First, I must say that in Germany there is compulsory schooling. Every child must attend a school that is. In each state compulsory education is regulated. Mostly it is nine years that a child must go to school.

In Germany there are approximately 36 000 public schools and only 2,600 private schools. Private schools are those schools for which parents must pay. Public schools are operated by state or province and are free.

With six years of a German child enters school. Before, it was mostly in kindergarten. Attended first grade in an elementary school then. Most of the primary school lasts four years, in some cases, but also for six years.

After that, parents must decide how to proceed for the child. Are the notes very well? Or the opposite? The notes are issued in Germany 1 to 6 A one is the highest mark, a six, the worst. After the fourth grade children can go into the main school. This lasts until the ninth grade and is the school with the lowest degree. Who was on a school principal makes, then usually a lesson, so a skilled trade, such as painters, carpenters and the like.

But you can also go to the school. When I went to school, it was possible for children from the sixth grade. Who has noticed, for example, that the primary school is too easy, who went to high school. Here you will be ready very handy for life, one learns, for example, in addition to the normal subjects as mathematics and English or German with ten fingers on a keyboard typing or bookkeeping. The school will be completed by the "middle school" and lasts until the 10th Class.

With very good or good grades, you can also go to the fourth grade to high school. In high school, children learn foreign languages, chemistry, physics and similar subjects. The school lasts until the 13th Class, now only up to the 12th Class. They specialize more in their own interests. The last two years in high school called a college level. Here you have so-called advanced courses and basic courses. I had such as advanced courses in German and English, each with 6 hours per week. Subjects that you really do not like, you can deselect. That means you have to do it anymore. This is of course limited. I was lucky enough to deselect chemicals.

In the college level to write a professional job, so about a 30-page scientific paper to a specific topic. This should be a preparation for the study, for he who enters the school with the so-called high school may study at a university. The high school do young Germans with 18 or 19 Then the boys have yet to military service, the federal government, as we say. Or they can perform civilian service, for example, in a nursing home or working in a kindergarten. One of the two is required. Only those who have physical problems, is exempt from this requirement. With 19 or 20 then catch the high school graduates to study.

About the school system is much debated in Germany. Is often criticized that the children are forced at the age of ten years to decide on the main school, secondary school or high school. That's much too early, experts say. There was criticism too often that the high school to Year 13 Class lasts. In Europe it's too long. Therefore, the time is now reduced by one year.

Incidentally, the kids go in Germany usually only in the morning to school. It begins at eight in the morning and ends at a clock. In high school sometimes comes to afternoon classes, two hours of sport or at most, four hours of lessons. However, if the parents have to work all day, there is a crèche, where children can go after school. There, they get food and they can do their homework.

The song at the end is "Stand up" by the band "voting power". I found it in Podsafemusicnetwork.

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First, I must say that in Germany there is compulsory schooling. Every child must attend a school that is. In each state compulsory education is regulated. Mostly it is nine years that a child must go to school. In Germany there are approximately 36 000 public schools and only 2,600 private schools. Private schools are ...