Gymnasium in Germany
The grammar school as part of the school system in Germany is a secondary school with a focus on theoretical instruction and preparation for a subsequent further academic education ( study ).
General
The students of a grammar school are called grammar school students. They begin their school career at the age of around ten or twelve, depending on whether the primary school in the federal state concerned lasts for four or six years. Most of the time, a recommendation from the primary school teacher decides on the type of secondary school, but there are various exceptions to this rule in the federal states. In some federal states, parents can request an additional test of their child, in others the recommendations are not binding and parents can ignore them.
Classically, a high school student's school career has lasted nine years since the Prussian school reform of the 19th century. After the National Socialists shortened this school attendance to eight years (among other things on the grounds of avoiding “harmful over-education of the youth”), the nine-year grammar school was reintroduced in West Germany after the Second World War , while in East Germany under the influence of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) the shortened training was retained (see Extended Oberschule ). Around 2004 there was also a strong effort in the old federal states to cut the grammar school career to eight years (G8). The reduction in school time that had been implemented in the meantime was reversed in the overwhelming majority of all federal states in the late 2010s, and instead the traditional Abitur after the 13th grade (G9) was reintroduced (see Abitur after twelve years ).
The successful completion of the highest German school leaving certificate, the general higher education entrance qualification , also referred to as Abitur for short . If the admission requirements for the Abitur examination are met, participation in the annual examination is possible. Since compulsory schooling was formally fulfilled at the end of lessons, the Abitur examination itself is not compulsory for the pupils, but participation is voluntary and requires prior registration.
In addition to the publicly financed high schools, there are also church or privately funded high schools, some of which require school fees. However, these fees are significantly lower than those of comparable schools in other European countries or in America. Comparable foreign school types are the former British “ Grammar School ” or the US “College-preparatory school”.
Classes at grammar schools mostly take place in the mornings, although a trend towards (official or unofficial) all-day school was also discernible at grammar schools, especially during the shortened schooling periods under the G8. A few high schools are run as boarding schools . The vast majority of grammar schools are co-educational , but there are also grammar schools where boys and girls are taught separately.
In Germany, children of academics have a three-and-a-half times higher chance of entering grammar school than children of skilled workers with the same level of competence and intelligence.
history
The grammar school grew out of the humanistic movement of the 16th century, the first school system, which also included grammar schools, was established in Saxony in 1528 .
High schools for girls
It was not until the end of the 19th century that girls could attend secondary school. A big step was the petition from 1887 to the Prussian Ministry of Education with the request for equality of education for girls with higher education for boys. This petition was accompanied by the text " About the higher girls 'school and their determination ", the so-called yellow brochure by Helene Lange , in which she strongly criticized the existing form of higher girls' education. The first girls' high schools (lyceums) emerged exclusively on the basis of private initiatives, without state support. The first girls' high school in what is now Germany was founded by the Women's Education Reform Association under the direction of Hedwig Kettler in Karlsruhe in 1893 . A requirement for admission was six years of attendance at a girls' high school .
It was not until the early 20th century that there was an increase in the number of girls' high schools, which laid the foundation for women's access to university education.
Coeducational high schools became common in the 1970s, today there are hardly any gender-segregated schools.
Classical year names of the grammar schools
The years at grammar schools are traditionally designated in Latin and counted from the Abitur (end of school career). Based on four years of elementary school, the classic year names are:
| 5th grade | Sexta | 1st class of the grammar school | |
| 6th grade | Quinta | 2nd class | |
| 7th grade | Quarta | 3. School fund | |
| 8th grade | Sub-tertia | 4th class | |
| 9th grade | Obertertia | 5th school class | |
| Introductory phase in G8 | 10th grade in G9 | Sub-second | 6th grade |
| Introductory phase in G9 or qualification phase 1 or Q1 and Q2 in G8 | 11th grade | Obersekunda | 7th grade |
| Qualification phase 1 or Q1 and Q2 in G9 or qualification phase 2 or Q3 and Q4 in G8 | 12th class | Sublime | 8th grade |
| Qualification phase 2 or Q3 and Q4 in G9 | 13th grade | Great | 9th grade |
Modern languages
The introduction of classes in French and English in the early 20th century marked the biggest change in the German school system since the introduction of Realschulen in the 18th century. Nowadays, all high schools in Lower Saxony , Schleswig-Holstein , Bremen , Hamburg , North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , Rhineland-Palatinate , Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria teach English (mostly as the first foreign language) and at least one other foreign language. This is mostly French (mostly offered as a second or third foreign language, optional for Latin). Many grammar schools offer a choice of the second foreign language - as an alternative to French, this is usually Latin (as the first foreign language at classical humanistic grammar schools, otherwise as a second or third foreign language), but the popularity of Spanish as a second foreign language is steadily increasing. In addition, be ancient Greek (as an optional third language humanistic schools) and occasionally other modern languages (u. A. Russian , Italian , Danish , Dutch , Polish ) taught.
classroom language
At most grammar schools, lessons (with the exception of foreign language classes) are given in Standard German , even in places where Standard German does not correspond to the predominant dialect. However, some specialized high schools also teach partly or fully in English or French. In South Schleswig there are also two Danish ( Duborg-Skolen and AP Møller-Skolen ) and two Sorbian high schools in Lusatia ( Sorbisches Gymnasium Bautzen and Lower Sorbian Gymnasium Cottbus ) with Danish and Sorbian as the language of instruction.
