Description of German schools

• Grundschule
  Elementary school
• Hauptschule
  Secondary school preparing for practical jobs
• Realschule
  Secondary school preparing for middle-level careers in trade and industry
• Gymnasium
  Secondary school qualifying for university or equivalent institutions
• Gesamtschule
  Comprehensive secondary school
  

1. The Grundschule

Children enter the common elementary school called the Grundschule usually at the age of six. During their first four years of schooling, the pupils receive the basic knowledge they require for further education.
They are taught

• the reading and writing of the German language,
• mathematics (i.e., arithmetic, simple applications, and some fundamental concepts of geometry),
• Sachunterricht, which provides an introduction to social studies, history, geography, biology, physics, and chemistry;
  also, there is some
• music, art,
• physical education, and
• religious instruction.

All children are taught together since there is no differentiation in subjects or levels.
Sometimes those children having problems in writing or arithmetic are offered additional helping courses.

The choice of the type of secondary school depends on the pupil's report from the Grundschule. The Grundschule (or the orientation level) gives only a recommendation, and the parents make the final decision. Because of this procedure the number of pupils in the Gymnasium and Realschule is increasing.

Furthermore, when there is a Gesamtschule in the township, most of the parents see a good alternative in sending their child to this type of school. More and more, the Hauptschule is becoming a "school for the remainder."

As a rule, secondary schools start at the fifth year of schooling, and in the case of six- year Grundschulen or independent orientation levels (Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Niedersachsen, Saxony-Anhalt), at the seventh year. Furthermore, there are some Gymnasien and Realschulen of a special type (Aufbauschulen) that start at the seventh or eighth year. In some states, Realschulen do not begin until the end of the 6th year of the Hauptschule.

2. The Hauptschule

Pupils attend the Hauptschule up to the ninth year of schooling (in Berlin and Nordrhein-Westfalen, up to the tenth). Afterwards, most attend a part-time vocational school for three years that is parallel to their vocational training. Therefore the education is oriented to this further schooling of most pupils. That was a tradition of the old Volksschule, too.
Subjects at the Hauptschule are

• German,
• English or (in the Saarland) French for at least two years,
• mathematics,
• physics/chemistry, biology, geography,
• history, social studies,
• religious instruction,
• music, art,
• physical education.
  In addition, there is a subject called
• Arbeitslehre that includes some topics like economics, the world of work, technical practice, home economics, and also working with computers.

The details differ from state to state. Usually the pupils can choose their own major.
In the main subjects of German and mathematics, the schools offer two courses at different levels. The upper courses are oriented to the curriculum of the higher types of secondary schools to give the pupils a chance to change the type of school.

3. The Realschule

The Realschulen offer general education up to the tenth year of schooling. Their curricula differ from those of the Hauptschulen mainly in two aspects:

• generally the demands are somewhat higher (more oriented to the Gymnasium), and
• courses in two foreign languages (English and French) are provided, with one of them compulsory.
  In place of the second language, pupils can choose
• special courses like economics or working with computers.

4. The Gymnasium

Gymmnasien are secondary schools offering a final examination (Reifeprüfung/Abitur) at the end. This final examination gives students the qualification they need to enter a university or equivalent institutions
In most of the states the Gymnasium lasts till grade 13 with the exception of most of the new states which still after reunification offer the Abitur at the end of grade 12.
Subjects at the Gymnasium are

• German,
• at least two foreign languages (with English compulsory, but also French, Latin, and depending on the school, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Danish, or Russian),
• mathematics,
• physics,
• chemistry,
• biology,
• geography,
• history,
• social studies,
• religious instruction,
• music,
• art, and
• physical education.

These subjects are compulsory from Grade 5 (or 7) to 10.
Differences exist only in the sequence of foreign languages (i.e., starting with English, French, or Latin) and their number (from two to four).

In its last three years, the Gymnasium offers a course system. The students have to choose several basic courses and two (or three in Rheinland-Pfalz and the Saarland) advanced courses. Compared with the basic courses, these advanced courses include more lessons per week, and the subject matter entails more topics and more complex topics.

German and mathematics have to be chosen (as the basic course or the advanced course). Other subjects can be omitted. There are many very detailed and complicated regulations differing from state to state for which there is no room here to describe.

5. The Gesamtschule