I could never understand my German friends when they talked about their school system, this made me say, “oooooh” and then “still confusing but I think I am getting it” 😂! Thanks DW and Rachel :)
You filmed outside my old Gymnasium in Bonn 😁 Can't believe the pupils still have to use a blackboard in this day and age! We used them and everyone had to chip in for Tafeldienst (blackboard cleaning duty). Thanks Rachel and team for this trip down memory lane ☺️
@@RachelStewart04 No way! Glad to hear they are stepping into the digital age..finally 😁 I remember when our IT teacher proudly proclaimed during my final year in 1996 that the school had bought a hand-held scanner, Logitech mice, and dispensed with monochrome monitors 🤪
At my school our Abifahrt wasn't like that. We went to Rome with out tutor and another teacher. It was fun, but it wasn't a wild, crazy party 24/7 or anything like that. We also had a planned cultural program.
I think what you are describing sounds what i know as the "Studienfahrt" which is separate from the Abifahrt. While the Studienfahrt is something official, the Abifahrt as described in this Video is more of an unofficial tradition.
Did you mention that school ist mandatory (Schulpflicht)? It can get to a point, where children will get picked up by the police at home and brought to the school. And parents can get a fine if their children are not attending school too many times.
Geez! A country this advanced in every social & economic aspect has such a muddled school system. It separates children way too early on the basis of performance
Not just muddled, also performing horribly. The shock of that first PISA report made politicians dive headlong into measures that would improve our statistics but not the students' real life performance. Basically, some things were somewhat standardised and exam questions went away from requiring prior knowledge towards just reading the question properly and then finding the answer in the text. 9th graders could get an Abitur, these days, and that's not a good thing. Since it's more prestigious, most people go for the Abitur (like she said, the Gymnasium is now the most popular type of school), get it easily and then struggle to be able to do what their Abi said they would. An example: when I enrolled in geosciences, the first semester geology exam had a grade average of 3.0 (1-5 system with 1 being perfect and 5 being failed) for us 87-ish students. 2 years later, it had dropped to 3.7 for the 107 students for that semester. That's for an exam that is 100% recalling answers from memory with 100% recycled questions, every year. All because the German school system isn't designed to prepare people for anything. It's designed to yield good statistics.
the system is permeable though, so if you work hard later you can still change. i think its fair to try and group students with similar abilities together. students who tried to go against the recommendations usually failed and lost valuable time
I think we have to seperate them. The System is so underfunded that we cannot manage to teach everyone to his own abilities. Outside help is so hard to get, therapy, medication, diagnosing is incredibly difficult, is on the parents shoulders, takes a good 1-2 years. We have so many children that just cannot speak and understand german well enough. To teach them the language we need more hours, more teachers. And the parents consent. My school offers a great Programm to help in german, Mathe and learning german. But many kids dont attend bc parents dont want them to stay 45 mins longer or miss out on extra curriculars or just think its not necessary. If you transport this value of education in the home and to your children school can do whatever, its unlikely that kids develope a positive attitude towards learning and trying hard. For my own kid: seperating them was the best thing that happend yet. He attends a very demanding stem oriented Gymnasium and finally isnt bored out of his mind all the time. I have the kid that wished for another lockdown so he can be homeschooled again. That said... the System is designed to be connectable. Meaning even if you start out at Hauptschule it is possible to get all your other school graduations . You are not fixed once you are devided or decided to learn a trade. Parents even get the goverment kid money up till the 25 years old as long as it is in some kind of education process.
Rachel, thank you, once again and greetings from Leipzig. I am fortunate, at age 79, to have a mini-job as the Homework Club Tutor (15.00 to 17.00) at Leipzig International School: students from all over the world taught, principally, in English.
Good video! But I think it's also worth to mention, that pupils are allowed to switch between the different school types and that there are plenty options to continue on a higher tier path for basically everyone, after mandatory regular school is finished.
I love education videos about how other countries handle education. I can’t get behind telling a child in 5th grade that they are university material or not. There is so much brain development that goes on from 11 to 18 years of age. I want to become a teacher in Germany. But I think international schools will have to do for now. It would have been better if the video also focused on how Germany is losing teachers and won’t have enough teachers by 2030.
A friend of mine had a Realschulabschluss and now started working for his doctor thesis (no abitur). An ex-colleague of mine had a Hauptschulabschluss, continued to get her Realschulabschluss and has a master now (not sure if she had abitur or not). It's also possible to get your Abitur after having finished school via evening schools, though it's more difficult since you would likely work already. People tend to view the system as more limiting than it actually ends up being. You don't need Abitur to get a bachelor or master degree (like in the case of my friend), but you'll be limited in where to get your bachelor without Abitur, since you'll need training in the related field. Said friend finished his training as a BTA, hence why he was able to study biotechnology.
Also highly depends which 'Universities' you aim for. Germany has 2 kinds of Universities, coinciding to 2 kinds of abiturs. Fachabitur is a vocational abitur, that allows for people to go to Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen or FH). Your friend who got a Thesis without Abitur VERY LIKELY went to a FH. The more trivia focused Abitur is needed for 'real' Universities (they use the german Universität or are shortened to Uni instead of FH). In general, both give Bachelor, Master and Doctor titles. Actually, for many vocational jobs, FH is seen as the superior institution, as the students also already have practical knowledge next to the theoretical foundations. However, in some fields, some Unis are considered 'Elite' and thus a title from them can also open some doors a FH title can't.
@@somederp8915 Well yeah, he got his bachelor and master at a HAW, I guess I should've mentioned that. Doesn't stop you from getting immatriculated in a university for your promotion in my experience, though it might be one factor disadvantaging you in the application process.
@@lalamanana1912 I mean, that's the good thing in germany. Even if it's hard at times, one can always climb up the education hierarchy. I mean, I went Realschule -> Technisches Abitur (NOT a Fachabitur, but a normal Abitur + IT classes) and then to Uni, while my parents migrated to germany in the early 90s with just 2 bags each. While the system is often scrutinised for elitism and early segragation, it's also merit driven. If one wants to, one can climb up on knowledge alone!
She didn’t wanna point it out, but during Abi graduation in our last 2 months with Abistreich and Motto, our whole 13th grade is just drinking / getting wasted, going on everyone’s nerves and partying in school 😂 literally even 6th graders walk around the school just looking at How dumb we are, but also know that that’s where they’ll be at the end as well. love that about our German school tradition 🔥😌
We had our (rather strict) math and physics teacher come up to us and congratulate us on "breaking free" and overstepping some of the rules that the school director had previously imposed on us specifically for the "Abistreich" (we basically were banned from doing anything fun). So even the teachers can appreciate this atmosphere of letting loose and celebrating the end of school :)
Has the Abistreich really become that primitive? In my times, it was a themed live entertainment show which was organized and prepared the night before. At some point, the classrooms were stormed, and the whole school gathered in the gym. Then, the teachers had to entertain by playing games, singing songs or performing other funny things.
I went to a Förderschule vor 2 years and it was one for people that had trouble with being socially comfortable. It was essentially for mental health and almost everyone at my school had depression. And that we went to a special school meant that the teacher could have a way closer eye on us and that they wouldn't just leave you behind like at my Gymnasium. I was only able to graduate because of it. I couldn't have down it at a regular school and I am so thankful that I got the chance to go to a school were they knew how to deal with me and my mental health. It's been truly life saving for me
Very good video, I love explaining the German school system to foreigners. Everybody just ends up confused 😂. The only thing I would have to add is the amount of stress that can build up in students. You'll get held back a year for failing one of your 12 subjects (meaning you are in a different grade for the entire of your school carrier because of one or two subjects). It even goes as far as you having to downgrade to a lower school (that happens a lot after grade 6 in a gymnasium, but also every other grade, or school). And you can take the Abitur only ones or twice in your life, which is nearly the only way to get into university (I know there is others but that gets really complicated and very different from state to state). But all of that is really hard to research, I think you'd have to live though it to fully understand it🙃. Like with everything
That's really a lot like the Indian school system...Would you be able to tell, what would a graduation after only 12 classes be said in German? Sekundärschulabschluss?
@@alisa_isy Yes in India we graduate for University entrance after 12th class final exams.But I am confused what should I put it as in German. I am applying for an Ausbildung so I know it's not equivalent to Abitur.Any insights will be helpful
@@numbpill3545 Ahh okay so in Germany if you wanne apply to an Ausbildung you usually only need 10 years of school and have graduated that. Just put in your report from India, you shouldn't have a problem. But I can't be sure it changes from state to state. But if you say you did 12 years in school you should be fine.
@@numbpill3545 after 12 years in most states it would be equal to Abitur I guess which is the requirement for Uni and usually taken after 12 to 13 years
Biggest issues with the German school system: - Underfunding (chaotic) - Poor resources in most schools (even the most well off) - Poor buildings - A lot of inequality - Behaviour from the students (really bad in some cases) - No united system I have taught in both Germany and England and I am more happy with the English system. They have generally better funded state schools with better resources.
I teach elementary school in germany. This is 100% accurate. I want to add trachers doing a lot of stuff that is not related to teaching, inclusion of students with disabilities without training us, underfunding external help and parents not consenting to access the kid. Also missing: early education. There are kids starting 1st grade without any knowledge of german language, never seen a book, lack basic life skills (dress, use the bathroom properly). Massive shortage of educators in early years is showing. And yes, behaviour. My school district is wealthy, the families well educated. But there is at least 1 kid in every classroom in 1st grade showing incredibly bad behaviour like screaming, kicking, cussing against teachers and other children if told no, not in the mood... Plus another 1-3 with undiagnosed adhd... we also face an increasing number of children that are diagnosed but not treated or medicated bc parents fear side effects. Its incredibly different to teach the other 20 while keeping those 5 in check and somewhat calm. For my oen kid Im incredibly happy that they separate them that early and that our recommendation after grade 4 was binduing. Now he is able to learn at a pace that doesnt bore him out of his mind every day.
It‘s so interesting to see this video because I grew up in Germany but moved away two years ago for University. Trying to explain the German school system to my international friends is almost impossible. I‘m not a fan of the system and I had to experience many of the negative sides. After the Grundschule, I went to a Gymnasium for three years but then had to change schools because of my bad grades in two subjects. Since my other grades were good, my parents decided to send me to a Gesamtschule and even there I was always inbetween A (Gymnasium)- and B (Realschul)- level. I ended up having to change classes there a lot as well. After that, I went to a Berufsschule and two years later did my Fach-Abitur. Which means, I changed schools every 1-3 years. Being a teenager, a stable environment is important to form friendships. I believe that the constant change was really bad for me and I had a horrible time as a teenager. Especially at the Gesamtschule, my grades got significantly worse and I always believed that I was just bad at studying. After the Gesamtschule, I never had any troubles with my grades and I‘m now graduating with a Master’s degree this year, something that I would have never thought was possible when I was a teenager. I honestly believe that the German school system loses a lot of students along the way and the separation has a bad impact on the whole society. My parents never went to University and during my time at the Gymnasium, many students had academic parents. During my time at the other schools, almost no one had parents with an academic background. I think that says a lot.