Subjects
The curricula vary between schools, but generally include the core subjects German and mathematics , the foreign languages mentioned above, the natural sciences biology , physics and chemistry as well as computer science , the social sciences geography , history and economics and politics (or social studies), the fine arts, music and Art (sometimes also works), as well as philosophy and religious education of various denominations. In addition, there are physical education classes in every grade .
The training at the grammar schools does not focus exclusively on purely academic skills; rather, their students should be educated to be comprehensively and diversely educated individuals who can independently and critically grasp their environment in order to then influence it positively in line with an ethical framework. Physical health in the sense of the ancient motto "Mens sana in corpore sano" - "A healthy mind [lives] in a healthy body" is one of these framework conditions. Therefore, enrollment in the fine arts as well as religion or philosophy lessons are a matter of course in order to provide a framework for the skills arising from the other subjects and anchoring them in the free-democratic basic order. Since the Basic Law guarantees religious freedom and the separation of church and state ( secularism ), every student is free to attend religious instruction of one of their creeds (if offered) or, alternatively, philosophy lessons.
While the curriculum is largely predetermined for younger students (the main exception is the selection and sequence of foreign languages), older students can choose within a certain framework which subjects they want to continue to attend and which they want to deselect. However, certain rules apply, so the subjects German and mathematics must always be taken, as well as a certain number of foreign languages, natural sciences, social sciences and at least one of the fine arts as well as religious or philosophy lessons. The academic standards in all of these subjects are generally comparatively high, as the grammar school is typically geared towards students in the upper 25–35% of the academic performance spectrum.
Faculty
The grammar school teachers teaching at the grammar schools must have completed a university course with a subsequent state examination in two subjects . Depending on the federal state, there are two additional minor subjects, often either pedagogy or didactics as well as subjects such as psychology , sociology or political science . After completing the university education, there is a legal traineeship , which is concluded with a second state examination. They can then be accepted into regular school service, either as an employee or as a probationary civil servant . After two to three years, civil servant status usually follows for life, and the teacher concerned then holds the title of Studienrat (StR). If additional functions and tasks are performed at a later date, you can then be promoted to the Oberstudienrat (OStR), Director of Studies (StD) up to the Director of Studies (OStD) . The Association of Philologists represents the interests of teachers at grammar schools and other schools preparing for the Abitur. There are also other important associations such as the Education and Science Union .
Common types of high schools
Humanistic grammar school (old language grammar school)
As the oldest and classical form of grammar school, humanistic grammar schools usually have a centuries-old tradition. In addition to the general curriculum, they also teach Latin (as the first foreign language) and ancient Greek (sometimes also Hebrew ). The choice of a third foreign language is usually compulsory. Much of the canon of values and education is based on the heyday of the ancient high cultures of the Greeks and Romans .
In some humanities subjects at German universities, the Latinum or even the Graecum are required. This applies not only to theology and archeology, but also to modern languages, philosophy and history. Today the Latinum is no longer required for studying human and veterinary medicine or law.
Language Lycée
The school type of the modern language grammar school is of more recent origin. A distinctive feature is the choice of a modern language as the first foreign language (predominantly English, sometimes French). A modern language can also be chosen as a second foreign language. Instead of a third foreign language, physics can also be taken as a major , so it is possible to acquire the Abitur without teaching in an ancient language.
Special types of high schools
The sports high school and the ski high school
In addition to the general curriculum, the sports high school offers a variety of options for focused exercise of a sport as well as the corresponding supervision and guidance. Often, special consideration is given to the needs of athletes. Sports high schools are mostly run as boarding schools , as the students mostly come from far away due to the specialized nature of these schools. The ski high school is a kind of a particularly specialized sports high school.
Music high school
In the music high school, special emphasis is placed on learning one or more musical instruments ; In addition to the general curriculum, there are a number of other compulsory and elective arts subjects.
European high school
The European Gymnasium focuses its lessons on the acquisition of modern foreign languages spoken in Europe as well as on the in-depth imparting of knowledge about Europe as well as European contexts and perspectives. Often at least three modern foreign languages have to be taken, and often a fourth can be chosen voluntarily. Fluency in at least two foreign languages is a prerequisite for successful graduation at these schools.
