language in 7th grade. Some types of Gymnasium also require an additional third language (such as Spanish, Italian, Russian, Latin or Ancient Greek) or an alternative subject (usually based on one or two other subjects).
In Germany, students over 14 years old are allowed to leave the school compound during breaks, but teachers or school personnel often prevent younger students from leaving early and strangers from entering without permission. Tidying up the classroom and schoolyard is often the responsibility of students themselves, with some schools having student volunteer mediators trained to resolve conflicts between classmates or younger students. Few schools have actual sports teams that compete with other schools, and even if the school has a sports team, students are not necessarily very aware of it.
Student newspapers used to be very common until the late 20th century, but many are now short-lived and financed mostly by advertisements. Schools don’t often have their own radio stations or TV channels, but larger universities often have a local student-run radio station. Most German schools and state universities do not have classrooms equipped with computers for each student, but most schools usually have at least one or two computer rooms and most universities offer a limited number of rooms with computers on every desk. Internet access is often provided by phone companies free of charge.
At the end of their schooling, students usually undergo a cumulative written and oral examination (Abitur in Gymnasien or Abschlussprüfung in Realschulen and Hauptschulen). After 10th grade, Gymnasium students may leave school for at least one year of job education if they do not wish to continue. Realschule and Hauptschule students who have passed their Abschlussprüfung may decide to continue schooling at a Gymnasium, but are sometimes required to take additional courses to catch up. Corporal punishment was banned in 1949 in East Germany and 1973 in West Germany.
The school year starts after the summer break and is divided into two terms. There are typically 12 weeks of holidays in addition to public holidays, with other holiday periods occurring in spring and autumn. In some states, schools can also schedule two or three special days off per term. Students have about 30-40 periods of 45 minutes each per week, depending on year and state. There are about 12 compulsory subjects: up to three foreign languages, physics, biology, chemistry, civics/social/political studies, history, geography, mathematics, music, visual arts, German, physical education, and religious education/ethics.
What country has the best education?
The quality of a country’s educational system is directly linked to its economic status and overall well-being. Developing nations generally provide higher quality education than least developed nations, while fully developed nations offer the best quality. Education is a vital contributor to a country’s overall health and is considered a human right by the Global Partnership for Education. It promotes gender equality, fosters peace, and increases life and career opportunities. Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”.
Can I work 12 hours a day in Germany?
A full-time employee, not on an executive level, can work 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, with overtime allowed up to 10. The average daily working hours must be 8 hours for a 6 month period. Employees must have at least 11 hours of resting time between two working days. For employees working more than 6 hours but less than 9 hours, they must take a 30 minute break or 45 minutes for those working more than 9 hours. Social security includes health insurance, retirement pension insurance, unemployment benefit, and nursing care benefit.
What grade is a 15 year old in Germany?
Germany’s secondary education system consists of two phases: the lower phase (sekundarstufe I) between ages 10 and 15/16, compulsory for all students, and the upper phase (sekundarstufe II) until 18 years old, optional for vocational training or higher education preparation. Public secondary schools in Germany are free and offer various types to cater to different academic needs and abilities. Students’ choice is based on academic performance, teacher recommendations, and parent preferences.
The different secondary school types in Germany aim to build skills, assist intellectual and emotional development, and foster independence and decision-making responsibility. It is possible to change school types at any time if circumstances change.
Is 1 year enough to learn German?
Conversational fluency in German can be achieved with 12 months of consistent effort, depending on factors such as previous language experience, level of effort, tactics, and available resources. It takes time to achieve fluency, but it is essential to dismiss claims of becoming proficient in days or weeks, which are impractical and often misleading. It is crucial to focus on developing your natural abilities, dedicate enough time to actively use German, and use effective strategies to achieve fluency.
How much German can you learn in 2 years?
In six months, individuals can start making small talk and daily conversations in German, and within 2-3 years, they can work in the language. CBS offers German lessons as part of its study programs, with two weekly classes lasting 75 minutes each. By the time students finish their bachelor’s or master’s, they should be fluent enough to work in German. To be considered fluent, one needs to know around 10, 000 words in German. CBS provides German lessons as part of its study programs to help students learn the language quicker and improve their skills.
What grade is 85% in Germany?
Germany’s grading system is gaining popularity among international students due to its world-class universities and outstanding education system. To align your home country’s grades with the German grading system, a German grade calculator can be helpful. The German Grade Calculator uses the Modified Bavarian Formula, a widely accepted method for converting foreign grades into the German grading system. This formula is the most used for most German grade calculators and helps students understand how their grades from their home country align with the German grading system.
How many hours can I work as a student in Germany?
Non-EU/EEA students can work in Germany for 120 full days or 240 half days per year, including student assistant or research assistant jobs. These jobs are usually not counted in the student’s limit, but must be reported to the Alien Registration Office. Internships during semester breaks are considered normal work, with every day being subtracted from the 120-day credit balance. Mandatory internships do not count towards the student’s limit. Non-EU students cannot work in self-employed or freelance capacities.