Yes! Like Rachel stated, thank you for sharing your experiences! My son is 13 years old and will be entering 8th grade and has dual citizenship. He was born in California and after divorce, ex wife and son moved to Germany. He’s in the die Realschule in Bavaria now and has very good grades. My ex and I have 50/50 custody but, he comes and visits for approximately one month a year during the summer and then goes back and every other Christmas. We agreed that our son would come to stay with me for at least one year so he could 1) live with me and his new brothers and sisters, 2) improve his English, experience American schools (same reading - English, math, science, and history, physical sports - his favorite is swimming, *** but more so on the new required computer and technology based classes like coding, robotics, and IT*** and make long last friendships here, and 3) get him to see how the High Schools are here and even the University’s. My ex says keeps telling me each year that he will not be able to come here for the entire year because she’s afraid he may have to repeat the grade over again because the American school may not cover every subject but offers no evidence to support this theory. I know many German students who have moved from one country to Germany, infused into the same grade and not made to repeat their grade. My son has now started asked his teachers and is getting answers that lead towards him not repeating the school year. He’s confused and doesn’t know who to believe. He wants to come to school here for the school years and have more experiences. I have reached out to the American school he would attend and they assured me if there is anytime to come to an American school, now would be the best because it’s just before High school, they don’t use a credit system yet like high school, it’s just based on grades like A, B, C, D, F. They also said that if he is doing well, in German school and does the same here in American, then why should they hold him back? I explained that we would be willing to even get him a tutor and ensure that any other required topics would be covered. I want to reach out to his school and explain this situation to his Principal and see what they say but don’t know how to ask them. What would you recommend I ask them? Is there any truth to this theory that he would have to repeat the 8th grade if he attends an American school? My son says he will be done with school after the 10th grade. Number one, we are shocked at this. Here we go to the 12th grade and he would get college because of my disability because of my time in the Army. He’s already said that he wants to come here when he’s done with school. What advise do you both have for me to provide my ex and my son. Thank you!
@@juanibarra5879you should to make sure that your son moves to America. I do live in German and I regret not moving to Brazil with my children. They were better school time there. It is not only about intelectual Knowledge, it is also about life experience and practice. German cannot provide it and in my opinion guide the future from the students. Awful.
Wow ! As a brit living in the Netherlands, this really surprised me that Germany would be so lacking in a lot of areas, especially digital supplies. You would have thought that they would have been European leaders. Maybe, or rather probably, this is a result of them not being state run ? And my kids finished school 10 years ago (in NL) , and both of them didn't see a blackboard after junior school (11 yrs. old). Positively stoneage !
It is not that smart boards don't exist at all. In fact I recall getting them installed when I was in about 10th grade which was in 2011/12 so about ten years ago. Germany certainly is behind in digitization of its schools which imposed a huge problem for home schooling during the pandemic but it's also not as bad as it appears in these short video snippets.
Well, it's not using a blackboard or a smartboard or whatever digital device you can think of that determines educational success. Just my opinion as a teacher in Germany who is not opposed to the wonders of digitalization.
Well explained Rachel. Bit more complicated than even the UK. However it looks as though the state system has similar woes to the UK in terms of equipment. Vielen dank und schon tag noch. Liebe Grüß.
This is an eye opening video! Danke! Coming from Canadian schools and college/university which usually follows England's standardized educational system, learning about Germany's is quite shocking to see such stark difference!
I am Turkish and in our school system, each lesson is 40 minutes, the break times vary in each school, for example, in my school, the break after the first lesson is 20 minutes. The break after class is 40 minutes, and the rest is all 10 minutes. Class starts at 8 am and ends at 15.10. Each classroom has a whiteboard and a digital, internet-connected board.
In New Zealand the length of a class varies between each school (this is only a thing in high school though). My school has 100 minute classes, some schools have 45 minute classes. I personally think a shorter class is better because with 100 minutes of the same thing you start to get bored and you can no longer focus.
The schools in my age where a complete disaster: I barely graduated in 2006 after many school transfers. My teachers were as narrow minded as they come and the rating system was based on sympathy to the point where in many cases resubmitting the work of my grade A bench neighbour got me a C 🤷♂️ But it gets better later in life. Universities give you a great deal of freedom and time for intellectual explorations with very little pressure. I don’t think it gets much better from a students perspective. When I made an exchange to a top us university i felt more than over prepared.
Are you by chance an Indian? My and most of my classmates' school stories are exactly same - teacher beats with wooden scales/ throws us out of class for petty reasons, favouritism at it's best, sports and games period was almost non existant, syllabus completion is the first priority, most of the encyclopedias in library were locked up in glass cupboards, all we would read was some short fiction stories or useless magazines........
@@dweuromaxx Sure, in Thuringia ... then I studied in Leipzig and moved on to Penn State University. Today, I lead a small research group. When I think about the fact that I was barely able to finish Gymnasium, I'm just devastated. I know I am not the only one who was suffering in the German school system but then moved on to be a constructive part of society. Such a waste. I hope things have improved in the meantime.
Things haven't changed much since I went to school in Germany half a century ago. Interesting video though. We didn't get lunch there, just had a little school store for snacks. You didn't touch on the grading much, which in comparison to American schools depends highly on if the teacher likes you. Mine hated me, so that didn't work out well in my case. Yet, no one would argue that you learn how to learn in a German gymnasium. Once I immigrated to the US in the late 70s, I made Top Graduate at my university in the US; much to the surprise of my parents. Thank you for this!
This video is so spot on about the ups and downs of this system, but also the traditions and festivities especially at the end of your time at school😂 Great video !!!!
A very complicated thingy well researched and explained, thanks ! I should like to point out that the major challenge today is that with a Hauptschulabschluss, there is hardly vocational training that will accept you. Hence most pupils in that school branch hardly see sense in what they are being taught. But as school topics have traditionally been very politically divisive in D (to put it mildly) solutions to this disaster are not even being discussed which is unfortunate, especially for the kids. You did not mention a major difference towards the UK system (on purpose ?) in that all German pupils have to study at least one foreign language (usually English) or even two if they want to go on to the Abitur. An aspect not covered by PISA at all btw. You do not need to be an expert in the field to predict how UK and US pupils would have fared in this respect..
Ah yes that's another really interesting aspect! It looks like PISA is going to start including a "foreign language assessment" (starting with English and then adding more languages) from 2025.
I am in the 12 grade of a Gymnasium and Im getting my Abitur this year and due to COVID ,we haven’t had a Abifahrt (our last trip was in 9th grade), we have to take our 5 hour final exams with ffp2 mask, didn’t finish all themes because of lockdown and non existent online learning platforms and no WiFi and there is a high chance our Abi Ball will be cancelled too, cause of COVID. Even our in official abiparty at the club got indefinitely postponed TWO HOURS before it was supposed to start due to new covid regulations the state decided to instate at midnight.The school/state didn’t handle the situation well at all and it kind ruined the whole final phase of school
@@RachelStewart04 thanks. And although there isn’t a single thing that made this final year feel different or special at all (if you don’t count the constant pressure and fear of graduation exams)at least I had one really great teacher and some awesome friends that made parts of it fun, and I hope we can still have a cool abigeck
@@patrickfitzgerald2861 thank you, maybe I will do that although I do not think they care much about a single teenage girl.. I mean they ignored most of our Fridays for future demonstrations and there were far more people.
@@QueenofStarlight You're not wrong about them, but things can and do change through time, effort and organizing for support. On these school issues it would help a lot if parents understood and were involved. Good luck!
I am a teacher in Germany. You really did point put the problem with broke communities. We still don’t have wifi because my town doesn’t have money… three years ago they built high quality glass fiber in the street but only the close by hospital got a connection. The school didn’t (for I don’t know what reason…) I hate that the financial aspect is not part of the state’s or country’s duty 😐
I was glad when many mean classmates from the Grundschule had to go to the Hauptschule (the lowest one of that 3). In 5th or 6th class it's possible to switch Haupt-/Realschule/Gymnasium as far the rules of the recommendation allows that. As you mentioned, in most state are several possibilities to "upgrade", e.g. if your recommendation was to low in your opinion. Of course only if your grades in your "old" school are good enough. I know serveral people who were 5 years on a Hauptschule and then 2 years on a Berufsfachschule. The result is equal to what you get at the Realschule in 6 years. Or that plus e.g. "berufliches Gymnasium". That are schools where you can make a completely normal Abitur in the meaning of what you're allowed to study. But one of your most important subjects is very different. E.g. at a "technisches Gymasium" certain things you also learn when your're studying mechanical and electrical engineering. Or at a "Wirtschaftsgymnasium" things you'll also learn when you study economics etc. Or when your're doing after mittlere Reife (the result e.g. after 6 years Realschule) a "Ausbildung", some companies allow you to do a "fachgebundene Hochschulreife" in the evenings in 3 years in parallel to your Ausbildung. That means you're allow to study certain things, but only at "universities" that were called Fachhochschule and now call themselve "Hochschule" (what could also be used for "real" universities or e.g. university of applied sciences (they were e.g. engineering schools many decades ago).
Ich bin als Kind von der Grund- zur Hauptschule geschickt worden. 1992 Hauptschulabschluss, war aber mit dem Schnitt nicht zufrieden, 1993 erweiterter Hauptschulabschluss, mit 2,4er Schnitt an die Berufsfachschule, dort 1995 Mittlere Reife, ebenfalls 2,4er Schnitt. Hab mich dann für Fachgymnasium (mit Hamburger Abkommen ) entschieden. 1998 dann Abi. (Zählt in den meisten Bundesländern, außer Bayern und NRW als Abi, in den beiden Ländern nur als Fachhochschulreife)
Very interesting and a little surprising. I had the impression (not sure where from) that in the German school system there were technical schools that were held in great esteem and hence the reputation Germany has for good engineering. I'm surprised that not all schools have WiFi; I thought they would be more forward thinking. I think they need to fund schools more equally across Germany. Surely if parents have the last say in where their children go that will cause problems in terms of numbers and suitability.
We are an industrial powerhouse, but our educational system is embarassing in comparison. Public funding is subpar in large areas, digitalization is a foreign language in many schools and the difficulty standards between schools or even states (Länder) sometimes can't even be compared. A 1 in one state can be a 2+ or a 3 in another. Etc. There's a lot room (and need) for improvement.
German universities are decent, so that's where the engineers are coming from. Also, there's a lot of knowledge inside companies that you come in contact with while working there. Another important aspect is the apprenticeship system. For professions that don't require a university degree, there's a big regulated system of apprenticeships, where you take theoretical classes at a public school and practical work experience in a company (that will usually hire you once you get your certificate after like 3 years). Because of that, Germany has a pretty high skill standard for mechanics, electricians, plumbers, pharmacists... the list is long. So even though the core school system kinda sucks, there are things that balance it out a bit.
There also are certain specialised types of secondary schools like "Wearkrealschulen" (a Realschule with a special focus on arts and crafts), but those are in the minority.
The greatest problem - in my opinion - is that most parents force their kids to go to Gymnasium, because it's the fastest and most easy way to qualify for University. Jobs like carpenters, mechanics, upholsterers and the entire range of crafts in general cannot find any trainees because parents would like to see their children in academic professions. Whether the children want it or not... My whole environment (but it's a common thought) is of the opinion that with a Hauptschul- or Realschulabschluss you are simply too stupid for a "real" school and that you are therefore only allowed to do the dirty work for which "good" students are too intelligent. By the way, I've got a Realschulabschluss, my former classmates are still at school (further qualification for University) I made a training as a bookbinder and I couldn't be prouder because my job requires a high level of technical ability. Like most crafting professions. Just because you've been in school longer and went to college doesn't mean everyone else is worth less.
in NRW Realschule and Hauptschule were combined a few years ago into a Sekundarschule which often has a partnership with a local Gymnasium to open up opportunities for pupils to graduate with an Abitur
6:28: Has the Abistreich really become that primitive? In my times, it was a themed live entertainment show which was organized and prepared the night before. At some point, the classrooms were stormed and the whole school gathered in the gym. The teachers had to entertain by playing games, singing songs or performing other funny things.
