The+German+School+System



Germany has a three tiered school system where pupils are streamed into different types of school dependent on their ability. This would seem to be Personalised Learning on a large scale: allowing students to be grouped in tailored learning environments by similar ability. 

//The system was made when people believed that if you do a manual job, why should you sit in school for 12 years if that’s not your thing...if you are better with your hands, why shouldn’t you just leave school after 9 years and do what you are good at?// //Nicole Dannus - Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

At the age of 10 the Grundschule (primary school) makes a recommendation for which school level is most appropriate for the pupil.

//So it depends, of course, on your marks where you go to, if you are quite good at school or very good then you go to the Grammar School (Gymnasium), if you are rather in the middle range you go to the Realschule, if you are not that good then you go to the Hauptschule.// //M. Schoening – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

Each school type provides a different learning experience for their pupils; in types of course on offer, level of difficulty, and pace of learning. The choice of school also has a large impact on their options for the future. A teacher from the Realschule talked about how future options used to guide school selection, and how this has changed.

//If they want to go to university they should go to the Gymnasium and if they want to do something more in offices...they should go to the Realschule. To have a practical profession someday then you should go to Haupschule, but it’s not like that anymore.// //Delia Schneider – Teacher, Realschule//

We spoke to students and teachers in Germany about their thoughts on the school system and heard both positive and negative perspectives.

**The Current System - Benefits**

//What I think is better with the three schools, is that the persons from the Realschule don’t keep the people from our school away from learning.// //Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

It can be argued that it is disruptive to have students at different levels learning together. By separating the children at an early age it allows those who have more academic ability to benefit from being with those at a similar level.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//The kids that are good at the age of class four are going to be better if they get put in Gymnasium right away because they can learn faster. If they wait//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//until they’re 12 they have two more years with the slower ones, which on a social level might be good but on an intellectual level it might slow them down.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Nicole Dannus - Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Both teachers and students were clear that the level of work at Gymnasium is demanding, and the students are clearly encouraged to achieve at the best of their ability.

