Learning is hard, ability is easy.
German proverb
Let's start with the youngest: The nursery is a care facility for children from the age of 3 months who do not yet go to kindergarten, i.e. are younger than three years old. From the age of three, children can go to kindergarten.
Parents in Germany are not allowed to teach their children at home. Here, general compulsory schooling applies, which is justified by the state's educational mandate. Children usually start school at the age of six and go to school for at least nine years.
Initially, children attend primary school for four years. In the fourth grade, they decide how to continue their education. The secondary school system is divided into Hauptschulen, Realschulen, Gymnasien and Gesamtschulen.
The Hauptschule ends after the 9th grade with the Hauptschulabschluss, the Realschule after the 10th grade with the Realschulabschluss. Afterwards, young people can start vocational training or continue school. The Gymnasium ends after grade 12 or 13 with the Abitur, which entitles students to study at a university.
Public schools, with their comparatively high level of education, are free of charge in Germany and are financed by taxes. Around nine per cent of pupils are educated at public schools, which charge school fees to parents.
Comments