I’m sorry but is it just me or are the accents SO satisfying!?! I took German for two months and forgot it all but i think it would be really coo, to learn it’s all someday!!🥰😆😊
Thank you for your great video. What can I say, "Abi habi" ... Greetings from the 1994 abitur class from the Gymnasium am Ostring, Bochum. Our legendary Abifahrt brought us to beautiful Scotland and unforgettable memories remained. Everyone take good care of yourselves.
My son is in Gymnasium but he's not good in music subject, the teacher said he might not pass the secondary test or Mittlereife Stufe (10 class) even now he's still in 6 class. This is one of the most stupid and ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life.
Very good video, thanks for that work ! A school system that seems very interesting, in particular those light school days, letting kids a lot of time to rest and for personal activities ! For homeschooling being illegal, people often think about Germany but it's the same (or quite the same) for several countries (in Europe : the Netherlands, Sweden, since recently France and a few others)
3:57 Ah yes the recommendations for the secondary schools... my primary school teacher recommended me for a realschule at best and now im on my way to get the abitur while being on the upper echelon of our groups
Interesting to hear that Germans leave education up to the state and municipal level like in the US. When our national government is being badly mismanaged, I appreciate the decentralization, but feel many parts of the country suffer due to lack of leadership and funding that could be aided by a more centralized system. Anyway, great video. I love that you took the time to interview kids to get their perspective.
The problem in Germany is that education is almost too decentralised. There's basically 16 different education systems, which is just ridiculously convoluted and complicated at times. I mean, the 16 states can't even agree on how many years each school type takes (looking at you Berlin and Brandenburg...6 years of elementary school...).
I still find it to early that in other,, Bundesländern" primary school ends after 4 its just something I will never get why it's mandatory in all the other parts of Germany
Another awesome video from her. Very infomative, as well as all the other Videos from her.Still the best! Brings me back into the 1974 ,the end of my shool days....a lot of memories .Best regards from Jürgen
I still remember the discussion my parents and the teachers had about my further education. I had good grades in about every class (except physical education), but my teachers were afraid I wouldn't have the nerves to get through Gymnasium, and about my 4 in sports. I had issues with most lessons that required motorical assets and body coordination, with swimming being a particularly hard and traumatizing experience. I still eventually made my abitur, but sports has always been a sour spot to me. Most sports teachers were desperate to improve my grade and treated it like the end of the world whenever I failed a sports test (which eventually rubbed off on me). Needless to say, I'd rather get rid off that class nowadays, or at least would be in favor of not generally grading it anymore. There's no need to keep it, except for giving your students health lessons and exercises for their own sake.
I went to a German school (in Latin America) until 5th grade. Best thing that ever happened to me is the subsequent switch to the American school system. Seriously, my teacher told my parents that I was not "college material" (Abitur) in freaking 4th grade. Yes, 4th grade!!! Total non-sense. That said, learning a third language by 5th grade plus much better art/musical education is something that remains with me to this day and something I found sorely lacking in my American schools (all private in Latin America too). Ended up graduating from a top/very competitive business college in the US so take that Frau Xxxxxxxxxxxx (to protect the fool).
Some schools didn't even have dedicated WiFi? OH NO ... some schools in the US barely have running water or textbooks. I assume we were 78th out of 78 - at least if it measured public schools separately from private ones. The US suffers from the same goofy funding mechanisms, meaning that in many cases the neediest kids get the least resources.
We have the same. Conrete crumbling from the ceiling, mold everywhere, dirty water... But my school is very advanced thankfully. There are a lot of documentaries by state media on the topic though, so I know about some cases
USA doesn't pay or treat their police or teachers as professionals, and therefore have the obvious problems they have and regularly demonstrate them to the world
It's intresting where Homeschooling is banned in Germany, while in my country is something usual. Because some pupils may also work for entertainment. Like teen actor or child actor work in the evening and in the morning they study at home so they can keep the stamina good for their job. I don't think how this could happen in my country too. Mostly run by private foundation
Although most UK schools do have uniforms, some schools don't - my son's secondary school, on a Scottish island, also has no uniform. It has plusses and minuses!
Als angehender Lehrer war ich ja skeptisch. Aber das Video ist wirklich sehr gut. Es ist verständlich, aber dennoch wurde die Unübersichtlichkeit durch den Förderalismus im Schulsystem deutlich. Ebenso wurde die Förderschule angesprochen, die sehr oft vergessen wird (man spricht ja auch immer von einem 3-gliedrigen System; die Förderschule wird ignoriert). Ebenso wurden stärken und Probleme schön aufgezeigt. Abgerundet wurde es mit eher kulturellen Dingen wie der Schultüte und der Abifahrt. Sollte ich mal einem englischsprechenden das Schulsystem erklären wollen, würde ich ihm dieses Video zeigen... solange es halt noch aktuell ist. Die Digitalisierung geht ja hoffentlich jetzt etwas schneller voran :)
I went to school in Germany and I don‘t know anything about restrictions for homework at weekends. I was a quick learner and finished my homework way faster than others in my class. But I felt really overload and sometimes homework destroyed my family‘s weekend plans.
Thank you so much Rachel! I always send my American girlfriend who lives in the U.S your videos because sometimes it's hard to explain for me German stuff especially German education system...Not because of language but because it's so messed up and totally different compared to the U.S :D
Und hat auch recht. Es ist natürlich nicht einfach simple Bevorzugung - da spielen verschiedene Dinge mit rein, wie generelle Kultur und Unterschiede in der kindlichen Gehirnentwicklung. Aber Mädchen bekommen besser Noten und bessere Abschlüsse als Jungen. Strukturell gesehen funktioniert unser Schulsystem für Jungen schlechter als für Mädchen, was Noten und Abschlüsse angeht.
Lol came across this video 3 years after I moved to Germany 😂 wish they had it b4 I’m watching this out of fun now and it’s legit so accurate, they didn’t miss anything. Idk if it may be a little different but by my Gymnasium it’s like they know everything ❤
We should talk about how you need to waste 2.5 Years for a 650€ /month salary just to work in a bakery behind a counter for 12€ per hour afterwards ... If you get a Ausbildung at all, with a bad Realschul or Hauptschul testimonial. Elon musk and Bill Gates would work at lidl if they grew up in Germany ... no joke with the certificate and mark obsessions in germany...
I was homeschooled my entire life, and I had a far better education and above average socialization with people of all ages and all backgrounds as compared to my school peers. People are often amazed at my knowledge, social ability, and I am often told that I am very wise for my age. So the belief that homeschoolers don't get a good education or get enough social interaction is wrong. (I am not stating this conclusion based on my own life, but the life of my homeschooled peers as well.) Think about it: In public school, kids sit at their desks all day, obey their teacher, and listen to their teacher lecture. They often are told to sit quietly and not engage with their peers. They get maybe an hour max of recess each day. Homeschooled kids do their learning quickly at home with one on one attention, then attend park days for 4-5 hours 1-3 times a week. Both groups of kids will often engage in the same extracurriculars. So who is getting more socialization? Who is getting the better education? Homeschoolers.
Hi Keaton, thanks for your comment. Glad to hear you had such a positive experience. Sounds like a good homeschooling education hinges very much upon the quality of one's teacher, which perhaps not all kids have access to? 🍎
I have a slight feeling you're American. American public schools across the board have a sucky reputation, but honestly I trusted my public school teachers way more than my parents. My parents couldn't even help me solve basic math homework when I was in middle school, nonetheless less teach me new concepts. It all depends on the circumstances you're born into. Many children don't have the privilege of even having parents that can afford to feed them properly, nevertheless educate them.
@@dweuromaxx Good homeschooling really comes down to whether or not a parent is willing to put the time and effort in. Anyone can teach their child or find the resources to teach what they cannot. Unfortunately not all homeschool parents did that. While I have friends who grew up to be engineers and work for NASA straight out of high school and attend college and get great careers, I have others who barely could read or write by graduation and probably flip hamburgers for a living. The difference isn't in what the parents could teach them, but in what the parents did for them.
@@emilyjaehnert8060 Yes I am American lol. Our schools do have some horrible reputations. In regards to your parents being unable to teach you higher math, my parents couldn't either. We used curriculums or took classes for the things that our parents couldn't teach. The most important part of homeschooling though is a parent learning alongside a child. I can't tell you how many times my mom opened up a book and researched something with us to ensure that we were learning something correctly. Not every parent is able to do that though so you are correct. However, there are MANY resources out there for working parents to homeschool their children while working!!! I knew a few growing up and know a few now!!! True the education is going to look a bit different than I suppose your more traditional homeschooling of the parent being the primary teacher, but that's okay!!! The child is still getting a better education as there is more one on one type help for the child.
‘Stunde’ can mean ‘lesson’, besides ‘hour’. I did latin for 5 years. The gymnasium stream needn’t go 12/13 years, as there are intermediate diplomas. ‘Erweiterter Sekundärabschluss’ after 10th grade and ‘Fachabitur’ after 11th grade. …but that terminology may not be current. Many areas moved to Abitur after 12th grade about 10 years ago. That IT is behind standards was not a surprise as Germany education is very much about interaction, consideration and debate, therefore not necessarily focussed on technical infrastructure pre Covid. I went to a ‘day school’ that started with a bus at 07:05, first lesson was at 07:45, mid morning breakfast break at 10:00, lunch at 12:30, homework support until 14:30, activity/special interest until 16:30. School on Saturdays was every 2nd week for just 4 periods until 12:00 with a ‘short’ breakfast break. In many schools the class needs to go to the teacher, meaning transit between classes, hence the 10-15 min between periods. Edit: Before determining the focus topics of Abitur, which require a nomination of subjects to be written and spoken, subjects can be up to 14-15 in number. All being actively assessed and relevant to graduating a year. That reduces then toward Abitur when core and specialist subjects are elected (and which can co-determine factors of future study consideration). It used to be for example that without certain latin diplomas, one couldn’t study medicine. It’s probably not like that now.
the bright side, one can go for evening Gymnasium also. continuing education program are not a nightmare, no one will be left behind without learning a bread earning skill, volkschule courses are amazing.
At the Gymnasium where I graduated, the Abitur-class has a ritual which they call "the pilgrimage". The students of the Abitur-class all meet up in the night before the very last schoolday at 0 o' clock at the Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte dressed up in their costumes for the last motto-week day and walk from there around 6hrs to the school building in Berlin-Marzahn to attend the last schoolday.
Explains a lot I didn't know growing up. LOL! Danke.
2 года назад+27
The segregation in the German school system is abismal. Despite giving everyone the opportunity to access to public education, me, as a teacher, cannot believe the system tells you whether you are university material or not at that age. It doesn’t matter if it is just a recommendation, but that is just way too much. After realizing about how the system works, I immediatialy gave up on the idea of becoming a school teacher here. I know each country has their own system but this is a bit archaic in many ways. Just for you to know how important grades are, when you book an appointment to see a doctor on doctolib, an app for that matter, some doctors publish their final grade from university. That is so messed up.