“<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I think the level is very high and we have to do many things - in some weeks we have to do three exams and then it’s very hard to learn and get good marks. It’s very stressful and not so good I think.”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sometimes when students are not able to cope with the pace and level of Gymnasium they will move into the Realschule where the learning is more suited to their ability. Some of the teachers we spoke to felt this could be a very positive step rather than being interpreted as a failure.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//We get a lot of pupils from the Gymnasium that didn’t make it there and they feel good when they come here...You wouldn’t see somebody looking at somebody and saying “eeeh you are in Realschule” – this is not happening, at least I don’t see it.”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Delia Schneider – Teacher, Realschule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//So it might be better for them to go to a school where they’re not struggling, where they are getting along, where they are average… even if that is a school that has a bad reputation, than to a school with a good reputation where they are always at the end of the class.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Nicole Dannus - Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was also suggested that it was beneficial to the teacher to have students who were at the same level. Mr. Angelini, a teacher at the Realschule, told us: //‘the good thing about the system...is that you have a learning speed which is approximately the same with everyone in the class.’// This is a benefit which was also mentioned in some of our student focus groups: //‘I think it’s good because it’s not so different, the people in the class have the same skills it’s not so different between the people.’// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With students grouped together by similar level of ability it may be easier for teachers to appropriately design their lessons to best suit students at that level and make most efficient use of the classroom time.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//The pace at which pupils learn is a bit easier for teachers to assess when they are apart. The slower learners and the fast learners are separated. At Hauptschule you know you are dealing with slower learners so you have to do classes a whole different way than when dealing with faster learners...we can have different teaching methods...in that way it’s actually positive.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Nicole Dannus - Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In any school structure it is important to have systems in place to monitor students and support those who are struggling. It could be argued that having lower ability students together may allow teachers to specialise in supporting those with difficulties, instead of monitoring all levels of ability. Mr. Angelini described a half term conference which is held at the Realschule for those who teach maths, English and German. The teachers discuss who is having problems with their learning and record notes.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//So we have a document here where we always write down who is normal, who has to be watched and who is good. So we do it every half-term, and then we can see in what subjects he or she has difficulties in, and also it is about the behaviour – working behaviour and social behaviour.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Daniel Angelini – Teacher, Realschule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It is a necessary requirement for teachers to complete a full individual plan for three pupils per class. While he felt this process was very helpful it was in fact not very effective, as there were many more students who would benefit from such personalised planning.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">**The Current System: Drawbacks**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While separating pupils at a young age has been argued to be positive, there are others who felt that it had a negative impact. A student at Graf-Friedrich-Schule thought it was <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">' <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//not so good because you are very young then and you can’t see it because you could be better in the future.'// While some pupils may not have displayed particular academic ability at this young age, that is not to say that they wouldn’t benefit from being in the Gymnasium environment.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some teachers also felt that background had an unfair impact on the selection process in primary school.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Our problem is we choose them very young… I think it’s not fair because we have poor children with not a very good background...and if you don’t have [good parents] it’s hard for you to get up to a better school system. So I think that’s a really bad thing about us.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Jeanette Pompey – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//According to the PISA study, which was carried out a few years ago, it very much depends on your background where you go. So if a Primary teacher sees that this is a girl who always wears clean clothes...and her parents seem to care very much for her, then teachers rather seem to say that you should go to a Grammar school, than to a student who comes from a very poor family background.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//M. Schoening – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Parents have more influence now on which school their child will attend. Whereas in the past parents could only have their child attend one school level higher than the Grundschule recommendation (for example, attending a Realschule instead of a Haupschule) they can now send their child wherever they wish. Several teachers commented that because Gymnasiums are seen as the “best” option, parents will often send their children there regardless of whether they are best suited to a Gymnasium education.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//You can just go to any school you like but after a while you see that the people who should have gone to the Hauptschule, they have difficulties here...and this is of course a fact that is not so good about the division between the school systems because it’s difficult to find the right school for each individual.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Daniel Angelini – Teacher, Realschule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While this is a problem for some students unsuited to the Gymnasium, one teacher commented that some students rise to the challenge and do well in the school.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Parents try to push them here and in some cases it’s positive, we had several students who did fantastic Abitur although they were Realschule pupils. But we also had some pupils and it was too hard for them to be here.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Matthias Stock – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Part of the reason parents are keen to send their children to the Gymnasium is because the Hauptschule has such a bad reputation and clearly marks out pupils who are less academically able.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I think it’s little bit bad because you can see directly who is not so good at school and who is good at school.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This stigma is a major barrier from the original purpose of the Hauptschule – preparing pupils for the world of work.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//It’s unfortunate the way that Hauptschule has gone, it’s become more and more a place where the people will not get job later or just very, very bad jobs. It has got a very bad reputation unfortunately. And so parents of kids in year 4 don’t want them to go there.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Nicole Dannus - Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Options after school are very different depending on what school you attend, as it is only possible to study at university if you obtain the Abitur from a Gymnasium.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//So no it’s not the same, they have different chances. If you go to Realschule you become a baker or a butcher, you do jobs like this. And if you go to Gymnasium you go to university, you become a doctor, you can get up high levels or not only the higher levels, the better paid jobs.”