📹 The invention of homework
Get more of our daily free lessons in your email! https://www.smartnonsense.com/
Biggest issues with the German school system: – Underfunding (chaotic) – Poor resources in most schools (even the most well off) – Poor buildings – A lot of inequality – Behaviour from the students (really bad in some cases) – No united system I have taught in both Germany and England and I am more happy with the English system. They have generally better funded state schools with better resources.
She didn’t wanna point it out, but during Abi graduation in our last 2 months with Abistreich and Motto, our whole 13th grade is just drinking / getting wasted, going on everyone’s nerves and partying in school 😂 literally even 6th graders walk around the school just looking at How dumb we are, but also know that that’s where they’ll be at the end as well. love that about our German school tradition 🔥😌
I love education articles about how other countries handle education. I can’t get behind telling a child in 5th grade that they are university material or not. There is so much brain development that goes on from 11 to 18 years of age. I want to become a teacher in Germany. But I think international schools will have to do for now. It would have been better if the article also focused on how Germany is losing teachers and won’t have enough teachers by 2030.
Very good article, I love explaining the German school system to foreigners. Everybody just ends up confused 😂. The only thing I would have to add is the amount of stress that can build up in students. You’ll get held back a year for failing one of your 12 subjects (meaning you are in a different grade for the entire of your school carrier because of one or two subjects). It even goes as far as you having to downgrade to a lower school (that happens a lot after grade 6 in a gymnasium, but also every other grade, or school). And you can take the Abitur only ones or twice in your life, which is nearly the only way to get into university (I know there is others but that gets really complicated and very different from state to state). But all of that is really hard to research, I think you’d have to live though it to fully understand it🙃. Like with everything
Wow ! As a brit living in the Netherlands, this really surprised me that Germany would be so lacking in a lot of areas, especially digital supplies. You would have thought that they would have been European leaders. Maybe, or rather probably, this is a result of them not being state run ? And my kids finished school 10 years ago (in NL), and both of them didn’t see a blackboard after junior school (11 yrs. old). Positively stoneage !
I went to a Förderschule vor 2 years and it was one for people that had trouble with being socially comfortable. It was essentially for mental health and almost everyone at my school had depression. And that we went to a special school meant that the teacher could have a way closer eye on us and that they wouldn’t just leave you behind like at my Gymnasium. I was only able to graduate because of it. I couldn’t have down it at a regular school and I am so thankful that I got the chance to go to a school were they knew how to deal with me and my mental health. It’s been truly life saving for me
It‘s so interesting to see this article because I grew up in Germany but moved away two years ago for University. Trying to explain the German school system to my international friends is almost impossible. I‘m not a fan of the system and I had to experience many of the negative sides. After the Grundschule, I went to a Gymnasium for three years but then had to change schools because of my bad grades in two subjects. Since my other grades were good, my parents decided to send me to a Gesamtschule and even there I was always inbetween A (Gymnasium)- and B (Realschul)- level. I ended up having to change classes there a lot as well. After that, I went to a Berufsschule and two years later did my Fach-Abitur. Which means, I changed schools every 1-3 years. Being a teenager, a stable environment is important to form friendships. I believe that the constant change was really bad for me and I had a horrible time as a teenager. Especially at the Gesamtschule, my grades got significantly worse and I always believed that I was just bad at studying. After the Gesamtschule, I never had any troubles with my grades and I‘m now graduating with a Master’s degree this year, something that I would have never thought was possible when I was a teenager. I honestly believe that the German school system loses a lot of students along the way and the separation has a bad impact on the whole society. My parents never went to University and during my time at the Gymnasium, many students had academic parents.
I am Turkish and in our school system, each lesson is 40 minutes, the break times vary in each school, for example, in my school, the break after the first lesson is 20 minutes. The break after class is 40 minutes, and the rest is all 10 minutes. Class starts at 8 am and ends at 15.10. Each classroom has a whiteboard and a digital, internet-connected board.
A very complicated thingy well researched and explained, thanks ! I should like to point out that the major challenge today is that with a Hauptschulabschluss, there is hardly vocational training that will accept you. Hence most pupils in that school branch hardly see sense in what they are being taught. But as school topics have traditionally been very politically divisive in D (to put it mildly) solutions to this disaster are not even being discussed which is unfortunate, especially for the kids. You did not mention a major difference towards the UK system (on purpose ?) in that all German pupils have to study at least one foreign language (usually English) or even two if they want to go on to the Abitur. An aspect not covered by PISA at all btw. You do not need to be an expert in the field to predict how UK and US pupils would have fared in this respect..