Hi GomezCamilo, thanks for your comment. It seems that the system does favour some children over others. Do you think mixed schooling is a better solution here?
2 года назад+4
@@dweuromaxx Not necessarily mixing, although in terms of learning that would be the ideal. Systems like Finland are like that and they always are ranked the highest. Nevertheless, if Germany kept the same system, at the very least, I would set that “recommendation” from the teacher at least at the end of 8th year. At least by then, kids have a clearer panorama of what they want (at least a better one than when they are 10 y/o). It is good you have people for every job but at the same time you are restricting chances for students to do what they are good for instead of what they want to do. Therefore, there is no liberty of choice, and basically, that forces you to plan your life ahead at a too early stage of it.
@ It used to be after 6th grade with the "Orientierungsstufe" for grades 5-6, but that got removed a few years back and the decision moved forward to after grade 4.
You can always change the school. If you are to good you go up if you are to bad you go one down. And also the recommendation from the teacher is really important, because some parents can be to blind to see that their child will get a hard time if he goes to a Gymnasiums. Normally these schools should help you. And cather to your needs. And even if you only get a Hauptschulanschluss you still get the opportunity to make the Abitur and study. Nothing is really decided in 4th grade. They only decided what will work better for you. But still is is not perfect and has a lot of issues a lot
2 года назад
@@lucycarlay8547 Yes. I am aware of that. The problem for me is knowing that someone else is limiting or „deciding“ what is your roof, and that is something I don’t identify myself with, but I get your point.
I think it is universally accepted that German schools are harder than US schools. I think the hardest are in Japan--at least expectations. Japan has had a reputation of higher suicide rates in their schools due to the pressure put on students. Is this an issue in German schools?
@Mike Grabbert This sadly is an issue all over the world - fortunately many formerly authoritarian schools change that by being more interested in the actual problems of the students.
Actually in my school they started to have longer school hours in 2011 or 2012. One hour was 67 or 68 minutes long so we started at 7:45 and our first break was at 8:52, a break until 9:02 and the next subject until 10:10 :D it was kind of confusing
love the video! It sums up the primary and secondary part of the system really well. Also a big thanks for continuing the series that helped me to explain a lot of things about my culture to my girlfriend 🙈 will there be a 2nd part where you explain the DQR and EQR index, but also Fachhochschulreife, the dritte Bildungsweg (Either the dual system parallel to work or full time studies where you study 6 semester in 4 with the specialty that it needs to follow the regular school system even though its a univerity which means additional grades for presence and verbal participation next to the usual univerity stuff without semester holidays) and differences between Wirtschaftsschule (Betriebswirt/Bachelor&Master BA), Technikerschule and Meisterschule? - Is it actually still possible to leave a vocational school half a year early when you exceed the average of 2? And is there still vocational trainings (Ausbildung) that have Intervallunterricht like the hearing aid acoustic technican guys used to have? -
Great segment as usual. I really enjoyed hearing the children's perspective!! Seems like a very complicated system. 👍🏼for the Waldorf method of teaching. 🏫 🎒 📖
@c0d3 m0nk3y 😳 Oops. You're right of course. But actually Rachel was just waiting for someone to make this comment so she could get a huge "Schultüte" filled with sweets and cool *Stationery* too .. 😁
Yea, it's so great that I had school from 8am-4pm in my first 2 years when I came here. Because as the school said it's to "help us" learn german better. Plus, let's not forget being treated like you're not a human because you're a foreigner. And told many times, "Ausländer raus" (foreigners out) by Germans. So yea, very lovely.
I think its a sort of fuedel system adapted into education system which will keep the rich rich and the poor poor. Being good in school or having university degree is no longer a key to success in life. Success in life depends on so many factors and is difficult to frame it into education system. It would have been better if all children went to same type of school. Another point which is emphasised is digitalization, yes digitalization is important but having a good teacher/talented teacher is priceless. Whats the point of having all the gadgets if you are not taught well.
That turn so many emotions...Es waren tolle zwei Jahre Schulleben in Deutschland. Ich werde mich immer an meine Grundschule hier in Deutschland erinnern.
Ich auch, vor allem an die vielen Schläge, die wir vom Lehrer empfangen haben, Stockhiebe für Knaben, Ohrfeigen für die Mädchen. Nicht, daß es in der Hauptschule anders gewesen wäre - man erzählt heute noch von blauen Augen und von Lehrern ausgeschlagenen Zähnen (einmal hat auch ein Mädchen auf diese Weise einen Zahn verloren - vom betreffenden Lehrer kann nach einem halben Jahrhundert noch jeder seine eigene schmerzhafte Anekdote erzählen).
Back in my college days a did a paper in German School system. It got turned down because History department was more interested in Jörn Rüsen work than the German Schooling system. Glad to see this video :)
Our Abistreich prank back in the 90s.. We bought 3 pigs from a farmer and painted numbers on them. 1, 2 and 4. After that we released them into the building. They were really fast in catching number 1,2 and 4 but they were searching for a number 3 for hours.
Das ist ja geil. Weil der Jahrgang vor uns 5 Klässler mit Wodka und Korn durchnässt hat (mit Wasserbomben und Wasserpistolen nur halt mit Alk statt Wasser) gab es bei uns nur eine sehr sparsame Ausführung und wir wurden streng überwacht.
We had a late night talk show. One student was the host, and the teachers were various guests that were interviewed and had a stage performance. That was before TV total.
they were all fun from grade 1 to 4, until suddenly things got dark. At 4 grade you have to decide whether you want to be a carpenter, go straight to workshop or go to uni.. Dark, very dark indeed. XD
@@RachelStewart04 I think I prefer it. I went to a 'Gesamtschule' in Canada. There were some advance classes but ultimately we all shared one school and many classes. Those with special needs were part of it as well. It was not ideal by any means, but I am grateful for having made friends from all walks of life. It is closer to creating equal opportunity. Also, thank you for a really great informative and short video, as always!
Es gibt kein deutsches Schulsystem. Es gibt 16 Ländersysteme, so unterschiedlich, daß man sich wundert, daß sie das kleine Einmaleins gemeinsam haben (haben sie?).
and yes people here lack in digitilisation but that makes german communicate with each other. i see mommies outside school talking with each other, speaking and sharing thoughts with each other kids. only incase of important work we take my cell phones out. we are not always rushing, not always in hurry. eventhough we work fast when we have to, but we always have time for a little chit chat. people here trust each other, respect each other. some of them see us "muslims" differently, i know, but many of them accept as as we are. people must understand that german job market need expats, we got the jobs here because there was a vacancy and someone had to fill it!! the funniest thing is that when germans think that a pakistani can not be intelligent or can not speak English 🤣 some judge us on the basis of our politicians 😂 but thats ok, we will spread love, till when we can!! Euromaxx , you are doing an amazing job. i learn so much from this channel.
@@winterlinde5395 little deeds of kindness, little words of love, make our Earth an Eden, like the heaven above !! Heimweh is real, but now we also have a positive connection with Deutschland, all because of kind people like you 🧡
In my days (lol, not so long ago but Abi 2009) no school that I know of had a canteen. I now realize how regressive this was, someone in the family, mostly the mother, had to just make peace with working part time forever.
People are laughing about blackboards, but I honestly don't get what's wrong with them. I actually prefer them over whiteboards. They don't need electricity, you don't have to think about technology, you don't have a pen who suddenly loses connection with the board... . I think it's more handy than a whiteboard.
Right. A blackboard, accomanied by a projektor and a pc seem to be the best to do the trick to me. Even better, when you have tabletts and can throw them on the projektor if you need to
What do you think of the German school system? 🎒
You also can't forget about the overhead projector, an ancient technology still used today all over German schools.
A classic.
And don't forget the old TV placed in a cupboard on wheels, and when this was rolled into the classroom it was the best 'Stunde' of the day :-D
@@sonnialex6727 And it was either the last week before Christmas where "we will do nothing new anymore" - or the teacher wasn't prepared ;)
@@sonnialex6727 Same in Czechia, together with the projector.
Verdammte Beamer
I could never understand my German friends when they talked about their school system, this made me say, “oooooh” and then “still confusing but I think I am getting it” 😂! Thanks DW and Rachel :)
Lies again? DFW Principal
You filmed outside my old Gymnasium in Bonn 😁 Can't believe the pupils still have to use a blackboard in this day and age! We used them and everyone had to chip in for Tafeldienst (blackboard cleaning duty). Thanks Rachel and team for this trip down memory lane ☺️
That was also my school, not much has changed in the past 40 years.
Welches?
Oh cool! We filmed the blackboard scene and the digital board scene in the same school, so they have the best of both worlds 😆
@@RachelStewart04 No way! Glad to hear they are stepping into the digital age..finally 😁 I remember when our IT teacher proudly proclaimed during my final year in 1996 that the school had bought a hand-held scanner, Logitech mice, and dispensed with monochrome monitors 🤪
@@Sayu277 Das Päda 😎
At my school our Abifahrt wasn't like that. We went to Rome with out tutor and another teacher. It was fun, but it wasn't a wild, crazy party 24/7 or anything like that. We also had a planned cultural program.
Nice! 👍👍
I think what you are describing sounds what i know as the "Studienfahrt" which is separate from the Abifahrt. While the Studienfahrt is something official, the Abifahrt as described in this Video is more of an unofficial tradition.
Ich war 7 Tage dauerstramm in lloret de mar😅
@@avsbes98 Then my school didn't have such a tradition. Could be the case!
Also wir warn 10 Tage auf Korfu am durchsaufen
Noch eine fantastische Episode von Meet the Germans. Vielen Dank, Rachel und DW!
Our pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.
Joe its danke,not dank
@@thepatriot47 Es heißt Danke or vielen Dank
@@thepatriot47 Vielen dank is correct.
@@thepatriot47 es ist dank
Did you mention that school ist mandatory (Schulpflicht)? It can get to a point, where children will get picked up by the police at home and brought to the school. And parents can get a fine if their children are not attending school too many times.
Geez!
A country this advanced in every social & economic aspect has such a muddled school system. It separates children way too early on the basis of performance
Not just muddled, also performing horribly. The shock of that first PISA report made politicians dive headlong into measures that would improve our statistics but not the students' real life performance. Basically, some things were somewhat standardised and exam questions went away from requiring prior knowledge towards just reading the question properly and then finding the answer in the text. 9th graders could get an Abitur, these days, and that's not a good thing. Since it's more prestigious, most people go for the Abitur (like she said, the Gymnasium is now the most popular type of school), get it easily and then struggle to be able to do what their Abi said they would.
An example: when I enrolled in geosciences, the first semester geology exam had a grade average of 3.0 (1-5 system with 1 being perfect and 5 being failed) for us 87-ish students. 2 years later, it had dropped to 3.7 for the 107 students for that semester. That's for an exam that is 100% recalling answers from memory with 100% recycled questions, every year.
