German Schooling System
When you arrive in Germany with children, among many things, understanding the German Schooling System also requires your attention. While one may be able to draw some similarities between this system and school systems in other parts of the world, there are some significant differences too. Therefore, today’s article focuses on this topic, which tends to haunt many parents who arrive in Germany and have little or no idea how the schooling system works in this country.
The first challenge parents face is understanding the system, and the second is language. Since most of the information about this system is available in German, newcomers tend to hit a roadblock. Even with tools like translate, etc., understanding the system remains challenging because many terminologies cannot be translated.
I faced this problem too when I newly arrived in Germany. After four years of living here, I feel confident in sharing what I have learned with my readers.
Please note that this article is based on research and my personal experience. I would strongly recommend that you take it as a basic guideline. For concrete information, always refer to your state’s website or the official website of your child’s school.
Now, let’s start:
This is what the German Schooling system looks like. It is divided into Elementary/Primary School called Grundschule, Middle School called Mittelstufe/Unterstufe/Sekundarstufe I, and High School called Oberstufe/Sekundarstufe II. In the following paragraphs, I shall explain this diagram step by step, starting from elementary school.
This is how the article is structured:
- Primary School
- Middle School: Hauptschule,Realschule, Gymnasium and Gesamtschule
- High School: Path for middle school students from Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium and Gesamtschule
In Germany, it is mandatory for parents to send their children to school if the children are above six years of age. This is called Schulpflicht. It means that the children cannot be home-schooled after they turn 6. They must be sent to school. Till before that, although Kitas ( Kindergartens) are available, it is not mandatory for parents to send their children there if they don’t wish to. Schulpflicht continues for a minimum of 9 years. ( You will understand this better as you read further.)
Primary School/Elementary School (Grundschule):
When the child turns 6, he/she attends Grundschule. Grundschule means primary school/elementary school. Parents can send their children to a private primary school (called private Grundschule) or a public primary school ( called staatliche Grundschule). This lasts for four years in most states. But there may be variations. The rules vary from state to state. For example, in Berlin, Grundschule is for six years, as opposed to Hesse, where Grundschule is for four years. What stays common is that, in all the states, children are mandated to enter Grundschule once they turn 6.
At the age of 6 years, the child enters Grundschule at Grade 1. He/she stays in Grundschule for Grades 2, 3 and 4, after which Grundschule gets over. (Here, I would like to mention again that this duration may vary from state to state).
During their time in Grundchule, children are introduced to German and English. They also learn the basics of maths and science. Apart from that, they learn art, sports and music. They also have many extracurricular activities, learning-oriented field trips, school picnics, etc. Children usually have one class teacher who stays with the class during their entire time in Grundschule. Apart from the class teacher, there are other subject teachers. The school may also offer AGs (Arbeitsgemeinschaften), which are non-mandatory hobby classes that children can attend after school hours.
The academic year starts in September and ends in July. This continues for the entire school life and applies to all school forms ( Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium and Gesamtschule– all explained below).
Children are evaluated on their subject learning, which includes tests and exams. In addition, two aspects are taken into consideration – Arbeitsverhalten and Sozialverhalten. These can be translated as work behaviour and social behaviour, respectively. In the former, participating in class discussions, project submissions, homework, etc., are taken into account. Their performance in group tasks, general attitude, discipline, etc., are considered in the latter. This method of evaluation continues till the end of middle school and applies to all schooling systems.
Every year, two report cards (called Zeugis) are given – one at the end of the 1st half of the year ( around the end of Jan/early Feb) and one at the end of the 2nd half of the year ( in July). This system of giving two report cards is applicable to all school systems in middle and high school. In the report card, children receive grades ( called Note in German. Plural is Noten), in which they are graded from 1-6. Note 1-6 can be interpreted as:
1 =Sehr Gut ( Very good )
2=Gut ( good )
3=befriedigend ( satisfactory )
4=ausreichend ( adequate )
5=mangelhalft (unsatisfactory)
6=ungenugend ( insufficient )
They receive these grades for the subjects they have learnt and for Arbeitsvehalten & Sozialverhalten.
At the end of Grundschule, the teacher fixes up a time with the parents for a meeting and gives her final feedback about the child. She/he also suggests a further course of action, i.e. based on his/her evaluation; they may suggest Realschule, Hauptschule, or Gymnasium for the child. To understand these school systems, read further.
Middle School (Mittelstufe/Unterstufe/Sekundarstufe I):
After completing Grundschule, children enter middle school. Middle school is from Grade 5 to grade 9 ( in some cases, till grade 10- Explained below). Middle school is called Mittelstufe/Unterstufe/Sekundarstufe I in German.