I am a teacher in Germany. You really did point put the problem with broke communities. We still don’t have wifi because my town doesn’t have money… three years ago they built high quality glass fiber in the street but only the close by hospital got a connection. The school didn’t (for I don’t know what reason…) I hate that the financial aspect is not part of the state’s or country’s duty 😐
Things haven’t changed much since I went to school in Germany half a century ago. Interesting article though. We didn’t get lunch there, just had a little school store for snacks. You didn’t touch on the grading much, which in comparison to American schools depends highly on if the teacher likes you. Mine hated me, so that didn’t work out well in my case. Yet, no one would argue that you learn how to learn in a German gymnasium. Once I immigrated to the US in the late 70s, I made Top Graduate at my university in the US; much to the surprise of my parents. Thank you for this!
I am in the 12 grade of a Gymnasium and Im getting my Abitur this year and due to COVID,we haven’t had a Abifahrt (our last trip was in 9th grade), we have to take our 5 hour final exams with ffp2 mask, didn’t finish all themes because of lockdown and non existent online learning platforms and no WiFi and there is a high chance our Abi Ball will be cancelled too, cause of COVID. Even our in official abiparty at the club got indefinitely postponed TWO HOURS before it was supposed to start due to new covid regulations the state decided to instate at midnight.The school/state didn’t handle the situation well at all and it kind ruined the whole final phase of school
The schools in my age where a complete disaster: I barely graduated in 2006 after many school transfers. My teachers were as narrow minded as they come and the rating system was based on sympathy to the point where in many cases resubmitting the work of my grade A bench neighbour got me a C 🤷♂️ But it gets better later in life. Universities give you a great deal of freedom and time for intellectual explorations with very little pressure. I don’t think it gets much better from a students perspective. When I made an exchange to a top us university i felt more than over prepared.
6:28: Has the Abistreich really become that primitive? In my times, it was a themed live entertainment show which was organized and prepared the night before. At some point, the classrooms were stormed and the whole school gathered in the gym. The teachers had to entertain by playing games, singing songs or performing other funny things.
I was glad when many mean classmates from the Grundschule had to go to the Hauptschule (the lowest one of that 3). In 5th or 6th class it’s possible to switch Haupt-/Realschule/Gymnasium as far the rules of the recommendation allows that. As you mentioned, in most state are several possibilities to “upgrade”, e.g. if your recommendation was to low in your opinion. Of course only if your grades in your “old” school are good enough. I know serveral people who were 5 years on a Hauptschule and then 2 years on a Berufsfachschule. The result is equal to what you get at the Realschule in 6 years. Or that plus e.g. “berufliches Gymnasium”. That are schools where you can make a completely normal Abitur in the meaning of what you’re allowed to study. But one of your most important subjects is very different. E.g. at a “technisches Gymasium” certain things you also learn when your’re studying mechanical and electrical engineering. Or at a “Wirtschaftsgymnasium” things you’ll also learn when you study economics etc. Or when your’re doing after mittlere Reife (the result e.g. after 6 years Realschule) a “Ausbildung”, some companies allow you to do a “fachgebundene Hochschulreife” in the evenings in 3 years in parallel to your Ausbildung. That means you’re allow to study certain things, but only at “universities” that were called Fachhochschule and now call themselve “Hochschule” (what could also be used for “real” universities or e.g. university of applied sciences (they were e.g. engineering schools many decades ago).
and yes people here lack in digitilisation but that makes german communicate with each other. i see mommies outside school talking with each other, speaking and sharing thoughts with each other kids. only incase of important work we take my cell phones out. we are not always rushing, not always in hurry. eventhough we work fast when we have to, but we always have time for a little chit chat. people here trust each other, respect each other. some of them see us “muslims” differently, i know, but many of them accept as as we are. people must understand that german job market need expats, we got the jobs here because there was a vacancy and someone had to fill it!! the funniest thing is that when germans think that a pakistani can not be intelligent or can not speak English 🤣 some judge us on the basis of our politicians 😂 but thats ok, we will spread love, till when we can!! Euromaxx, you are doing an amazing job. i learn so much from this website.
Very interesting and a little surprising. I had the impression (not sure where from) that in the German school system there were technical schools that were held in great esteem and hence the reputation Germany has for good engineering. I’m surprised that not all schools have WiFi; I thought they would be more forward thinking. I think they need to fund schools more equally across Germany. Surely if parents have the last say in where their children go that will cause problems in terms of numbers and suitability.
Interesting to hear that Germans leave education up to the state and municipal level like in the US. When our national government is being badly mismanaged, I appreciate the decentralization, but feel many parts of the country suffer due to lack of leadership and funding that could be aided by a more centralized system. Anyway, great article. I love that you took the time to interview kids to get their perspective.
I still remember the discussion my parents and the teachers had about my further education. I had good grades in about every class (except physical education), but my teachers were afraid I wouldn’t have the nerves to get through Gymnasium, and about my 4 in sports. I had issues with most lessons that required motorical assets and body coordination, with swimming being a particularly hard and traumatizing experience. I still eventually made my abitur, but sports has always been a sour spot to me. Most sports teachers were desperate to improve my grade and treated it like the end of the world whenever I failed a sports test (which eventually rubbed off on me). Needless to say, I’d rather get rid off that class nowadays, or at least would be in favor of not generally grading it anymore. There’s no need to keep it, except for giving your students health lessons and exercises for their own sake.
