Written jointly with Zeynep Acharya and from her view point, with inputs from various official internet sites
I have
been a teacher in Germany for many years, and during this time I have
accompanied children and young people at very different stages of their
educational journey. As a teacher, I face a class full of young people every
day, each of whom brings their own unique story. When I look at our school
system, I see a complex web of opportunities, challenges, and traditions. Let
me begin by saying that what I describe below from my own experiences in
Hamburg is only a representative example – Education is a state subject in
Germany and hence the details of the education system vary slightly from state
to state.
1. Kindergarden – The First Step into the World of Education
For many
children, daycare in a Kindergarden is the first place outside the family where
they regularly spend time and learn in a larger group. In Germany, daycare
often begins between the ages of one and three, but at the latest in the last
year before starting school.
Pedagogical Focus:
•
Language development: Daily reading sessions, rhymes, songs, and conversations
help expand vocabulary.
• Motor
development: Movement rooms, climbing frames, crafts, and painting activities
promote fine and gross motor skills.
• Social
skills: Children learn to share, resolve conflicts, follow rules, and develop
empathy.
•
Independence: Getting dressed, setting the table, and taking on small tasks –
all of this builds self-confidence.
Example
from my own experiences: I remember a girl who was very shy at first and hardly
spoke. The teachers gave her small "responsible jobs" – such as
setting the breakfast table. After a few weeks, she began giving other children
instructions ("You can put the cups down there"). This playful role
reversal helped her come out of her shell.
Teachers
also have to make sure that the children learn about good hygiene, and that the
food the children eat is nutritious; they work together with the parents, if
necessary, to ensure health promotion of the children through healthy
nutrition, hygiene, and exercise.
Parents
are also involved at this stage with many activities in the kindergarden and
contribute through discussions, information evenings, fairs and festivals, and
excursions.
Note: In many federal states, daycare attendance
is now free of charge or at least heavily subsidized. Group sizes and
staff-to-child ratios vary depending on the state and provider.
2. Preschool – a bridge to elementary
school
Preschool
is not organized the same way everywhere in Germany. In some federal states, it
is an integral part of elementary school; in others, it is integrated into
daycare. The goal is to prepare children specifically for the demands of school
without losing the playful nature of early education.
Content and Methods:
• Early
Literacy: Learning the letters, rhymes, and clapping syllables through play.
•
Preparatory Mathematical Skills: Counting, comparing quantities, and
recognizing shapes.
•
Concentration and endurance training: Small tasks that are completed through
concentrated work over several minutes.
• Social
Skills: Group work, listening, raising your hand, being able to wait, being
friendly with one another, practicing and internalizing consideration and
helpfulness.
Example
from my own experience: In a preschool group I once supervised, there was a
project called "Our Number Zoo." Each week, a number was in focus.
The children made animals that "represented" that number—for example,
three elephants or seven fish. At the end of the project, we had an entire zoo
on the wall, and the children could not only count but also tell stories about
"their" animals.
Moreover,
at this stage some extra projects are undertaken from time to time to do with
nature education, learning basic traffic rules or some cultural topics; These
are often supplemented with trips to museums, libraries, zoos or simply a day
excursion into a forest or park.
Transition
to school: Children who attend preschool are often already familiar with the
daily routine of a school: morning circle, work phases, recess. This makes the
start in the first grade much easier.
3. Elementary School – The Foundation for
Everything Beyond
Elementary
school is the first compulsory stage of a child's school career in Germany and
lays the foundation for all subsequent educational paths. It lasts four years
in most federal states, but six years in Berlin and Brandenburg.
Goals and Tasks:
Elementary
school should not only impart knowledge but also develop basic learning and
social skills.
•
Subject-specific foundations: reading, writing, arithmetic, and basic
scientific and social contexts.
•
Learning methods: independent work, teamwork, and use of learning materials.
• Social
development: consideration, conflict resolution, and responsibility for oneself
and others.
•
Promoting individual strengths: recognizing and supporting special talents or
needs.
Subjects and Contents:
•
German: Letter learning, reading support, spelling, first essays.
•
Mathematics: Basic arithmetic, geometry, word problems, logical reasoning.
• Social
Studies: Topics from nature, technology, history, and geography.
• Art
and Music: Creativity, expression, cultural education.
•
Sports: Motor skills, team spirit, fairness.
•
Religion/Ethics: Teaching values, intercultural understanding.
Class Organization
• Class
teacher principle: One teacher teaches many subjects and accompanies the class
for several years, usually for all the four years of primary school. This
creates a close bond between the teacher and her batch of students.