Germany has four schooling systems that can be followed after Grundschule. These are Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium and Gesamtschule. Parents can choose any of the four for their child. Let us now understand these school systems:
Hauptschule:
Hauptschule ( in some states called Mittelschule) is from Grade 5 to Grade 9.
Lessons in the Hauptschule build on the content and learning techniques developed in the Grundschule. Great emphasis is laid on teaching key competencies (Schlüsselkompetenzen). Hauptschule prepares students for the professional and working world in the fields of technology, business, and social affairs.
Just like in Grundschule, the Noten system for evaluation is followed. Also, the school may offer AGs (already explained above)
Schooling gets over after the 9th Grade, and children who have successfully completed receive a Hauptschulabschulss, which means that they have successfully completed Hauptschule.
At the end of Hauptschule, children have mainly three options:
- Choose to work: Professions like painter, salesman, restaurant cook, construction worker, etc., typically require Haupschulabschulss. So, if the child wishes to pursue his/her career in these areas, he/she can apply for the job and immediately start working.
- Enrol for vocational training: This is a combination of studying and earning. The training takes place in 2 places- Berufschule (vocational training school) and Firma ( the company). At vocational training school, students learn theoretical concepts; in the company, they learn practical aspects. They also start earning.
- Continue studying: With a Hauptschulabschluss, one can move to 10th Grade in Realschule. After 10th Grade in Realschule, one can also move to Gymnasium. So, if the plan is to study further, switching to another school system is possible. But to do this, certain criteria ( in terms of the Note ) need to be met. Check your state’s website or school website for more information.
Realschule:
Realshule is from Grade 5-Grade 10. In this form of schooling, emphasis is laid equally on theory and practical studies. It provides pre-vocational training to children and prepares them for jobs once they complete their schooling.
The Noten system for evaluation is followed. The school may offer AGs (already explained)
From grade 7 onwards, children can set different focus points (Schwerpunkte in German) in either of the three directions(called Ausbildungsrichtungen in German) given below. Basically, they can choose subjects in any of the groups (Wahlpflichtfächergruppe) based on their interest.
These are:
- Elective subject group I (Wahlpflichtfächergruppe I): Here, the focus is on Maths, science and technical subjects like IT. Children who want to pursue careers in science or technology can choose this group. Once they choose this, they will spend more time learning these subjects in the subsequent classes.
- Elective subject group II (Wahlpflichtfächergruppe II): Here, the focus is on economics, business administration, accounting, law, etc/ area. Children who want to pursue careers in business or administration can choose this group. Once they choose this, they will spend more time learning these subjects in the subsequent class.
- Elective subject group III (Wahlpflichtfächergruppe II): Here, the focus is on a second foreign language, music, social areas, etc. Once they choose this, they will spend more time learning these subjects in the subsequent classes.
Realschule ends with a final examination after the children complete 10th grade. The certificate they receive is called Realschulabschluss or Mittlerenschulabschluss ( Meaning intermediate school certificate). With this certificate, the students have three choices. They can:
- Choose to work
- Enrol themselves for vocational training.
- Continue studying
Now, let us understand each of these options:
- Choice 1: Choosing to work
This applies to all those who immediately wish to start working and become financially independent. Students can start looking for job opportunities, apply directly, and enter the professional world. - Choice 2: Study Further
This applies to those students who wish to study further. They have two choices-Fachabitur (Fachhochschulreife) or Abitur (allgemeine Hochschulreife).
Please note that to qualify for further studies, one must meet prerequisites such as good Noten in Realschule. Please check the requirements on your state’s official website.
Fach means subject; therefore, Fachabitur means further studies in a specific subject. If the child is interested in a particular subject and he/she would like to pursue a career in that subject, they can choose Fachabitur. Once they complete Fachabitur, they are Fachhochschulreife, which means that they are qualified to be admitted to a Fachhochschule (University of Applied Sciences/polytechnic/Vocational University) that offers further studies in that specific subject. Fachabitur can be done at Berufsschule OR Berufsfachschule OR Fachoberschule (FOS). The duration is two years.
If the child doesn’t have a specific interest OR hasn’t yet decided about the career that he/she would like to pursue in the future but still wants to study further, he/she can choose the second option- Abitur. With an Abitur, they are allgemeine Hochschulreife, which means that the Abitur makes them eligible to apply for further studies in both Universitäten ( Universities) and Fachhochschule (University of applied sciences/polytechnic/vocational university). Abitur can be done at beruflichen Gymnasium OR Gymnasium OR Abendgymnasium. The duration is three years. - Choice 3: Vocational Training (Berufsausbilding)
This option lies between Choice 1 and Choice 2. Through vocational training, students can apply their theoretical knowledge to practical applications. When someone does vocational training (Berufsausbilding), the training takes place in 2 places- Berufschule (vocational training school) and Firma ( the company). At vocational training school, students learn theoretical concepts; in the company, they learn practical aspects. They also start earning.
