Christie Rocchio

Professor Nice

GCU 114

April 6, 2017

Education in Germany

The education system in Germany is dependent on the states and the federal

government plays a minor role. Kindergarten in Germany is optional and kids

between the ages of 1-6 have opportunities to attend Nursery School. Nearly

85% of kids who are between the ages of 3-6 attend nursery school or other

type of schooling that is offered through community resources The structure

of the German education system is similar to the United States because

Germany offers K-12 education for everyone in the country. The three

initiatives set forth by the UN Secretary-Generals Global Initiative on

Education are put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and

foster global citizenship. Germany is meeting these three criteria fairly well

however, some improvements can be made in regards to their general

education system.

Beginning with the first point laid out in the UN Secretary-Generals

Global Initiative on Education, Germany needs some improvement. In

regards to special needs students, Germany has been lacking on giving them

an opportunity to an equal education. According to the UNs 2008 report,

Germany has nearly 430,000 students that have special needs and these

students are placed in separate educational facilities. Germany is being

criticized for not having a more inclusive school system that allows students

with special needs to be integrated into the general education classroom.

Homeschooling is also illegal in Germany, which encourages the parents to

place their students in a public school or a private school of their choice.

There are multiple options for children to attend school. For elementary

school, Germany offers Basic School once the child turns six years old and

goes up until the fourth grade. Once the child enters fifth grade, there are

five different options for parents to enroll their children in and they ae

Hauptschule, Realschule, Mittelschule, Gymnasium, and Gesamtschule.

Parents are offered a variety of choice and can find the one that best meets

the needs of their child. Public universities in Germany are also free, which
gives anyone the opportunity to seek higher education. Overall, Germany is

meeting the first initiative fairly well, but they need to make changes in

regards to their special education.

Moving onto the second initiative set forth by the UN Secretary-

Generals Global Initiative on Education, Germany is exceeding well in the

area of literacy rates. As of 2016, Germanys population is 99% literate and

99% of both males and females over 15 years of age can read and write. This

This chart shows the different levels of

schooling that Germany offers. Parents
have many options to suit the needs of
their child.
is an excellent statistic proving that Germanys education system into high

school is preparing its students well for their future. The quality of education

in Germany is good with the exception of areas in big cities that are filled

with migratory and minority populations. Germany lowers the quality of

education in these urban and rural areas and there have been little
improvements to the education system in those areas. The areas with lower

quality of education do not produce students who are well prepared to enter

the future. There are ongoing disagreements within the German government

on how to improve the quality of education in the urban areas. This area

needs to seriously be addressed and needs to be taken care of for the benefit

of the students. They should be able to receive a quality education without

leaving the area they live in.

The last point on the UN Secretary-Generals Global Initiative on

Education is to foster global citizenship. Germany is preparing their students

to tackle issues that are worldwide and are preparing them for fields that

need more skilled employees. Three areas of Germanys secondary school

are preparing their students more for the future. Hauptschule is one level of

secondary education that allows students access to programs designed for

specific trades. They also get the opportunity to do an apprenticeship of their

choice during the last two years of their schooling. Gymnasium also offers

The literacy rates in Germany are very high and are

the same as the United States showing that their
education system prepares their students well.
students guaranteed access to university and prepares students to enter the

highly competitive fields of law and medicine. The last secondary school that
is preparing its students for their future very well is Realschule. On this level

of secondary education, students are required to learn a foreign language for

at least five years. This is a great skill to learn and will provide them with

more job opportunities because they can communicate to a larger audience.

Germany is progressing very well towards the third initiative of fostering

global citizenship.

Germany has a unique educational system; however, they are still able

to produce bright and intelligent adults. Their literacy rate is high and that is

expected of such a well-developed country. Germany does need to focus on

the areas of special education and low income neighborhoods to ensure

equal opportunities for education.

Works Cited

Education. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2017, from

https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/education/

German School System. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2017, from

http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/germanschools.html

Germany Literacy. (2015, June 30). Retrieved April 05, 2017, from

http://www.indexmundi.com/germany/literacy.html

Priorities | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved

April 05, 2017, from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/gefi/priorities/

The German School System. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2017, from

https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/education/the-german-school-system/