It’s intresting where Homeschooling is banned in Germany, while in my country is something usual. Because some pupils may also work for entertainment. Like teen actor or child actor work in the evening and in the morning they study at home so they can keep the stamina good for their job. I don’t think how this could happen in my country too. Mostly run by private foundation
I was homeschooled my entire life, and I had a far better education and above average socialization with people of all ages and all backgrounds as compared to my school peers. People are often amazed at my knowledge, social ability, and I am often told that I am very wise for my age. So the belief that homeschoolers don’t get a good education or get enough social interaction is wrong. (I am not stating this conclusion based on my own life, but the life of my homeschooled peers as well.) Think about it: In public school, kids sit at their desks all day, obey their teacher, and listen to their teacher lecture. They often are told to sit quietly and not engage with their peers. They get maybe an hour max of recess each day. Homeschooled kids do their learning quickly at home with one on one attention, then attend park days for 4-5 hours 1-3 times a week. Both groups of kids will often engage in the same extracurriculars. So who is getting more socialization? Who is getting the better education? Homeschoolers.
I went to a German school (in Latin America) until 5th grade. Best thing that ever happened to me is the subsequent switch to the American school system. Seriously, my teacher told my parents that I was not “college material” (Abitur) in freaking 4th grade. Yes, 4th grade!!! Total non-sense. That said, learning a third language by 5th grade plus much better art/musical education is something that remains with me to this day and something I found sorely lacking in my American schools (all private in Latin America too). Ended up graduating from a top/very competitive business college in the US so take that Frau Xxxxxxxxxxxx (to protect the fool).
Very good article, thanks for that work ! A school system that seems very interesting, in particular those light school days, letting kids a lot of time to rest and for personal activities ! For homeschooling being illegal, people often think about Germany but it’s the same (or quite the same) for several countries (in Europe : the Netherlands, Sweden, since recently France and a few others)
Als angehender Lehrer war ich ja skeptisch. Aber das article ist wirklich sehr gut. Es ist verständlich, aber dennoch wurde die Unübersichtlichkeit durch den Förderalismus im Schulsystem deutlich. Ebenso wurde die Förderschule angesprochen, die sehr oft vergessen wird (man spricht ja auch immer von einem 3-gliedrigen System; die Förderschule wird ignoriert). Ebenso wurden stärken und Probleme schön aufgezeigt. Abgerundet wurde es mit eher kulturellen Dingen wie der Schultüte und der Abifahrt. Sollte ich mal einem englischsprechenden das Schulsystem erklären wollen, würde ich ihm dieses article zeigen… solange es halt noch aktuell ist. Die Digitalisierung geht ja hoffentlich jetzt etwas schneller voran 🙂
love the article! It sums up the primary and secondary part of the system really well. Also a big thanks for continuing the series that helped me to explain a lot of things about my culture to my girlfriend 🙈 will there be a 2nd part where you explain the DQR and EQR index, but also Fachhochschulreife, the dritte Bildungsweg (Either the dual system parallel to work or full time studies where you study 6 semester in 4 with the specialty that it needs to follow the regular school system even though its a univerity which means additional grades for presence and verbal participation next to the usual univerity stuff without semester holidays) and differences between Wirtschaftsschule (Betriebswirt/Bachelor&Master BA), Technikerschule and Meisterschule? – Is it actually still possible to leave a vocational school half a year early when you exceed the average of 2? And is there still vocational trainings (Ausbildung) that have Intervallunterricht like the hearing aid acoustic technican guys used to have? –
I think its a sort of fuedel system adapted into education system which will keep the rich rich and the poor poor. Being good in school or having university degree is no longer a key to success in life. Success in life depends on so many factors and is difficult to frame it into education system. It would have been better if all children went to same type of school. Another point which is emphasised is digitalization, yes digitalization is important but having a good teacher/talented teacher is priceless. Whats the point of having all the gadgets if you are not taught well.
Some schools didn’t even have dedicated WiFi? OH NO … some schools in the US barely have running water or textbooks. I assume we were 78th out of 78 – at least if it measured public schools separately from private ones. The US suffers from the same goofy funding mechanisms, meaning that in many cases the neediest kids get the least resources.
You’re warmly welcome to Tanzania in this coming summer season which starts from June – October and see the large group of wildebeest migrants from one place to another. The Great Wildebeest Migration is the largest animal migration in the world. Every year, more than 2 million animals (wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle) are in the northern Serengeti plains, and you have a chance of seeing up to thousands crossing the river. As the sight of the wildebeest crossing is so dramatic, it is considered by many and the most desirable time to see the migration.