All because the German school system isn't designed to prepare people for anything. It's designed to yield good statistics.
the system is permeable though, so if you work hard later you can still change. i think its fair to try and group students with similar abilities together. students who tried to go against the recommendations usually failed and lost valuable time
I think we have to seperate them. The System is so underfunded that we cannot manage to teach everyone to his own abilities. Outside help is so hard to get, therapy, medication, diagnosing is incredibly difficult, is on the parents shoulders, takes a good 1-2 years. We have so many children that just cannot speak and understand german well enough. To teach them the language we need more hours, more teachers. And the parents consent. My school offers a great Programm to help in german, Mathe and learning german. But many kids dont attend bc parents dont want them to stay 45 mins longer or miss out on extra curriculars or just think its not necessary. If you transport this value of education in the home and to your children school can do whatever, its unlikely that kids develope a positive attitude towards learning and trying hard.
For my own kid: seperating them was the best thing that happend yet. He attends a very demanding stem oriented Gymnasium and finally isnt bored out of his mind all the time. I have the kid that wished for another lockdown so he can be homeschooled again.
That said... the System is designed to be connectable. Meaning even if you start out at Hauptschule it is possible to get all your other school graduations . You are not fixed once you are devided or decided to learn a trade. Parents even get the goverment kid money up till the 25 years old as long as it is in some kind of education process.
Rachel, thank you, once again and greetings from Leipzig. I am fortunate, at age 79, to have a mini-job as the Homework Club Tutor (15.00 to 17.00) at Leipzig International School: students from all over the world taught, principally, in English.
Respekt!
Good video! But I think it's also worth to mention, that pupils are allowed to switch between the different school types and that there are plenty options to continue on a higher tier path for basically everyone, after mandatory regular school is finished.
I love education videos about how other countries handle education. I can’t get behind telling a child in 5th grade that they are university material or not. There is so much brain development that goes on from 11 to 18 years of age.
I want to become a teacher in Germany. But I think international schools will have to do for now. It would have been better if the video also focused on how Germany is losing teachers and won’t have enough teachers by 2030.
this doesnt mean you will stick to the level you get to. if youre in real in 5th grade and do good. you can go up to gymnasium. same the other way
A friend of mine had a Realschulabschluss and now started working for his doctor thesis (no abitur). An ex-colleague of mine had a Hauptschulabschluss, continued to get her Realschulabschluss and has a master now (not sure if she had abitur or not). It's also possible to get your Abitur after having finished school via evening schools, though it's more difficult since you would likely work already. People tend to view the system as more limiting than it actually ends up being. You don't need Abitur to get a bachelor or master degree (like in the case of my friend), but you'll be limited in where to get your bachelor without Abitur, since you'll need training in the related field. Said friend finished his training as a BTA, hence why he was able to study biotechnology.
Also highly depends which 'Universities' you aim for. Germany has 2 kinds of Universities, coinciding to 2 kinds of abiturs.
Fachabitur is a vocational abitur, that allows for people to go to Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen or FH). Your friend who got a Thesis without Abitur VERY LIKELY went to a FH.
The more trivia focused Abitur is needed for 'real' Universities (they use the german Universität or are shortened to Uni instead of FH).
In general, both give Bachelor, Master and Doctor titles. Actually, for many vocational jobs, FH is seen as the superior institution, as the students also already have practical knowledge next to the theoretical foundations. However, in some fields, some Unis are considered 'Elite' and thus a title from them can also open some doors a FH title can't.
@@somederp8915 Well yeah, he got his bachelor and master at a HAW, I guess I should've mentioned that. Doesn't stop you from getting immatriculated in a university for your promotion in my experience, though it might be one factor disadvantaging you in the application process.
@@lalamanana1912 I mean, that's the good thing in germany. Even if it's hard at times, one can always climb up the education hierarchy. I mean, I went Realschule -> Technisches Abitur (NOT a Fachabitur, but a normal Abitur + IT classes) and then to Uni, while my parents migrated to germany in the early 90s with just 2 bags each. While the system is often scrutinised for elitism and early segragation, it's also merit driven. If one wants to, one can climb up on knowledge alone!
She didn’t wanna point it out, but during Abi graduation in our last 2 months with Abistreich and Motto, our whole 13th grade is just drinking / getting wasted, going on everyone’s nerves and partying in school 😂
literally even 6th graders walk around the school just looking at How dumb we are, but also know that that’s where they’ll be at the end as well. love that about our German school tradition 🔥😌
We had our (rather strict) math and physics teacher come up to us and congratulate us on "breaking free" and overstepping some of the rules that the school director had previously imposed on us specifically for the "Abistreich" (we basically were banned from doing anything fun). So even the teachers can appreciate this atmosphere of letting loose and celebrating the end of school :)
Has the Abistreich really become that primitive? In my times, it was a themed live entertainment show which was organized and prepared the night before. At some point, the classrooms were stormed, and the whole school gathered in the gym. Then, the teachers had to entertain by playing games, singing songs or performing other funny things.
I went to a Förderschule vor 2 years and it was one for people that had trouble with being socially comfortable. It was essentially for mental health and almost everyone at my school had depression. And that we went to a special school meant that the teacher could have a way closer eye on us and that they wouldn't just leave you behind like at my Gymnasium. I was only able to graduate because of it. I couldn't have down it at a regular school and I am so thankful that I got the chance to go to a school were they knew how to deal with me and my mental health. It's been truly life saving for me
In my time bullies were sent to special schools, not their victims. Times change.
Very good video, I love explaining the German school system to foreigners. Everybody just ends up confused 😂.
The only thing I would have to add is the amount of stress that can build up in students. You'll get held back a year for failing one of your 12 subjects (meaning you are in a different grade for the entire of your school carrier because of one or two subjects). It even goes as far as you having to downgrade to a lower school (that happens a lot after grade 6 in a gymnasium, but also every other grade, or school). And you can take the Abitur only ones or twice in your life, which is nearly the only way to get into university (I know there is others but that gets really complicated and very different from state to state).
But all of that is really hard to research, I think you'd have to live though it to fully understand it🙃. Like with everything
That's really a lot like the Indian school system...Would you be able to tell, what would a graduation after only 12 classes be said in German? Sekundärschulabschluss?
@@numbpill3545 what do you mean my graduating 12 classes, do you mean graduating after 12 years of school?
@@alisa_isy Yes in India we graduate for University entrance after 12th class final exams.But I am confused what should I put it as in German. I am applying for an Ausbildung so I know it's not equivalent to Abitur.Any insights will be helpful
@@numbpill3545 Ahh okay so in Germany if you wanne apply to an Ausbildung you usually only need 10 years of school and have graduated that. Just put in your report from India, you shouldn't have a problem. But I can't be sure it changes from state to state. But if you say you did 12 years in school you should be fine.
@@numbpill3545 after 12 years in most states it would be equal to Abitur I guess which is the requirement for Uni and usually taken after 12 to 13 years
Biggest issues with the German school system:
- Underfunding (chaotic)
- Poor resources in most schools (even the most well off)
- Poor buildings
- A lot of inequality
- Behaviour from the students (really bad in some cases)
- No united system
I have taught in both Germany and England and I am more happy with the English system. They have generally better funded state schools with better resources.
Behaviour from the students?
I teach elementary school in germany. This is 100% accurate. I want to add trachers doing a lot of stuff that is not related to teaching, inclusion of students with disabilities without training us, underfunding external help and parents not consenting to access the kid.
Also missing: early education. There are kids starting 1st grade without any knowledge of german language, never seen a book, lack basic life skills (dress, use the bathroom properly). Massive shortage of educators in early years is showing.
And yes, behaviour. My school district is wealthy, the families well educated. But there is at least 1 kid in every classroom in 1st grade showing incredibly bad behaviour like screaming, kicking, cussing against teachers and other children if told no, not in the mood... Plus another 1-3 with undiagnosed adhd... we also face an increasing number of children that are diagnosed but not treated or medicated bc parents fear side effects. Its incredibly different to teach the other 20 while keeping those 5 in check and somewhat calm.
For my oen kid Im incredibly happy that they separate them that early and that our recommendation after grade 4 was binduing. Now he is able to learn at a pace that doesnt bore him out of his mind every day.
It‘s so interesting to see this video because I grew up in Germany but moved away two years ago for University. Trying to explain the German school system to my international friends is almost impossible. I‘m not a fan of the system and I had to experience many of the negative sides. After the Grundschule, I went to a Gymnasium for three years but then had to change schools because of my bad grades in two subjects. Since my other grades were good, my parents decided to send me to a Gesamtschule and even there I was always inbetween A (Gymnasium)- and B (Realschul)- level. I ended up having to change classes there a lot as well. After that, I went to a Berufsschule and two years later did my Fach-Abitur. Which means, I changed schools every 1-3 years. Being a teenager, a stable environment is important to form friendships. I believe that the constant change was really bad for me and I had a horrible time as a teenager. Especially at the Gesamtschule, my grades got significantly worse and I always believed that I was just bad at studying. After the Gesamtschule, I never had any troubles with my grades and I‘m now graduating with a Master’s degree this year, something that I would have never thought was possible when I was a teenager. I honestly believe that the German school system loses a lot of students along the way and the separation has a bad impact on the whole society. My parents never went to University and during my time at the Gymnasium, many students had academic parents. During my time at the other schools, almost no one had parents with an academic background. I think that says a lot.
Thanks so much for sharing and I'm sorry to hear that. Your experience definitely reflects the flaws in the system! Congrats on the Master's degree :)
Yes! Like Rachel stated, thank you for sharing your experiences!
My son is 13 years old and will be entering 8th grade and has dual citizenship. He was born in California and after divorce, ex wife and son moved to Germany. He’s in the die Realschule in Bavaria now and has very good grades. My ex and I have 50/50 custody but, he comes and visits for approximately one month a year during the summer and then goes back and every other Christmas. We agreed that our son would come to stay with me for at least one year so he could 1) live with me and his new brothers and sisters, 2) improve his English, experience American schools (same reading - English, math, science, and history, physical sports - his favorite is swimming, *** but more so on the new required computer and technology based classes like coding, robotics, and IT*** and make long last friendships here, and 3) get him to see how the High Schools are here and even the University’s.
My ex says keeps telling me each year that he will not be able to come here for the entire year because she’s afraid he may have to repeat the grade over again because the American school may not cover every subject but offers no evidence to support this theory. I know many German students who have moved from one country to Germany, infused into the same grade and not made to repeat their grade. My son has now started asked his teachers and is getting answers that lead towards him not repeating the school year. He’s confused and doesn’t know who to believe. He wants to come to school here for the school years and have more experiences.
I have reached out to the American school he would attend and they assured me if there is anytime to come to an American school, now would be the best because it’s just before High school, they don’t use a credit system yet like high school, it’s just based on grades like A, B, C, D, F. They also said that if he is doing well, in German school and does the same here in American, then why should they hold him back? I explained that we would be willing to even get him a tutor and ensure that any other required topics would be covered. I want to reach out to his school and explain this situation to his Principal and see what they say but don’t know how to ask them. What would you recommend I ask them?
Is there any truth to this theory that he would have to repeat the 8th grade if he attends an American school?
My son says he will be done with school after the 10th grade. Number one, we are shocked at this. Here we go to the 12th grade and he would get college because of my disability because of my time in the Army.
He’s already said that he wants to come here when he’s done with school.
What advise do you both have for me to provide my ex and my son. Thank you!
It's a prison, any school is
Not sure what's so difficult to explain
Definitely! You've described so well how inefficient the German school system is. My Son is getting through that.