Gymnasium:
This is the third type of schooling system, starting at 5th grade and ending at 12th or 13th Grade. I shall explain this below. This schooling system is suitable for children with high academic interests and who want to pursue university studies later.
As discussed before, at the end of Grundschule, after discussion with the class teacher, you as parents can decide to send your child to Gymnasium if you see that your child is academically strong and you foresee university studies for him/her.
In Germany, Gymnasium schools are of two types: G8 and G9. In G8, the child studies for 8 years after Grundschule : 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, Ephase, Q1, Q2. In G9, the child studies for 9 years after Grundschule : 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, Ephase, Q1, Q2.
Middle school ends at 9th grade in G8 Gymnasium and at 10th Grade in G9 Gymnasium. This means that in Gymnasium, 5th to 9th grade in G8 and 5th to 10th Grade in G9, are called Mittelstufe (Middle school). During this time, children learn various subjects in school, participate in extracurricular activities organized by the school, and take part in school trips, educational tours, etc. They also have Sozialpraktikum ( internship), which typically lasts for two weeks. During this time, children spend time in organizations like kindergartens, old age homes, etc., learning how things function there. Sozialpraktikum is done with the idea of bringing children closer to the society in which we live and developing empathy and understanding.
Subjects like Maths, German, English, 3rd language ( Eg French, Spanish, Russian, Latin, etc.), History, Geography, Politics and Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music, Sports etc are taught.
Also, in G8 schools, 3rd language starts from 6th grade, whereas in G9 schools, third language starts from 7th grade.
In addition, the school offers AGs (Arbeitsgemeinschaften). These are courses that are not mandatory, but if the child has an interest, he/she can attend them. These are typically language, sports, MINT, theatre etc.
They follow a timetable (called Stundenplan). Like other school systems like Hauptschule and Realschule, the Noten system for evaluation is followed. Also, children are evaluated for Arbeitsverhalten and Socialverhalten. These have already been discussed above.
G8 schools are becoming less common these days, but they do exist. The learning in G8 schools is fast-paced compared to those in G9 schools.
After completing middle school in Gymnasium, students enter high school, called Oberstufe/Sekundarstufe II .
Gesamtschule:
The fourth type of school system is called Gesamtschule. Let’s say at the end of Grundschule (primary school), you as a parent are not sure whether your child should do Hauptschule, Realschule or Gymnasium; you can opt for Gesamtschule. Gesamtschule, or the comprehensive school system, combines all three school systems under one roof. There are two types of Gesamtschule:
Integrierte Gesamtschule: Children are taught the same content but divided according to their performance and learning level.
Kooperative Gesamtschule: The school offers three courses under one roof, one for Gymnasium, one for Realschule and one for Hauptschule. Hence, the learning content is different in each school type. Children can choose any of the three in a Kooperative Gesamtschule.
Gesamtschule is from 5th to 10th grade. However, it can end after 9th grade for children in Hauptschule in Kooperative Gesamtschule.
High School (Oberstufe/Sekundarstufe II):
One year of E-Phase and 2 years of Q-Phase comprise High school in Germany.
Children who have completed Hauptschule and want to go to high school can move to Realschule. From Realschule, they can move to E-Phase in Gymnasium. They have to fulfil certain criteria (e.g., getting above average grades) to be qualified to enter Realschule. After completing 10th grade in Realschule, they can enter E-Phase in Gymnasium. Again, they have to fulfil certain criteria (e.g., getting above average grades) to be qualified to enter Gymnasium from Realschule. They start from E-Phase in Gymnasium. After E-Phase, they move to Q-Phase, provided they fulfil the criteria of getting the required marks to qualify for Q-Phase. Please check your state’s website to understand the exact criteria. They complete their high school studies in Gymnasium and finish with an Abitur.
So, in summary, the path for children from Hauptschule looks like this:
Hauptschule (complete 9th grade)—>Realschule (complete 10th Grade)—> Gymnasium (complete E-Phase and Q-Phase)
Children who have completed Realschule and want to study further can move to E-Phase in Gymnasium. They need to fulfil certain criteria (e.g., getting above-average grades) to be qualified to enter a Gymnasium. They start from E-Phase in Gymnasium. After E-Phase, they move to Q-Phase, provided they fulfil the criteria of getting the required marks to qualify for Q-Phase. Please check your state’s website to understand the exact criteria. They complete their high school studies in Gymnasium and finish with an Abitur.