At the Gymnasium where I graduated, the Abitur-class has a ritual which they call “the pilgrimage”. The students of the Abitur-class all meet up in the night before the very last schoolday at 0 o’ clock at the Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte dressed up in their costumes for the last motto-week day and walk from there around 6hrs to the school building in Berlin-Marzahn to attend the last schoolday.
The segregation in the German school system is abismal. Despite giving everyone the opportunity to access to public education, me, as a teacher, cannot believe the system tells you whether you are university material or not at that age. It doesn’t matter if it is just a recommendation, but that is just way too much. After realizing about how the system works, I immediatialy gave up on the idea of becoming a school teacher here. I know each country has their own system but this is a bit archaic in many ways. Just for you to know how important grades are, when you book an appointment to see a doctor on doctolib, an app for that matter, some doctors publish their final grade from university. That is so messed up.
Inclusive education is not necessary the best for disabled kids,yes if they only have a physical disability however my son who has cerebral palsy,blindness and intellectual disability went to a special school here in Australia. There was only 4 kids in his class two trained staff and a properly designed curriculum.
8AM to 1 PM? In China, especially in the major cities, many students attend additional tutorials (Math, English or other languages, musical instruments, dance, culinary arts, etc) after their regular school hours. I worked as an English tutor for high school students in China for more than a decade. Many of my previous students are now graduates from universities across China, North America, & Europe and it gives me great joy whenever some of them still make time to contact me. Whether it’s in Germany, China or elsewhere, I guess we teachers will always find it satisfying to be fondly remembered by our students.
Yea, it’s so great that I had school from 8am-4pm in my first 2 years when I came here. Because as the school said it’s to “help us” learn german better. Plus, let’s not forget being treated like you’re not a human because you’re a foreigner. And told many times, “Ausländer raus” (foreigners out) by Germans. So yea, very lovely.
Being i am deaf but German-speaking man i usd to live in England i went to German a lot i speak fluent in German…germans are law-abiding pepple i loe to go again for 3 month program to teach German to english=speaking pupils i love it very much. i suggesting…..Auf Widersehen! huh-huh. dank sochen und auf Wiedersehen!!!
Am I the only one wondering why Russian wasn’t named as one of the most common second languages we learn in school? In my area (former east) it is the most popular option alongside Frensh and Latin. Some schools even offer Italian but that’s not the norm. Anyway, great article as always. Just a thought I wanted to add:)
4:59, this is suprising for me, cause my school has a digital board in almost every classroom, and 2 computer rooms with each having 25 computers, additionally, most of the teacher’s offices also have computers. I know it might have changed this since was a year ago, but it can’t transition this fast right? My school even has wifi.
As always, brilliant and detailed insight into German culture for which I am grateful. Please keep up the good work. Stunde in the context of a school means “lesson” I would say rather than hour so you can maybe chill-ax about the 60 minutes, I think. How about a article about the German social insurance system. I think it is brilliant and dates back to Otto von Bismarck. Apologies if you have done this already and I have missed it.
Hello! Thank you for this article. Im kinda worry. Im from Argentina and my husband was offered a really good jop opportunity in Darmstadt, so we are moving in a couple of months. We have a daughter, she is 6 years old and I have no idea how is this going to work for her. is there a article or website to recommend so I can fully understand it myself? She only speaks Spanish, and I am starting to learn german, but this is keeping me up at night. Thank you in advance.
First, we had no Wi-Fi. Then we got Wi-Fi but just in a specific area of the school. Afterward, our school got rebuilt and we got Wi-Fi. and it was running fairly smoothly. Oh, I forgot to mention it was only open for teachers. But some students got the password so we were able to have Wi-Fi. When everyone got a password the Wi-Fi instantly collapsed. The teachers were dependent on SmartBoards but they had no internet connection. Right Now the teachers have got Internet again, but we don’t.
The fact that a school “hour” is 45 minutes long isn’t entirely accurate. Schools, even public ones, can pick how long they should be. At my Gymnasium, we have lessons of 70 Minutes in the Unterstufe (Year 5-9) and 67.5 Minutes in the Oberstufe (Year 10-12). In practice, the 67.5 minutes end up being 67 and 68 minutes every second hour.
You should investigate effects of covid to gymnasium kids. I am seeing across Europe that when kids are divided into two groups on the first years of a gymnasium that they become hostile or divided from kids in other group of the same class. Also, i am hearing that 70% or more are suffering from anxiety.
Schools in my country are fashioned after the British system of Primary Secondary and University. As in Germany, home schools are not encouraged and strange to find in Nigeria, except that the learning environment is poor in terms of facilities for practicals and sports. There are however, good facilities in rich private schools for the children of the wealthy. It is depressing to say that education in Nigeria is not the responsibility of the government, even in government schools, and so it is not free.
Waldorf is also a kind of religious, but they hide this. They call themselves “nature philosophical”, but it’s absurd spiritual and in the roots absoluty antisemitic. Jan Böhmermann had last week a show about this topic, but if you are in the topic, you know this all the time. It’s the same with “Demeter” for “organic food” (Bio-Lebensmittel) which both go back to Rudolf Steiner. There are interesting ideas in Waldorfschule and Demeter, but they are connected too much to this roots.