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Jeanette Pompey – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I mean, when it comes to happiness one cannot tell. But of course you’ve got much more opportunities of getting a very good job, a well-paid job. If you go to a Hauptschule it is very difficult to get a job at all, and then to get a job that is moderately well-paid or where at least you earn enough for your life.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//M. Schoening – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ms. Schneider, a teacher at the Realschule, spoke about the wider impact of future job options: //'////to get along in life, to have a job that you feel good with...it’s a combination between not being able to learn that much and also not being able to integrate yourself in society.'//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another problem with parents pushing their children away from the Hauptschule is that it there are less pupils who are moving towards valued practical jobs.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Nowadays Hauptschule is base kind of school. It’s the school where the students go to where they are not good at all, many parents try to get their kids to go to Realschule or Gymnasium and the fact is that we need people with this base education and to do some practical jobs.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Hans Gevers – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some students and teachers commented that the Gymnasium does not provide enough experience of practical or real life skills which may be useful after school.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I think it’s a big problem that the people from the Gymnasium don’t know anything about life, we learn a lot and we know many things about poems and German and chemistry, but...we don’t know cooking and financial things, the bank and so on.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This may also limit the options available to Gymnasium students after school as they may be unprepared for jobs which require practical skills.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Even practical jobs don’t get the students they need, because the students from Gymnasium have an intellectual education, but no practical education, like wood craft and so on. Nowadays we don’t have any room for subjects like that.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Hans Gevers – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I would change to make it more practical and for life, we never learn cooking or something else...people in the Hauptschule really learn it, but we don’t. We have one day when we cook a little bit. One day in our whole school life, we don’t really do anything practical.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">**Transferring**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It is possible for pupils to change school levels should they do better or worse than was predicted for them. There is some pressure to go to the Gymnasium if at all possible since it does offer the possibility of studying at university.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Without an Abitur…you can’t study so you have a bit less possibilities, and I think that’s the reason why many pupils from the Realschule choose to take the tenth class in the Gymnasium again.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We spoke to both pupils and staff members who had been allocated to a lower level school initially, before eventually making the move up to the Gymnasium.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//At first I was at the Realschule and then I came to the Gymnasium because I was better than expected.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I was in the Hauptschule until 8////th// //form and then I went on to the Realschule and then the Gymnasium...but this is normally not the case.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Daniel Angelini – Teacher, Realschule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some teachers feel that the notion of being able to upgrade schools is somewhat of an illusion, because students who do want to move up to the Gymnasium have to contend with not only more difficult work but also learning at a quicker pace. This makes a smooth transition somewhat difficult.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I think that the division is too strict. Actually the idea is that you should be able to come from the Realschule and then go on here at the Grammar School at any point, especially after year 10, which is just not true. Students who come from the Realschule usually have to do year 10 again at the here at our Gymnasium, and they usually are still behind, especially when it comes to foreign languages. And this should not be the case.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//M. Schoening – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Part of the reason students have to repeat a year may be due to a lack of support for those who move up to the Gymnasium. It was felt by several pupils and teachers that the school does not offer enough support to help these students with the difficult transition between schools. One pupil described her experience: '//It was really hard for me, because in the Realschule everything is very easy and the teachers explain to you everything and in the Gymnasium they say “So do this and do this”'// and another pupil summed it up with '//It was too much for her.'//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was also mentioned that there are some problems moving down school levels as well.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Some pupils have got a lot of problems if they have to go to the Hauptschule afterwards. If they are not doing well here after two years they have to leave and so it’s a little bit difficult - they’ve got more social problems at Hauptschule.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Delia Schneider – Teacher, Realschule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">**Social Divide**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Transitions between schools is perhaps made more difficult due to the social divide that exists between the school forms. Some teachers mentioned that there was quite a lot of stigma attached to the different schools, which forms very much an “us” and “them” attitude.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I think it’s not good. There’s no respect… I think our students are very snobby. If someone does something wrong in a class test, [the students will say] ‘hey, go up there’ *points to Hauptschule*. They make fun of them and that’s not good.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Jeanette Pompey – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//M. Schoening – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is not the same in all cases, of course, and some pupils explicitly stated that they have friends from outside the Gymnasium.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //I am friends with people from the Gymnasium and people in my class. I know them and they are all around me but I have friends from Realschule and Hauptschule too.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some pupils said they had kept in contact with friends from primary school who had been sent elsewhere, and this was especially true with hobbies outside of school time.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Oh yes they are friends but in every system if you have got people who you are together with more often you also have a bigger connection. Some of them have the same hobbies as they meet each other in the afternoon// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//M. Schoening – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While there were clear examples of friendships between schools, some felt that it was //'rather the exception and not the whole' (M. Schoening)////.// Part of the reason for this may be that they are divided so young, preventing them from developing more meaningful friendships.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Our kids are divided very young so friendships they just break down and they have new friends and they take these friends up through their lives…I really just have two or three friends in my whole friendship [circle] that don’t have Abitur. It’s really a shame.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Jeanette Pompey – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I think the bad thing is that we lose some friends if they go to another school.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There seems to be quite a strong divide between the different schools with some pupils in the Gymnasium looking down on the other pupils for being “stupid” and those in the Hauptschule looking down on the other pupils for “feeling superior.”