•
Rhythmization: Alternation between learning and some physical activity phases,
often with short breaks or games requiring stretching or moving.
•
Differentiation: Tasks are adapted to the children's ability level to avoid
over- or under-reaching.
Transition from Kindergarten
Many children
arrive at elementary school with very different backgrounds. Some can already
read, others can barely speak German. The first few weeks are therefore often
characterized by observation, playful exercises, and building a class
community.
An
initial activity:
"In
the first few days of school, we let the children create their 'Me book' – with
drawings, photos, and short texts. This way, they get to know themselves and
their classmates better."
Performance Assessment
In the
first two years of school, many German states do not use traditional grades,
but rather verbal assessments. Grades are usually introduced from the third
year.
• Oral
participation and written performance are combined in the assessment.
• The
goal is to motivate children, not just select them.
Encouragement
and Support
•
Special lessons for children with learning difficulties.
• German
as a second language lessons for children whose native language is not German.
•
Specially gifted students are supported through additional projects or competitions.
An example: A student who was way ahead in maths was allowed to design his own maths puzzle for the class – and later he was as proud as a little professor.
4. Secondary Schools – A Variety of Paths
At the
end of the four years of primary school, the teacher along with the parents
need to decide to which of the three
types of secondary school, a child is best suited for. Those who are very good
with their hands and would like to pursue a vocational training like becoming a
plumber, gardener, carpenter, electrician or car mechanic opt for the basic
level High school (Hauptschule) and then
go on to do further vocational training, those who would like administrative or
middle rung jobs like being secretaries, nurses or government officers or
policemen go in for the Intermediate level Realschule, and those who wish to
study further and go to university either to become professionals, doctors,
researchers, or teachers go to the Gymnasium (Higher Secondary School) from
where they go on to the University. A mixture of all the three above kinds of
secondary school is the Gesamtschule or Comprehensive School.
Overview of secondary school types in Germany
School type Duration Qualification Target
group
Hauptschule
5–6 years Hauptschulabschluss Practice-oriented careers
(High School)
(High School Certificate)
Realschule
6 years Mittlerer Schulabschluss Commercial/technical
careers
(Intermediate
School) (Intermediate School Certificate)
Gymnasium
8–9 years Abitur University
studies
(Higher
Sec. School) (Higher Secondary
Certificate/university entrance qualification)
Gesamtschule
Variable One of the above three Mixture of all school types (Comprehensive
school)
Changing
from one school to the other is also possible also in Grades 5 or 6. For
example, a student transferred to Gymnasium (high school) after the 4th grade,
but realized after a year that she felt uncomfortable there. She decided to transition
to a Realschule. This gave her new motivation – today she is training to be a
kindergarten teacher and is happy with her decision.
Diagram:
Transition recommendations after primary school (an example)
Gymnasium: ████████████████ 45%
Realschule:
████████████ 30%
Gesamtschule:
████████ 15%
Hauptschule: █████ 10%
Choosing Advanced Courses – A Crucial Moment in the Gymnasium: When Gymasium students enter upper secondary school in the 11th Grade, they face a major decision: They must choose two advanced courses (LeistungsKurse) that they will study in depth over the next two years. Usually, one of these is one of the three core subjects: German, mathematics, and a foreign language. [These three core subjects are compulsory even when they are not part of the LKs]. The second advanced course can often be freely chosen, with the subjects being divided into social sciences (e.g., history, politics, geography), natural sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics), and language/arts (e.g., English, French, art, music).
Typical
combinations I often see include:
•
Mathematics & Physics – popular with technology enthusiasts 🚀
• German
& History – perfect for philosophy fans and storytellers 📚
•
Biology & Chemistry – the classic for aspiring doctors 🧬
•
English & Art – for creative minds with an open mind 🎨🌍
This
choice not only shapes school days, but often also their later study or career
paths.
In
advanced courses, we work more intensively, engage in deeper discussions, and
encourage independent thinking. I often see students excel because they truly
identify with a subject.
Summarising:
In
elementary school, teachers are often all-rounders: they teach several
subjects, know the children very personally, and can closely monitor their
development. Students usually have a class teacher throughout their elementary
school years.
Later,
in secondary school, the examination system takes a greater focus – with class
tests, centralized exams, and pressure to perform. In the upper grades, the
choice of advanced courses is added. For many young people, this is the first
major decision that can influence their professional future.
Every
day, I see how much potential lies in our students – and how important it is
that the education system remains flexible enough to foster talent and to compensate
for weaknesses. As a Realschule teacher friend of mine rightly said, "I
wish for a school system that focuses more on talent than on grades. A system
that doesn't separate children early on, but rather allows them to grow
together."
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