I went to literally the shittiest Gymnasium ever. When I entered in fifth grade, we hat a cafeteria. As I entered sixth grade, it closed down. Since then it never opened again. I had days from 8am till 6pm, sometimes without lunch. If there wouldnt have been a supermarket nearby I would often have to starve myself. And the thing is, my parents couldnt afford for me to buy a sandwich or an acutual lunch everyday. So sometimes, I didnt bring anything to school ( I made my breakfast by myselso I often forgot that as well ). When I entered 9. grade, almost every toilet was closed in the school building. There were only 2 for girls and 2 for boys availabe. Tehrefore we had to exit the main building and walk around 500 meter until we reached the toilets that belonged to the gym. Adding to that, the toilets in the main building were often clogged, so we had no other choice. 2 years later, the toilets outside closed as well. Our classrooms were a disaster. We had stools and tables that were broken, and not in the normal “its a school so of course tables are broken” way. We often had to stare tables, ask other classes for chairs because we didnt have enough or ours were broken. It wasnt the students fault, the chairs just were way too old. We didn’t have lockers or any possibility to store our bags. In 10. grade I had to carry 7 books on every wednesday to school and I lived 45 minutes away from school. My school hat wifi although only teachers were allowed to use it. there were some exeptions for a few students that were in the “Schülerrat” but that was it.
Interestingly, I remember school in Darmstadt next to the American army bases as such: if you had good grades, you were beaten up, the largest drug sales occurred on and just outside school grounds and about half the kids had live guns with them… but that was the wild nineties, maybe it is better now.
My first school was in Germany. First in Spandau, then moved to Charlottenburg. After a few years we moved back to Germany, where I went to a school in Krefeld then onto a boarding school in Hamm. In Berlin, the teaching of German was good, but for some reason in Krefeld and Hamm the German dialect taught was based on Bavarian (Go figure!) As for the food in the boarding school, it was the “Compo rations” which was coming up to the end of shelf life 🤮🤮! Yes I was one of the nearly quarter million British who got to live in Germany courteously of Her Majesty the Queen. BTW, my last school was in Hong Kong.
Another big difference between Germany and UK is that in Germany you need to pass each year to progress to the next grade. In the UK people are automatically moved up every year, even in special circumstances (e.g. having moved from abroad, beriefment, long illness) repeating a year is not really an option. There is a small but significant group of young people who struggle to access the curriculum due to learning, emotional, behavioural or social problems and end up in year 11 without any qualifications. The idea of inclusion and getting rid of special needs schools sounds great in theory but does not necessarily translate into practice.
People are laughing about blackboards, but I honestly don’t get what’s wrong with them. I actually prefer them over whiteboards. They don’t need electricity, you don’t have to think about technology, you don’t have a pen who suddenly loses connection with the board… . I think it’s more handy than a whiteboard.
Hello there..I really liked your vlogs made on schools system Germany. I am a mother of 3 kids and live in Germany. My daughter have a dream to be a Pilot in future. Now she will strat her Gymnasium after summer holidays. We belong to middle earning family. My question is that how can my daughter can achvie her dream job to be a pilot?
What about the books? I had to buy different books then my younger brother had to and my younger sister had different books then him too, but we all went to the same schools and had the same teachers….so a family has to buy all books anew, each year, and cannot exchange between brothers and sisters….the canteen food is fine though, it just lacks a bit of salt and pepper and children don’t like everything, so there are usually two to three meals they can choose from, some tea and a desert or some fruit…the time is what bothered me the most, because I used to be a real slow eater and the nursery teacher where scolding me for it…. oh and where I am from there is a school system where they put children in the same class despite their age difference…so first grader with second and third….too teach them “each position in the family”…
2:27 Teacher for German and History to be here – you said it, it is way too complicated and not even helpful, our end terms (Abitur) differ in value from federal state to state and almost all non-privat schools are massively underfunded – yeah, we hate our school system pretty much but to end on a good note we have mostly great teachers due to that, who try to make the best out of it 🙂
yeah the 5billion sounds like a lot,… but when you take into consideration that there are 30000+ school in germany,… thats what… 200k? so you have to train your teachers, install the whole network for the school,…get all the blackboards replaced with digital boards, plus all the licenses required from microsoft,…. (because there arent many smart communes out there using the free linux alternative.) thats never going to be enough,.. and half the cities cant top up the fund either because they are broke.
aaah, my daughter goes to Grund-schule, and she loves the food. by the way, we are asians and we eat very spicy food. still we like the yummy potatoes in butter sauce 😀 and much more, i want at least one restaurant in germany that serve authentic german halal food. we are alot of muslims here and we contribute almost in everything there, and we also want to taste and enjoy the amazing food that germans eat. german food is much more than just curry Wurst, not to forget, we love sauerkraut ❤️
You forgot to say that you get the same teacher and the same classmates from 1st to 4th grade and again from 5th to 10th grade. So if you have horrible classmates or your teacher hates you, you’re screwed. Also, all the kids are expected to perform and develop at the same level. This means if you don’t make the mark or you have leaning difficulties, you are screwed, again. I don’t think they know what to do with leaning difficulties, actually. Their solution to dyslexia or dyscalculia is to give kids extra time after a test. Yes there is tutoring, but it’s expensive.
