Educating yourself on schooling options in Germany.
When I heard my nine-year-old son sobbing in his bed the other night, I rushed in to his room to discover the cause of his anguish. “I’ll never make the Gymnasium,” he wailed. While this may not be a real emergency, schooling is often a worrisome subject for both parent and child—particularly for expats. Understanding the educational system in Bavaria is the first step to finding a suitable school.In Germany, full-time education is compulsory for nine years, starting at about age six, followed by another three years in part- or full-time education. Until recently, a child had to have reached age six by June 30 to start in September. This rule has been relaxed to include those whose sixth birthday falls before September 30. Parents can choose a local elementary school (Grundschule). Registration is usually in April. Elementary school has four classes but pupils are not graded until the beginning of the third class. A system of grades (Noten), which is used throughout the German school system, ranges from 1, the top mark, to 6, the lowest.
At the start of grade five, secondary education, the system divides into three types of school. The Hauptschule offers a practical,work-related curriculum, slightly less practical and more theoretical is the Realschule (similar to an American junior high school) while the Gymnasium is squarely academic in its approach.
The criterion for being accepted at a Hauptschule is to have graduated from an elementary school. To gain entrance to the Realschule an average grade of 2.66 in the subjects of math, German and general knowledge (Heimat und Sachkunde) in the final report of grade four is needed. To make Gymnasium the marks in math and German should be at least 2.0. In some cases a test lesson (Probeunterricht) or favorable written assessment (Wortgutachten) by the teacher will enable a pupil with slightly lower grades to attend either the Realschule or Gymnasium.
Marks are important in other ways, too. If a child consistently receives low grades, i.e. 5 and 6, s/he may be made to repeat an entire year of school. In German, this is called sitzenbleiben.
Once a pupil has completed the ninth grade at the Hauptschule, a further three years of compulsory part-time vocational schooling must be completed. Students at the Realschule usually go into full- or part-time vocational education after grade ten or attend a school for students age 16 to 18 (Fachoberschule), which prepares them for a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule). The Gymnasium, which goes up to grade 13, prepares students for a standard university education. Children attend different types of Gymnasium, depending on their individual strengths: math and science (Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliches Gymnasium), modern languages (Neusprachliches Gymnasium), or economics and law (Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Gymnasium). The final exam is the Abitur.
If you prefer, and can afford, private schooling Munich offers the following options: the European School Munich (Tel. [089] 630 22 90) places a strong emphasis on languages. Because the school is subsidized, the fees are relatively low. Just outside Munich is the Bavarian International School BIS (Tel. [08133] 91 71 21), which offers schooling from kindergarten to grade 12 and three different diplomas. The other, also coeducational private school is the Munich International School (Tel. [08151] 36 61 20) in Starnberg, which offers more or less the same options as the BIS.