So, in summary, the path for children from Realschule looks like this:
Realschule (complete 10th Grade)—> Gymnasium (complete E-Phase and Q-Phase)
Children who have completed 9th grade in a G8 Gymnasium or 10th grade in a G9 Gymnasium should also get above-average marks to enter E-Phase in Gymnasium. After E-Phase, they move to Q-Phase, provided they fulfil the criteria of getting the required marks to qualify for Q-Phase.
In summary, the path for children from Gymnasium looks like this:
Gymnasium (complete 9th grade in G8 OR Complete 10th Grade in G9)—>Gymnasium (complete E-Phase and Q-Phase)
The path is similar for children from Gesamtschule depending on which schooling –Realschule, Hauptschule and Gymnasium, they have completed.
Photo by Sam Balye on Unsplash
Now, let us understand E-Phase and Q-Phase in detail.
High School comprises one year of E-Phase ( Einführungsphase), i.e. the Introductory Phase, and two years of Q-Phase (Qualifikationsphase), i.e., the Qualification Phase.
E-Phase: The duration of E-Phase is one year. Before the end of Mittelstufe in Gymnasium, the school conducts a Kurswahl ( Course Selection), in which children can choose their subjects and teachers for the E-Phase. This is typically conducted online, wherein the child can choose between multiple teachers and bilingual subjects (if the school offers bilingual learning). Therefore, from E-Phase, the system changes to a course system. This means that based on the subjects chosen, each child has his own timetable (called Stundenplan). He/she has to follow that and attend classes as and when they are scheduled.
Apart from learning subjects, children attend classes (called SBO, Standardelemente der beruflichen Orientierung) in which they are encouraged to explore their interests, careers and universities for further studies.
As the name says, this is an introduction year focusing on introducing children to higher education, leading to the Q-Phase and Abitur. Children have to score well and meet the minimum criteria to be qualified to enter the Q phase. Please check your school website for more details about the qualification criteria. Also, the Noten System ( 1-6) changes to a Punktsystem ( point system) (1-15). These can be converted as follows:
| Punkte (Points) | Noten |
| 15,14,13 | 1+,1,1- |
| 12,11,10 | 2+,2,2- |
| 9,8,7 | 3+,3,3- |
| 6,5,4 | 4+,4,4- |
| 3,2,1 | 5+,5,5- |
| 0 | 6 |
Q-Phase: The duration of the Q-Phase is two years. It is divided into four semesters- Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. In the Q-Phase, children must choose Grundkurse ( Basic Courses) and Leistungskurse ( Advanced Courses). Based on their strengths, students can choose basic or advanced courses. The content taught in advanced courses is deep, and the weightage ( in terms of marks) given to advanced courses is also greater. During the Q-Phase, they are also mandated to attend Berufspraktikum (Internship), in which, based on their interest, they have to work in a company for two weeks. This internship can be in any profession of their choice, in any field, such as IT, manufacturing, Construction, etc.
Children take the Abitur exam in the 4th semester ( i,e in Q4). After the Abitur, schooling ends, and they get a certificate, which qualifies them as Allgemeine Hochschulreife, which means they are now qualified to attend University or Hochschule ( University of Applied Sciences).
After completing Abitur, students have the following options:
- Continue their studies: This can be done by taking admission to a University or Hochschule ( University for applied sciences).
- Ausbildung: In this, you spend one or two days a week in a Berufsschule ( Professional School) and the rest of the days in an Ausbindungs Unternehmen (A company). The duration can be anywhere between 2 and 3 1/2 years, depending on the course. You will also start earning money.
- Duales Studium: In this option, you study at a Hochschule/Berufakademie and work in am Unternehmen ( a company)
Under ‘dual’, there are two important terminologies:
– Ausbildungsintegrierendes Studium: In this, you not only get your bachelor’s degree, but you also take exams (called the Kammerprüfung) on the subject that you are doing your training in.
– Praxisintegrierendes Studium: In this, you spend a lot more time in the company. This is a more preferred option than the former. This program offers a great combination of theory and practice.
This article gives you a basic understanding of the schooling system in Germany. There may be slight variations between schools in different states, but the basic structure looks like this. There are many more details under each school, which I shall explain in separate articles.
I hope my readers have found this content useful. If you wish to read more of such content, please comment and let me know, and please subscribe to my newsletter to receive my posts in your mailbox.
There are some more articles on the subject of education in Germany on my Study In Germany Page.
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