I live in Germany and I`m on a “Gesamtschule Würselen”. My school is modern. It´s 3 years old . We have ipads to learn.We are accept people they are different (people with a another sexuality, people with a black/white color of the skin, and so fort).But many Schools are so old (VERY OLD) and unmodern that never I will go on this schools. xD We don´t must pay for the schools but it isn´t great that the country of your land have so much fame about bad schools. I´m in class 6, i hope my english is acceptable 😀 xD
Although I feel Germany has good points to their school systems verses other countries, like many I find it very wrong that home education is illegal there. Studies show that children all over the world who are homeschooled have received both a phenomenal education and socialization experience. A young person in my state just received a full ride scholarship to college after being homeschooled from Kindergarten-12th grade. It should be the “right” of a child and their parent’s right to choose home education for them if it is best for said child. I must question if Germany thinks it is only “right” for a child to attend school or if they want to control their young citizens by demanding they attend school. Especially when there are families leaving Germany so they may educate their children differently.
Glad homeschooling is illegal. Seen nothing good come from it in Canada, mostly when parents won’t discipline their kids or understand their kids limitations they blame the teachers and pull them out and homeschooled. Teachers in Canada are highly paid and educated can’t have someone duplicate that on the side while still managing life. For those in remote parts of the country there is correspondence learning which today is very digital and can have value but still not the same. In person school is very fundamental to socialized smart young adults. Thanks to DW for this article, the system in Germany has always intrigued me.
the main reason why schools are underfunded is that the federal government legally cant directly fund schools to avoid having a to big of an influence over theire decisions. and everytime they try there is a lot of backlash from the states educational ministers (especially from bavaria for some reason).
Türkische (stattliche) Schulen: kein (kostenloser) Mensa, keine Sportgeräte, leere Klasse, Kein PC oder technische Geräte, 8 Stunden am Tag dort auf scheißen Stuhlen sitzen, fast alle Fächer nehmen muss, schlechtes System, schlechte Lernbücher, Handys verboten, außerhalb der Schule etwas zu essen verboten, schlechte Schuluniform usw… ich… nur wollte auch auf diesen Standarten zur Schule gehen. 😢😓
Wait so in some places the teachers get to decide what kind of high school a student goes to which then limits what kind of jobs they can get and the kid has no say in it? Like if a kid wanted to go to an academic school then university but a teacher decided they should go to a trade school the kid just has to do it? That seems super harsh especially at such a young age when kids aren’t fully developed so even if they were bad academically they could of gotten way better in high school if given the chance.
so wehere I am from the abistreich is called Abischerz, thank god we never used toilet paper there. We rather had a band play consisting of pupils caught all the teachers in the morning put them symbolically behind bars and then made them do fun stuff. I know the German system is complex but law is missing quite a bit here since we are Schulpflichtig until a certain amount of school yeaars is done and we even are Berufschulpflichtig until 18 which plays a role when it comes to not having graduated yet. So failing Hauptschule twice and not being 18 yet forces you to go at vocational school until 18 which is basically the last chance to get a Hauptschulabschluss. Otherwise you end up being ‘unskilled’. Also Hauptschulen were originally established for people who were having a talent as a “Handwerker”. What is a real problem though is the federal part so Abitur is not of the same worth in all states of Germany. So Baden Württemberg, Bavaria and another one of the eastern states seem to have higher standards than the others. there is some work done to make things more unified and equal but the state governments tend to not be willing to let Bundesregierung have all the competences. A degree should be of the same value throughout Germany.
Also Latein gehört jetzt nicht unbedingt zu den meistgesprochenen Sprachen…. English ist die 2, weil sie von der volks/Grundschule aus schon erlent wird. Je weiter man aufsteigt je mehr muss man lernen. Die Chancen sind dann immer noch sehr gering da irgendwo Latein zu finden. Eher Spanish/Französisch. Der durchschnitssstudent spricht 4 Sprachen, und vielleicht 0,00001% spricht Latein als selbst erwählte Sprache.
Ah the good old days 😀 I remember our Abistreich well. We dressed up as pirates (somalia pirates with baklava and fake guns) and went into classrooms of lower classes and kidnapped students during their exam XD One guy we dragged out started crying, that was crazy. We let them go immediately after getting them out of their room and offered them a drink. Now that i think about it, no wonder the abistreich was banned at our school after our year XD
That teachers aren’t trained in digitalization is not surprising. Unfortunately, German teachers are the most anti-progressive people in Germany. The money for digitalization provided by the federal government – for which even the constitution had to be changed – wasn’t even used by most schools because teachers did not care about digitalization. I really hope that the professional demands on teachers are increased as many have it way too easy.