@@juanibarra5879you should to make sure that your son moves to America. I do live in German and I regret not moving to Brazil with my children. They were better school time there. It is not only about intelectual Knowledge, it is also about life experience and practice. German cannot provide it and in my opinion guide the future from the students. Awful.
Wow ! As a brit living in the Netherlands, this really surprised me that Germany would be so lacking in a lot of areas, especially digital supplies. You would have thought that they would have been European leaders. Maybe, or rather probably, this is a result of them not being state run ? And my kids finished school 10 years ago (in NL) , and both of them didn't see a blackboard after junior school (11 yrs. old). Positively stoneage !
You're wright. It is unbelievable.
It is not that smart boards don't exist at all. In fact I recall getting them installed when I was in about 10th grade which was in 2011/12 so about ten years ago. Germany certainly is behind in digitization of its schools which imposed a huge problem for home schooling during the pandemic but it's also not as bad as it appears in these short video snippets.
Why do Universties in the States or UK do have so many blackboards? A blackboard doesn't seem to be so bad or old fashioned, does it?
@@CHarlotte-ro4yi Not just schools. The country is behind in digitalization in general.
Well, it's not using a blackboard or a smartboard or whatever digital device you can think of that determines educational success. Just my opinion as a teacher in Germany who is not opposed to the wonders of digitalization.
Well explained Rachel.
Bit more complicated than even the UK.
However it looks as though the state system has similar woes to the UK in terms of equipment.
Vielen dank und schon tag noch.
Liebe Grüß.
This is an eye opening video! Danke! Coming from Canadian schools and college/university which usually follows England's standardized educational system, learning about Germany's is quite shocking to see such stark difference!
I am Turkish and in our school system, each lesson is 40 minutes, the break times vary in each school, for example, in my school, the break after the first lesson is 20 minutes. The break after class is 40 minutes, and the rest is all 10 minutes. Class starts at 8 am and ends at 15.10. Each classroom has a whiteboard and a digital, internet-connected board.
In New Zealand the length of a class varies between each school (this is only a thing in high school though). My school has 100 minute classes, some schools have 45 minute classes. I personally think a shorter class is better because with 100 minutes of the same thing you start to get bored and you can no longer focus.
The schools in my age where a complete disaster: I barely graduated in 2006 after many school transfers. My teachers were as narrow minded as they come and the rating system was based on sympathy to the point where in many cases resubmitting the work of my grade A bench neighbour got me a C 🤷♂️
But it gets better later in life. Universities give you a great deal of freedom and time for intellectual explorations with very little pressure. I don’t think it gets much better from a students perspective. When I made an exchange to a top us university i felt more than over prepared.
Are you by chance an Indian? My and most of my classmates' school stories are exactly same - teacher beats with wooden scales/ throws us out of class for petty reasons, favouritism at it's best, sports and games period was almost non existant, syllabus completion is the first priority, most of the encyclopedias in library were locked up in glass cupboards, all we would read was some short fiction stories or useless magazines........
Did you go to school in Germany?
@@dweuromaxx Sure, in Thuringia ... then I studied in Leipzig and moved on to Penn State University. Today, I lead a small research group. When I think about the fact that I was barely able to finish Gymnasium, I'm just devastated. I know I am not the only one who was suffering in the German school system but then moved on to be a constructive part of society. Such a waste. I hope things have improved in the meantime.
@@walterwhite28 what's your school name and location?
@@drawingwithstress Why?
Include the fun schools for grown ups, FSJler, evening schools, trade schools, VHS, Berufsschule, etc etc :)
Things haven't changed much since I went to school in Germany half a century ago. Interesting video though. We didn't get lunch there, just had a little school store for snacks. You didn't touch on the grading much, which in comparison to American schools depends highly on if the teacher likes you. Mine hated me, so that didn't work out well in my case. Yet, no one would argue that you learn how to learn in a German gymnasium. Once I immigrated to the US in the late 70s, I made Top Graduate at my university in the US; much to the surprise of my parents. Thank you for this!
The tempo of Rachel is always very delightful.
Nice observation. I hadn't realized until now and it is indeed something that makes these videos so appealing.
This video is so spot on about the ups and downs of this system, but also the traditions and festivities especially at the end of your time at school😂 Great video !!!!
A very complicated thingy well researched and explained, thanks ! I should like to point out that the major challenge today is that with a Hauptschulabschluss, there is hardly vocational training that will accept you. Hence most pupils in that school branch hardly see sense in what they are being taught. But as school topics have traditionally been very politically divisive in D (to put it mildly) solutions to this disaster are not even being discussed which is unfortunate, especially for the kids.
You did not mention a major difference towards the UK system (on purpose ?) in that all German pupils have to study at least one foreign language (usually English) or even two if they want to go on to the Abitur. An aspect not covered by PISA at all btw. You do not need to be an expert in the field to predict how UK and US pupils would have fared in this respect..
Ah yes that's another really interesting aspect! It looks like PISA is going to start including a "foreign language assessment" (starting with English and then adding more languages) from 2025.
@@RachelStewart04 pisa sucks
@@RachelStewart04 glad my country doesn't have it 😏
You don't need two foreign languages all the way up to the Abitur though, at least not in NRW
@@ohrenaugenkatze_ True but you need at least one of them to the Abitur and four years of the other
I requested this a while back, and here it is . . . thanks guys! 👍👍👍
Oh great! Thanks for the request :)
I am in the 12 grade of a Gymnasium and Im getting my Abitur this year and due to COVID ,we haven’t had a Abifahrt (our last trip was in 9th grade), we have to take our 5 hour final exams with ffp2 mask, didn’t finish all themes because of lockdown and non existent online learning platforms and no WiFi and there is a high chance our Abi Ball will be cancelled too, cause of COVID. Even our in official abiparty at the club got indefinitely postponed TWO HOURS before it was supposed to start due to new covid regulations the state decided to instate at midnight.The school/state didn’t handle the situation well at all and it kind ruined the whole final phase of school
So sorry to hear this, it really is such a shame to miss out on these traditions ☹️ I hope you still have a few highlights in your final year!
You deserved better. If you are up for it, contact your local, state and federal politicians and let them know about this.
@@RachelStewart04 thanks. And although there isn’t a single thing that made this final year feel different or special at all (if you don’t count the constant pressure and fear of graduation exams)at least I had one really great teacher and some awesome friends that made parts of it fun, and I hope we can still have a cool abigeck
@@patrickfitzgerald2861 thank you, maybe I will do that although I do not think they care much about a single teenage girl.. I mean they ignored most of our Fridays for future demonstrations and there were far more people.
@@QueenofStarlight You're not wrong about them, but things can and do change through time, effort and organizing for support. On these school issues it would help a lot if parents understood and were involved. Good luck!
In many german schools the most advanced technical equipment are overhead projectors and a crt tv from the 70s, that serveral classes have to share.
Ouch. Tough times.
I am a teacher in Germany. You really did point put the problem with broke communities. We still don’t have wifi because my town doesn’t have money… three years ago they built high quality glass fiber in the street but only the close by hospital got a connection. The school didn’t (for I don’t know what reason…)
I hate that the financial aspect is not part of the state’s or country’s duty 😐
How did you do during covid with the lack of Wi-Fi?
@@JadeTsukasa Working from home when schools were closed and just sending tasks and worksheets when schools were open but pupils were in quarantaine
As always, a good summary and preparation of the topic.
Excellent presentation as always Rachel. Keep up the good work!
The two photos from your school years were really cute!
Haha thanks!
I was glad when many mean classmates from the Grundschule had to go to the Hauptschule (the lowest one of that 3).
In 5th or 6th class it's possible to switch Haupt-/Realschule/Gymnasium as far the rules of the recommendation allows that.
As you mentioned, in most state are several possibilities to "upgrade", e.g. if your recommendation was to low in your opinion. Of course only if your grades in your "old" school are good enough.
I know serveral people who were 5 years on a Hauptschule and then 2 years on a Berufsfachschule. The result is equal to what you get at the Realschule in 6 years. Or that plus e.g. "berufliches Gymnasium". That are schools where you can make a completely normal Abitur in the meaning of what you're allowed to study. But one of your most important subjects is very different. E.g. at a "technisches Gymasium" certain things you also learn when your're studying mechanical and electrical engineering. Or at a "Wirtschaftsgymnasium" things you'll also learn when you study economics etc.
Or when your're doing after mittlere Reife (the result e.g. after 6 years Realschule) a "Ausbildung", some companies allow you to do a "fachgebundene Hochschulreife" in the evenings in 3 years in parallel to your Ausbildung. That means you're allow to study certain things, but only at "universities" that were called Fachhochschule and now call themselve "Hochschule" (what could also be used for "real" universities or e.g. university of applied sciences (they were e.g. engineering schools many decades ago).
Ich bin als Kind von der Grund- zur Hauptschule geschickt worden. 1992 Hauptschulabschluss, war aber mit dem Schnitt nicht zufrieden, 1993 erweiterter Hauptschulabschluss, mit 2,4er Schnitt an die Berufsfachschule, dort 1995 Mittlere Reife, ebenfalls 2,4er Schnitt. Hab mich dann für Fachgymnasium (mit Hamburger Abkommen ) entschieden. 1998 dann Abi. (Zählt in den meisten Bundesländern, außer Bayern und NRW als Abi, in den beiden Ländern nur als Fachhochschulreife)
DW Euromaxx + Rachel Stewart= A+ (1) ☺️
Very interesting and a little surprising. I had the impression (not sure where from) that in the German school system there were technical schools that were held in great esteem and hence the reputation Germany has for good engineering. I'm surprised that not all schools have WiFi; I thought they would be more forward thinking. I think they need to fund schools more equally across Germany. Surely if parents have the last say in where their children go that will cause problems in terms of numbers and suitability.
We are an industrial powerhouse, but our educational system is embarassing in comparison. Public funding is subpar in large areas, digitalization is a foreign language in many schools and the difficulty standards between schools or even states (Länder) sometimes can't even be compared. A 1 in one state can be a 2+ or a 3 in another. Etc. There's a lot room (and need) for improvement.
German universities are decent, so that's where the engineers are coming from. Also, there's a lot of knowledge inside companies that you come in contact with while working there.
Another important aspect is the apprenticeship system. For professions that don't require a university degree, there's a big regulated system of apprenticeships, where you take theoretical classes at a public school and practical work experience in a company (that will usually hire you once you get your certificate after like 3 years). Because of that, Germany has a pretty high skill standard for mechanics, electricians, plumbers, pharmacists... the list is long.
So even though the core school system kinda sucks, there are things that balance it out a bit.
@@faultier1158 Thank you. I have really enjoyed learning about Germany from your clips
There also are certain specialised types of secondary schools like "Wearkrealschulen" (a Realschule with a special focus on arts and crafts), but those are in the minority.