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//I think the bad thing is that the pupils of the Hauptschule think that we are lame and that we think that we are better, and we think that they are lazy.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It is difficult to see how they could be encouraged to integrate more if such strong stereotypes exist.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//The learning together and the coming together of different students doesn’t happen. Our students and the students from the other schools don’t have much to do with each other, they hardly interact. And that’s unfortunate I think, that their separation is social separation along those lines as well.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Nicole Dannus - Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">**The Future**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The school system is changing in Germany; with the emergence of Gesamtschules, a new form of school to replace the separate Realschule and Hauptschule. This more comprehensive approach is seen as beneficial by some.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //At the Gesamptschule you have a very talented pupils and not so talented pupils all in one class, and they get different worksheets with different levels. Because they say being put into different school systems like Gymnasium, Realschule and Hauptschule is something which de-motivates them from the beginning on.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //Daniel Angelini – Teacher, Realschule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In addition, some teachers commented that having separate schools discourages them from offering additional support for pupils.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //I think the problem is that we here at the Grammar, especially, don’t offer that much personalised learning... If a student does not do well, what we say is 'okay, then you are at the wrong school.' And that is why you do not find these activities in the afternoon for example, or any tutorials provided, this is just not what the State says we need to do.// <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">// M. Schoening – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule //

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> A comprehensive system may be beneficial for pupils because it allows them to study at a higher level in classes they are good at. This may also be good for pupils to see that people have different strengths and abilities. Ms. Etmer, teacher at Graf-Friedrich-Schule, described her experience of a comprehensive school and how it allowed them to see //'// //they are not the same in maths or German, but they are better than me, in music or art or PE or something.'//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //I know for some people it is bad because they are very good in math, but not very good in English for example. Then it’s better to have one big school. But for me personally it’s a good decision to have this school system in Germany.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Changing circumstances in Germany are part of the reason for changes in the school system – Ms. Pompey told us that they were expecting to have less students in the future, which makes it more practical to combine the Realschule and the Hauptschule. Headmaster Mr. Schmidt also felt that such factors have a large impact.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //The problem is not separating into schools but basically the conditions that schools work under. For example...we could do a comprehensive school too here if we had a better student/teacher ratio, for example in Finland it’s 10:1, here it’s like 26:1...So if we had these conditions we could be comprehensive but since we don’t have them, separating the kids by abilities might be the way that we do best.// //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> H. Schmidt – Head Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule //

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some are resistant to the changes in the school system, and would likely still send their children to the Gymnasium given the choice, especially since it is still seen as the “best” option. With this in mind, it could be argued that a partially comprehensive system could only be partially effective if the Gymnasium still exists.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //If you give parents the chance [and] say ‘Ok, you can put your kids in this school form or put them to the Gymnasium.’ Most of them choose the Gymnasium because it’s traditional. It’s a good feeling, you can say to your neighbour ‘Hey, my daughter is in this school form.’// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Jeanette Pompey – Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some staff considered the support available to pupils at home to be more important than the school system itself. Parents play a very important role in encouraging and motivating their children, and this may be just as important as what type of school they attend.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //I think every school system can only teach the pupils that they’ve got and if they do not have a family that supports them in what they are doing they won’t get a chance anywhere. I don’t think it’s a question of the school system.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //Delia Schneider – Teacher, Realschule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There are also social benefits of a comprehensive school system. Nicole Dannus spoke about the effect of bringing together students of different abilities:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //There would be a lot of help between the students which would be good for the students who don’t learn so fast obviously...and it would also be good for the faster students because they could help and explain...Also in a social way that would be helpful.”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">//Nicole Dannus - Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some students similarly felt that bringing together the different pupils would help break down the social divide and would ultimately benefit them.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //I think that our relationship would become better, we would get closer...we think they are lazy but we don’t know them, these things would be forgotten and then we would get to know them and it would be better for us because we [would] communicate.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //Student – Graf-Friedrich-Schule//

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The school structure in Germany is a source of ongoing debate, with strong feelings on both sides. There are certainly negative aspects to the current situation and there are several arguments in favour of a comprehensive system, although it is also noted that factors outside the school structure are likely to have a large impact.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //They have to do something at home and if they are not supported by anybody, most of them don’t have a chance and I don’t think that will be different in a different school system.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //Delia Schneider – Teacher, Realschule//

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //There’s been an ongoing debate about school structure in Germany and I think that we should stop debating about school structure and just do our job, and maybe...having optimal conditions would be more helpful than having debates about school structure.// <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> //H. Schmitt – Head Teacher, Graf-Friedrich-Schule//