This is an interesting subject. But it’s a pity you speak much too fast. We haven’t time to assilimilate things. We have to read the subtitles and to look at the images. I am Belgian. How can we understand the difference between Grundschule, Realschule etc. if we haven’t the time to let things enter into our head. “Schade !” Provide more time, please speak slower, insert pauses, so that we can assimilate.
Also das bei uns die Schulen bis 13 Uhr gehen, stimmt so nicht. Es gibt hier normale Schulen und sogenannte Ganztagsschulen. In den normalen Schulen geht der Unterricht je nachdem bis 12 oder 13.30 Uhr. In den Ganztagsschulen geht der Unterricht bis 16 Uhr. Gerade an Ganztagsschulen gibt es sehr viele Angebote wie Sport, Tanzen, Musik oder Kunst. Das Kantinenessen ist an jeder Schule unterschiedlich. Was ich hier sehr gut finde, ist das die Kinder nach der Grundschule, je nach Lernlevel auf die unterschiedlichsten Schulformen kommen und so individuell gefördert werden. Was ich hier auch sehr gut finde, das Kinder wirklich erst in einem Alter von 6 Jahren (je nach Geburtstagmonat kurz vor dem 6.Geburtstag) in die Schule kommen. Man sieht, das in Amerika die Kinder oft schon mit 3,4 in die Preschool kommen und da auch schon Buchstabe und Zahlen lernen, das finde ich viel zu früh. Bei uns gibt es den Kindergarten, wo die Kinder mit 2 oder 3 reinkommen und hier spielen die Kinder einfach nur. Das finde ich viel besser
The three tier system is good. It is important to keep away troublesome children from the hard-working and “behaved” ones. People dont understand how much bad influence bad kids have on their entire class. I have seen a single childs ruin lessons for everyone. Have 3 of them and its over. And unfortunately its a matter of fact that bad kids will influence good kids to do bad stuff, not the other way round. This isnt exclusion because people dont want bad kids, theres exclusion because they want the well behaved and good kids to go through school in a uninterrupted manner and not “fail in life” just because a “bad” kid happens to be in the same class as them. I remember when i had to leave gymnasium to “downgrade” to realschule. It was 2 different worlds. At gymnasium, everyone was nice, everyone was willing to learn, everyone was well behaved, pupils were silent during lessons and things like mobbing werent really a thing. When i went to realschule, i felt like i ended up in a zoo. The children were horrible to each other, they were horrible to teachers, no one was behaving, everyone was acting like little brats. I have wonderful memories and nostalgia of my time on gymnasium, and a little trauma from my time in realschule. I hated it. I would never wish such an awful influence and learn envinvronment on the kids that study at gymnasium. The country needs good and behaved kids who grow up in a safe and controlled envinronemnt in order to make a career and contribute to society.
As usual, and something that is common to youtube presentations, you go too fast to allow comprehension, let alone retention. “Meet the Germans” is going to be watched, mostly I believe, by people who are NOT fluent in German. So they need a more moderately paced delivery of facts. One day this concept may get through to you people who race along with no intention of actually educating your audience.
My children went to school in India, in Dubai and now in Germany. They miss India and Dubai and completely reject the German school. Not only the way lessons are delivered but also idiologized teaching, feminism and genderism. As for the quality of the teachers: there are the goods, the bads and the very uglies not only discriminating but bringing in their personal ideologies.
The fact that “homeschooling is illegal in Germany” is horrifying. Studies have demonstrated that children get better education AND socialization when they’re homeschooled. Any system that has to be forced upon the public cannot be good. And when we hear stories of German parents having their children taken by force by the government – simply because they educated their own children . . . well, it makes Germany sound like a police state, to say the least.
Nowadays schools in Germany are not that good, They are most likely Bad and there are many kids who vape and smoke as 11 or 12 years old and there are chaotic kids, I just want to go to an American school and I know it’s expensive, the reason is because they organize kids in classes who are good and bad but in my German school it’s mixed, and America have better food like pizzas, sandwiches and sweets, if you live in America please tell me what it’s like or how the food is. If you in America you’re lucky but not that lucky because many say Americans have bad geography yes they do but it’s because of they education system the only like have it in class for like 15 20 minutes. One day I just want to move in America.
Another big problem in German schools: religious indoctrination. In all schools religious education is mandatory, the teachers and the contents of the education are determined by the church. In bigger cities sometimes an alternative ethics subject is offered. But most schools act like a recruiting office for the local dominant domination.
German schools are much better than American schools, I guarantee that. American schools assume EVERYONE is going to university, when in reality most do not, or drop out after 1 year. And, American schools have become highly political, teaching a very liberal perspective. Students are there to learn HOW to think, not WHAT to think.