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Education in Germany
The Basic Law of 1949 grants every German citizen the right to self-fulfillment.
In theory, citizens are able to choose the type of education they want
and are given access to their preferred occupation or profession whether it is through a business, engineering, or nursing degree. The
goal of educational policy is therefore to provide each citizen with opportunities
to grow personally, professionally, and as a citizen in accordance with
his or her abilities and preferences. The Länder are to provide equal
educational opportunities and quality education for all through a variety
of educational institutions.
Education is free and in most types of school is coeducational. Almost
all elementary and secondary schools and about 95 percent of higher education
institutions are public. College, graduate, and postgraduate students
pay a nominal fee ranging from DM35 to DM60 a semester, which includes
extensive rights to health care and other social benefits. When churches
or private organizations run kindergartens, they do so independently,
and the public sector is not involved.
According to the terms of the Düsseldorf Treaty of 1955, the first
major attempt to unify or coordinate the school systems of the Länder,
school attendance is mandatory for a minimum of nine years (or in some
Länder ten years), beginning at age six. A student who starts vocational
training as an apprentice must attend a part-time vocational school until
the age of eighteen.
Overview of Education System, Academic
Year 1992-93
Type of Institution |
Number of Schools |
Number of Teachers |
Number of Students |
Primary and secondary schools |
|
|
|
Grundschulen |
17,941 |
208,768 |
3,419,584 |
Hauptschulen |
9,209 |
101,939 |
1,483,229 |
Realschulen |
3,634 |
59,176 |
1,056,739 |
Gymnasien |
3,126 |
146,124 |
2,047,241 |
Gesamtschulen |
930 |
48,419 |
493,406 |
Evening schools |
352 |
3,734 |
48,606 |
Total primary and secondary schools |
35,192 |
568,160 |
8,548,805 |
Secondary vocational schools |
|
|
|
Berufsschulen |
3,233 |
56,779 |
1,796,452 |
Berufsaufbauschulen |
230 |
423 |
6,564 |
Berufsfachschulen |
2,612 |
22,103 |
263,592 |
Fachoberschulen |
740 |
4,983 |
75,461 |
Fachgymnasien |
564 |
9,842 |
151,819 |
Total secondary vocational schools |
7,379 |
94,130 |
2,293,888 |
Advanced vocational schools |
|
|
|
Fachschulen |
1,537 |
10,953 |
171,693 |
Schools of higher education |
|
|
|
Universities |
81 |
127,755 |
1,223,907 |
Comprehensive universities |
7 |
8,732 |
136,731 |
Teacher-training colleges |
8 |
n.a. |
22,518 |
Theological seminaries |
17 |
n.a. |
2,828 |
Technical colleges |
126 |
5,281 |
389,501 |
Art academies |
45 |
1,136 |
29,718 |
Colleges of administration |
30 |
n.a. |
53,252 |
Total schools of higher education |
314 |
142,904 |
1,858,455 |
TOTAL |
44,422 |
816,147 |
12,872,841 |
- Elementary
Education
- Junior Education
- Senior Education
- Vocational
Education
- Higher Education
- Geography (lands and
capitals, climate)
- Society (population, religion,
marriage, urbanization, social structure, immigration)
- Education (elementary,
junior, senior, vocational, higher)
- Economy (the Economic
Miracle, financial system, Bundesbank, business culture)
- Politics (government,
the Chancellor, the President, parties, Bundestag)
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radio and TV)
- Armed Forces (army,
navy, air forces, police)
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