The greatest problem - in my opinion - is that most parents force their kids to go to Gymnasium, because it's the fastest and most easy way to qualify for University. Jobs like carpenters, mechanics, upholsterers and the entire range of crafts in general cannot find any trainees because parents would like to see their children in academic professions. Whether the children want it or not... My whole environment (but it's a common thought) is of the opinion that with a Hauptschul- or Realschulabschluss you are simply too stupid for a "real" school and that you are therefore only allowed to do the dirty work for which "good" students are too intelligent. By the way, I've got a Realschulabschluss, my former classmates are still at school (further qualification for University) I made a training as a bookbinder and I couldn't be prouder because my job requires a high level of technical ability. Like most crafting professions. Just because you've been in school longer and went to college doesn't mean everyone else is worth less.
in NRW Realschule and Hauptschule were combined a few years ago into a Sekundarschule which often has a partnership with a local Gymnasium to open up opportunities for pupils to graduate with an Abitur
6:28: Has the Abistreich really become that primitive? In my times, it was a themed live entertainment show which was organized and prepared the night before. At some point, the classrooms were stormed and the whole school gathered in the gym. The teachers had to entertain by playing games, singing songs or performing other funny things.
I’m sorry but is it just me or are the accents SO satisfying!?! I took German for two months and forgot it all but i think it would be really coo, to learn it’s all someday!!🥰😆😊
Great job, Rachel and team. Well done.
Thank you for your great video. What can I say, "Abi habi" ... Greetings from the 1994 abitur class from the Gymnasium am Ostring, Bochum. Our legendary Abifahrt brought us to beautiful Scotland and unforgettable memories remained. Everyone take good care of yourselves.
My son is in Gymnasium but he's not good in music subject, the teacher said he might not pass the secondary test or Mittlereife Stufe (10 class) even now he's still in 6 class. This is one of the most stupid and ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life.
Very good video, thanks for that work !
A school system that seems very interesting, in particular those light school days, letting kids a lot of time to rest and for personal activities !
For homeschooling being illegal, people often think about Germany but it's the same (or quite the same) for several countries (in Europe : the Netherlands, Sweden, since recently France and a few others)
True
I loved this video! I never understood the German education system, this explained a lot.
3:57
Ah yes the recommendations for the secondary schools...
my primary school teacher recommended me for a realschule at best and now im on my way to get the abitur while being on the upper echelon of our groups
Interesting to hear that Germans leave education up to the state and municipal level like in the US. When our national government is being badly mismanaged, I appreciate the decentralization, but feel many parts of the country suffer due to lack of leadership and funding that could be aided by a more centralized system. Anyway, great video. I love that you took the time to interview kids to get their perspective.
The problem in Germany is that education is almost too decentralised. There's basically 16 different education systems, which is just ridiculously convoluted and complicated at times. I mean, the 16 states can't even agree on how many years each school type takes (looking at you Berlin and Brandenburg...6 years of elementary school...).
What wasn’t mentioned is that while school infrastructure is the responsibility of the municipalities, teachers are employed by the state.
Normally I don't watch Dokus but Rachel does make everything interesting
I still find it to early that in other,, Bundesländern" primary school ends after 4 its just something I will never get why it's mandatory in all the other parts of Germany
My daughter went to kindergarten through 3rd grade in Germany then we moved stateside. I still have her cone in the attic.😊
Another awesome video from her. Very infomative, as well as all the other Videos from her.Still the best! Brings me back into the 1974 ,the end of my shool days....a lot of memories .Best regards from Jürgen
I still remember the discussion my parents and the teachers had about my further education. I had good grades in about every class (except physical education), but my teachers were afraid I wouldn't have the nerves to get through Gymnasium, and about my 4 in sports. I had issues with most lessons that required motorical assets and body coordination, with swimming being a particularly hard and traumatizing experience. I still eventually made my abitur, but sports has always been a sour spot to me. Most sports teachers were desperate to improve my grade and treated it like the end of the world whenever I failed a sports test (which eventually rubbed off on me).
Needless to say, I'd rather get rid off that class nowadays, or at least would be in favor of not generally grading it anymore. There's no need to keep it, except for giving your students health lessons and exercises for their own sake.
Interesting take. You're right - not everyone feels comfortable or enjoys sport, especially if it's graded. Perhaps this will change in the future!
I went to a German school (in Latin America) until 5th grade. Best thing that ever happened to me is the subsequent switch to the American school system. Seriously, my teacher told my parents that I was not "college material" (Abitur) in freaking 4th grade. Yes, 4th grade!!! Total non-sense. That said, learning a third language by 5th grade plus much better art/musical education is something that remains with me to this day and something I found sorely lacking in my American schools (all private in Latin America too). Ended up graduating from a top/very competitive business college in the US so take that Frau Xxxxxxxxxxxx (to protect the fool).
Oh... and our Senior Trip was pretty much a party from the time we got on the bus throughout the long weekend. 🤣
Some schools didn't even have dedicated WiFi? OH NO ... some schools in the US barely have running water or textbooks. I assume we were 78th out of 78 - at least if it measured public schools separately from private ones. The US suffers from the same goofy funding mechanisms, meaning that in many cases the neediest kids get the least resources.
We have the same. Conrete crumbling from the ceiling, mold everywhere, dirty water... But my school is very advanced thankfully. There are a lot of documentaries by state media on the topic though, so I know about some cases
USA doesn't pay or treat their police or teachers as professionals, and therefore have the obvious problems they have and regularly demonstrate them to the world
It's intresting where Homeschooling is banned in Germany, while in my country is something usual. Because some pupils may also work for entertainment. Like teen actor or child actor work in the evening and in the morning they study at home so they can keep the stamina good for their job. I don't think how this could happen in my country too. Mostly run by private foundation
Child labor is forbidden in Germany.
Kids should have a childhood.
Peter Meyer hallelujah, let's acknowledge that it's often the parents pushing their kids at the expense of their childhood, social and intellectual
@@peter_meyer there are also some Teens who wannabe an Actor❤️
@@peter_meyerdoes that mean that there are no kid actors in German movies?
I will use this video to explain the school system to my friends from now on!
Although most UK schools do have uniforms, some schools don't - my son's secondary school, on a Scottish island, also has no uniform. It has plusses and minuses!
This was an extremely accurate observation of the situation!
I am prone to say: This was the most accurate statement ever!
Als angehender Lehrer war ich ja skeptisch. Aber das Video ist wirklich sehr gut. Es ist verständlich, aber dennoch wurde die Unübersichtlichkeit durch den Förderalismus im Schulsystem deutlich. Ebenso wurde die Förderschule angesprochen, die sehr oft vergessen wird (man spricht ja auch immer von einem 3-gliedrigen System; die Förderschule wird ignoriert). Ebenso wurden stärken und Probleme schön aufgezeigt. Abgerundet wurde es mit eher kulturellen Dingen wie der Schultüte und der Abifahrt. Sollte ich mal einem englischsprechenden das Schulsystem erklären wollen, würde ich ihm dieses Video zeigen... solange es halt noch aktuell ist. Die Digitalisierung geht ja hoffentlich jetzt etwas schneller voran :)
Das freut mich, danke! :)
I went to school in Germany and I don‘t know anything about restrictions for homework at weekends. I was a quick learner and finished my homework way faster than others in my class. But I felt really overload and sometimes homework destroyed my family‘s weekend plans.
Thank you so much Rachel! I always send my American girlfriend who lives in the U.S your videos because sometimes it's hard to explain for me German stuff especially German education system...Not because of language but because it's so messed up and totally different compared to the U.S :D
0:05 How cool! I live in Poland and i remember i got a Schultüte (tyta) on my first day of school as well!
06:02 Legende der Bub
Und hat auch recht. Es ist natürlich nicht einfach simple Bevorzugung - da spielen verschiedene Dinge mit rein, wie generelle Kultur und Unterschiede in der kindlichen Gehirnentwicklung. Aber Mädchen bekommen besser Noten und bessere Abschlüsse als Jungen. Strukturell gesehen funktioniert unser Schulsystem für Jungen schlechter als für Mädchen, was Noten und Abschlüsse angeht.
Lol came across this video 3 years after I moved to Germany 😂 wish they had it b4
I’m watching this out of fun now and it’s legit so accurate, they didn’t miss anything.
Idk if it may be a little different but by my Gymnasium it’s like they know everything ❤
We should talk about how you need to waste 2.5 Years for a 650€ /month salary just to work in a bakery behind a counter for 12€ per hour afterwards ... If you get a Ausbildung at all, with a bad Realschul or Hauptschul testimonial.
Elon musk and Bill Gates would work at lidl if they grew up in Germany ... no joke with the certificate and mark obsessions in germany...
I was homeschooled my entire life, and I had a far better education and above average socialization with people of all ages and all backgrounds as compared to my school peers. People are often amazed at my knowledge, social ability, and I am often told that I am very wise for my age. So the belief that homeschoolers don't get a good education or get enough social interaction is wrong. (I am not stating this conclusion based on my own life, but the life of my homeschooled peers as well.)
Think about it: In public school, kids sit at their desks all day, obey their teacher, and listen to their teacher lecture. They often are told to sit quietly and not engage with their peers. They get maybe an hour max of recess each day.
Homeschooled kids do their learning quickly at home with one on one attention, then attend park days for 4-5 hours 1-3 times a week.
Both groups of kids will often engage in the same extracurriculars.
So who is getting more socialization? Who is getting the better education?
Homeschoolers.
Hi Keaton, thanks for your comment. Glad to hear you had such a positive experience. Sounds like a good homeschooling education hinges very much upon the quality of one's teacher, which perhaps not all kids have access to? 🍎
I have a slight feeling you're American. American public schools across the board have a sucky reputation, but honestly I trusted my public school teachers way more than my parents. My parents couldn't even help me solve basic math homework when I was in middle school, nonetheless less teach me new concepts.
It all depends on the circumstances you're born into. Many children don't have the privilege of even having parents that can afford to feed them properly, nevertheless educate them.
@@dweuromaxx Good homeschooling really comes down to whether or not a parent is willing to put the time and effort in. Anyone can teach their child or find the resources to teach what they cannot. Unfortunately not all homeschool parents did that. While I have friends who grew up to be engineers and work for NASA straight out of high school and attend college and get great careers, I have others who barely could read or write by graduation and probably flip hamburgers for a living. The difference isn't in what the parents could teach them, but in what the parents did for them.
@@emilyjaehnert8060 Yes I am American lol. Our schools do have some horrible reputations. In regards to your parents being unable to teach you higher math, my parents couldn't either. We used curriculums or took classes for the things that our parents couldn't teach. The most important part of homeschooling though is a parent learning alongside a child. I can't tell you how many times my mom opened up a book and researched something with us to ensure that we were learning something correctly. Not every parent is able to do that though so you are correct. However, there are MANY resources out there for working parents to homeschool their children while working!!! I knew a few growing up and know a few now!!! True the education is going to look a bit different than I suppose your more traditional homeschooling of the parent being the primary teacher, but that's okay!!! The child is still getting a better education as there is more one on one type help for the child.
‘Stunde’ can mean ‘lesson’, besides ‘hour’. I did latin for 5 years. The gymnasium stream needn’t go 12/13 years, as there are intermediate diplomas. ‘Erweiterter Sekundärabschluss’ after 10th grade and ‘Fachabitur’ after 11th grade. …but that terminology may not be current. Many areas moved to Abitur after 12th grade about 10 years ago. That IT is behind standards was not a surprise as Germany education is very much about interaction, consideration and debate, therefore not necessarily focussed on technical infrastructure pre Covid. I went to a ‘day school’ that started with a bus at 07:05, first lesson was at 07:45, mid morning breakfast break at 10:00, lunch at 12:30, homework support until 14:30, activity/special interest until 16:30. School on Saturdays was every 2nd week for just 4 periods until 12:00 with a ‘short’ breakfast break. In many schools the class needs to go to the teacher, meaning transit between classes, hence the 10-15 min between periods. Edit: Before determining the focus topics of Abitur, which require a nomination of subjects to be written and spoken, subjects can be up to 14-15 in number. All being actively assessed and relevant to graduating a year. That reduces then toward Abitur when core and specialist subjects are elected (and which can co-determine factors of future study consideration). It used to be for example that without certain latin diplomas, one couldn’t study medicine. It’s probably not like that now.
Kann man so durchgehen lassen, hier wurde rechaschiert! God job.
the bright side,
one can go for evening Gymnasium also.
continuing education program are not a nightmare,
no one will be left behind without learning a bread earning skill,
volkschule courses are amazing.
Good job! As a German student I completely approve this video 👌🏼😂
Thanks! 😃
At the Gymnasium where I graduated, the Abitur-class has a ritual which they call "the pilgrimage". The students of the Abitur-class all meet up in the night before the very last schoolday at 0 o' clock at the Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte dressed up in their costumes for the last motto-week day and walk from there around 6hrs to the school building in Berlin-Marzahn to attend the last schoolday.
5:24 Harry Potter, die klassische Schullektüre
Explains a lot I didn't know growing up. LOL! Danke.
The segregation in the German school system is abismal. Despite giving everyone the opportunity to access to public education, me, as a teacher, cannot believe the system tells you whether you are university material or not at that age. It doesn’t matter if it is just a recommendation, but that is just way too much.
After realizing about how the system works, I immediatialy gave up on the idea of becoming a school teacher here.
I know each country has their own system but this is a bit archaic in many ways. Just for you to know how important grades are, when you book an appointment to see a doctor on doctolib, an app for that matter, some doctors publish their final grade from university. That is so messed up.
Hi GomezCamilo, thanks for your comment. It seems that the system does favour some children over others. Do you think mixed schooling is a better solution here?
@@dweuromaxx Not necessarily mixing, although in terms of learning that would be the ideal. Systems like Finland are like that and they always are ranked the highest.
Nevertheless, if Germany kept the same system, at the very least, I would set that “recommendation” from the teacher at least at the end of 8th year. At least by then, kids have a clearer panorama of what they want (at least a better one than when they are 10 y/o).
It is good you have people for every job but at the same time you are restricting chances for students to do what they are good for instead of what they want to do. Therefore, there is no liberty of choice, and basically, that forces you to plan your life ahead at a too early stage of it.
@ It used to be after 6th grade with the "Orientierungsstufe" for grades 5-6, but that got removed a few years back and the decision moved forward to after grade 4.
You can always change the school. If you are to good you go up if you are to bad you go one down. And also the recommendation from the teacher is really important, because some parents can be to blind to see that their child will get a hard time if he goes to a Gymnasiums. Normally these schools should help you. And cather to your needs. And even if you only get a Hauptschulanschluss you still get the opportunity to make the Abitur and study. Nothing is really decided in 4th grade. They only decided what will work better for you.
But still is is not perfect and has a lot of issues a lot
@@lucycarlay8547 Yes. I am aware of that. The problem for me is knowing that someone else is limiting or „deciding“ what is your roof, and that is something I don’t identify myself with, but I get your point.
I think it is universally accepted that German schools are harder than US schools. I think the hardest are in Japan--at least expectations. Japan has had a reputation of higher suicide rates in their schools due to the pressure put on students. Is this an issue in German schools?
@Mike Grabbert This sadly is an issue all over the world - fortunately many formerly authoritarian schools change that by being more interested in the actual problems of the students.
Actually in my school they started to have longer school hours in 2011 or 2012. One hour was 67 or 68 minutes long so we started at 7:45 and our first break was at 8:52, a break until 9:02 and the next subject until 10:10 :D it was kind of confusing
🤯
love the video! It sums up the primary and secondary part of the system really well. Also a big thanks for continuing the series that helped me to explain a lot of things about my culture to my girlfriend 🙈 will there be a 2nd part where you explain the DQR and EQR index, but also Fachhochschulreife, the dritte Bildungsweg (Either the dual system parallel to work or full time studies where you study 6 semester in 4 with the specialty that it needs to follow the regular school system even though its a univerity which means additional grades for presence and verbal participation next to the usual univerity stuff without semester holidays) and differences between Wirtschaftsschule (Betriebswirt/Bachelor&Master BA), Technikerschule and Meisterschule? - Is it actually still possible to leave a vocational school half a year early when you exceed the average of 2? And is there still vocational trainings (Ausbildung) that have Intervallunterricht like the hearing aid acoustic technican guys used to have? -
Great segment as usual. I really enjoyed hearing the children's perspective!! Seems like a very complicated system. 👍🏼for the Waldorf method of teaching. 🏫 🎒 📖
wow. That is a great sum up.
0:05 Sorry, Rachel. It's stationery, not stationary. Back to school ;)
@c0d3 m0nk3y 😳 Oops. You're right of course. But actually Rachel was just waiting for someone to make this comment so she could get a huge "Schultüte" filled with sweets and cool *Stationery* too .. 😁
@@dweuromaxx Yes, what they said... 😅
Yea, it's so great that I had school from 8am-4pm in my first 2 years when I came here. Because as the school said it's to "help us" learn german better.
Plus, let's not forget being treated like you're not a human because you're a foreigner. And told many times, "Ausländer raus" (foreigners out) by Germans. So yea, very lovely.
I think its a sort of fuedel system adapted into education system which will keep the rich rich and the poor poor. Being good in school or having university degree is no longer a key to success in life. Success in life depends on so many factors and is difficult to frame it into education system. It would have been better if all children went to same type of school. Another point which is emphasised is digitalization, yes digitalization is important but having a good teacher/talented teacher is priceless. Whats the point of having all the gadgets if you are not taught well.
Thanks for your comment, Muhammad. Perhaps there's a link between effectiveness of teaching and digitisation? 🍎💻
That turn so many emotions...Es waren tolle zwei Jahre Schulleben in Deutschland. Ich werde mich immer an meine Grundschule hier in Deutschland erinnern.
Ich auch, vor allem an die vielen Schläge, die wir vom Lehrer empfangen haben, Stockhiebe für Knaben, Ohrfeigen für die Mädchen.
Nicht, daß es in der Hauptschule anders gewesen wäre - man erzählt heute noch von blauen Augen und von Lehrern ausgeschlagenen Zähnen (einmal hat auch ein Mädchen auf diese Weise einen Zahn verloren - vom betreffenden Lehrer kann nach einem halben Jahrhundert noch jeder seine eigene schmerzhafte Anekdote erzählen).
I am from Austria, but ngl the educational sysetm from Germany seems even more confusing than I have thought XD jajjajajajaj
Back in my college days a did a paper in German School system. It got turned down because History department was more interested in Jörn Rüsen work than the German Schooling system. Glad to see this video :)
@Anderson Andrighi Not too bad either - Glad you like the video!
I finished school 16 years ago and it's a shame that the kids still complain about the exact same things we were complaining about...
I finished about at the same time and not only are the children complaining about the same things, the issues are also still the same.
Clear explanation of a complicated topic
2:19, that's the timestamp you'll need to go back to, again and again...
Yep, she's got brain!
Thanks! This kind of video is what I need.
Our Abistreich prank back in the 90s..
We bought 3 pigs from a farmer and painted numbers on them. 1, 2 and 4. After that we released them into the building.
They were really fast in catching number 1,2 and 4 but they were searching for a number 3 for hours.
Oh wow... what happened to the pigs after??
@@RachelStewart04 you know... We live more on the country side. 🥓
Das ist ja geil. Weil der Jahrgang vor uns 5 Klässler mit Wodka und Korn durchnässt hat (mit Wasserbomben und Wasserpistolen nur halt mit Alk statt Wasser) gab es bei uns nur eine sehr sparsame Ausführung und wir wurden streng überwacht.
Savage.
We had a late night talk show. One student was the host, and the teachers were various guests that were interviewed and had a stage performance. That was before TV total.
they were all fun from grade 1 to 4, until suddenly things got dark. At 4 grade you have to decide whether you want to be a carpenter, go straight to workshop or go to uni.. Dark, very dark indeed. XD
When you put it like that...
Guide to the antiquated three tier secondary school system:
- School for professionals;
- School for trades;
- School for labourers.
Appaling.
Do you think the Gesamtschule idea was a good one? And could it still work?
@@RachelStewart04 I think I prefer it. I went to a 'Gesamtschule' in Canada. There were some advance classes but ultimately we all shared one school and many classes. Those with special needs were part of it as well. It was not ideal by any means, but I am grateful for having made friends from all walks of life. It is closer to creating equal opportunity. Also, thank you for a really great informative and short video, as always!
Excellent as always 🙂👍🏼
The German school system is a Monthy Python movie in disguise.
Are you referring to the "Ministry Of Silly Walks"...😉🚶♂️🚶♀️🕺
Es gibt kein deutsches Schulsystem. Es gibt 16 Ländersysteme, so unterschiedlich, daß man sich wundert, daß sie das kleine Einmaleins gemeinsam haben (haben sie?).
Just a little fun fact for the others: in our school, the Abistreich is called "Chaos-Tag" (day of chaos) XD
I miss Fachoberschule (FOS)!
and yes people here lack in digitilisation but that makes german communicate with each other. i see mommies outside school talking with each other, speaking and sharing thoughts with each other kids. only incase of important work we take my cell phones out. we are not always rushing, not always in hurry. eventhough we work fast when we have to, but we always have time for a little chit chat.
people here trust each other, respect each other. some of them see us "muslims" differently, i know, but many of them accept as as we are.
people must understand that german job market need expats, we got the jobs here because there was a vacancy and someone had to fill it!!
the funniest thing is that when germans think that a pakistani can not be intelligent or can not speak English 🤣 some judge us on the basis of our politicians 😂
but thats ok, we will spread love, till when we can!!
Euromaxx , you are doing an amazing job. i learn so much from this channel.
Thank you for your patience with some of our less pleasant people 🌸😊
@@winterlinde5395 little deeds of kindness, little words of love, make our Earth an Eden,
like the heaven above !!
Heimweh is real, but now we also have a positive connection with Deutschland, all because of kind people like you 🧡
@@mepu_146 🥹♥️
2:07 well its less school so its better
I think.. German education system can not be explained in further simplified way. Amazing video DW, So simplified & with reality!!!
Thank you!
"And this ist the simplistic version."
😂😂😂😂
A common conclusion in Germany 😏
@@dweuromaxx
😃
I'm not criticising your video. You did a good job.
Thank you, Andreas!
In my days (lol, not so long ago but Abi 2009) no school that I know of had a canteen. I now realize how regressive this was, someone in the family, mostly the mother, had to just make peace with working part time forever.
People are laughing about blackboards, but I honestly don't get what's wrong with them. I actually prefer them over whiteboards. They don't need electricity, you don't have to think about technology, you don't have a pen who suddenly loses connection with the board... .
I think it's more handy than a whiteboard.
Right. A blackboard, accomanied by a projektor and a pc seem to be the best to do the trick to me.
Even better, when you have tabletts and can throw them on the projektor if you need to
You can’t put power points on them it only use full for some subjects it’s not easy to see for students with eye sight problems
@@acgraphics1139 where do you think you coukdn't put "Power-Points" on?