Realgymnasium
The Realgymnasium is an earlier type of grammar school whose teaching focus was on mathematics and the natural sciences. It was abolished in the course of the educational reforms of the 1960s.
High schools for adult education
For adults who did not finish their original school career with the Abitur, there are a number of (still free) high schools specializing in adult education, which enable the subsequent acquisition of the Abitur . Most of these schools only include the upper three or four years of the Gymnasium, as a Realschulabschluss ( middle school leaving certificate) is usually an entry requirement and therefore only the additional knowledge that distinguishes the Realschulabschluss and Abitur needs to be imparted. Typical examples are the evening grammar school , the advanced grammar school and the commercial grammar school .
Performance evaluation
Most high school students plan to go to college , which is also in line with the main task of the high school, which is to prepare for academic training. Accordingly, the grading at grammar schools is relatively strict, even if there are major differences between the individual federal states. According to a study, a high school student with exactly average math skills (i.e. skills that correspond exactly to the average of the math skills of all high school students in his age group; on an objective test 50% better and 50% worse than himself) is at the lower end of the range Achievements of a high school class and would only get the grade “5” (and would possibly fail), while the same pupil at a comprehensive school would be found in the upper half of the performance spectrum and would get the grade “3+”. The study comes to the conclusion that this exactly average student would therefore be better off at a school type other than grammar school to fully develop his abilities.
According to several studies, high schools in the southern federal states have higher performance standards than high schools in other parts of the republic. In a scientifically developed standardized mathematics test, students from the southern federal states performed significantly better than those further north. In one of the PISA studies , students from Bavaria , Baden-Württemberg , Saxony and Thuringia also showed the best results.
School sports
Students of all grades must take physical education courses. In addition, many high schools have various teams or working groups ( AGs ) in which students can voluntarily deepen a sport. Typical sports are soccer , table tennis , badminton , rowing and hockey .
other activities
Most grammar schools have many different groups , e.g. B. various choirs , participation in musicals or theater performances , chess clubs , photography , writing and publishing a school newspaper or caring for the environment and much more. At some grammar schools, students have to participate in at least one working group, but in most cases participation is completely optional.
year abroad
In the last few decades, more and more high school students have taken the opportunity to attend school abroad for half a year or a full year in order to deepen their language skills (mostly English) and to get to know another culture. This also corresponds to the above-mentioned efforts to provide comprehensive education instead of carrying out a pure “training” in the sense of optimal economic usability. In the classic model of the nine-year grammar school or thirteen-year school education, the eleventh year was typically used to attend a school abroad, since students who met certain performance criteria (e.g. a certain grade average) were allowed to continue attending school in Germany in the twelfth grade , so that the total length of school attendance did not increase and the students were able to return to their usual class. With the introduction of the eight-year grammar school, the eleventh year already counts in the qualification phase of the Abitur, so that an exchange this year is hardly possible. Instead, the tenth year is now ideal if there is no need to extend school time, but this also means that the students are still a year younger if they are to go abroad alone for the first time, and the question arises whether that is why not ultimately fewer students than otherwise will take this opportunity. In addition, there is the possibility of completing a year abroad after completing the 10th grade in order to resume attending grammar school in the 11th grade after returning.
school uniform
In general, like in most German schools, there is no school uniform at German grammar schools . Many schools offer clothing with the school name and coat of arms, but wearing them is voluntary.
In the past, however, it was common for high school students to wear a distinctive school cap . Their color varied between high schools and grades.
After the Nazis came to power , these caps were banned for political reasons and some were even burned in public. Identifying students with their school and its values should be avoided. Instead, all students should wear uniforms of the Hitler Youth or the BDM . Nowadays, however, these hats are being sold again. For several years, it is also common practice to create to celebrate the baccalaureate own polo shirt or T-shirt for each Abiturjahrgang worn then on various occasions during the high school time (eg. As the senior prank ).
Support associations
Support associations or school associations try to support the school in question in different ways. They are mostly financed by parents or alumni .
School fees
The vast majority of grammar schools in Germany are run publicly and do not charge school fees. According to Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the Basic Law, students may not be disadvantaged on the basis of their parents' income. That is why most private high schools offer scholarships or school attendance at reduced tuition fees for children from low-income families.
In 2005 the German state spent an average of 5400 euros per high school student per year; this is less than what was spent per pupil at a secondary school (5600 euros) or at a comprehensive school (5700 euros), but more than per junior high school student (4500 euros).
Integration of students with a migration background
While a third of all German students have at least one parent of foreign origin, the proportion of students with a migration background at the grammar schools is much lower. However, this proportional underrepresentation does not apply across the board to all groups of immigrants; For example, a higher proportion of the children with a Russian-Jewish, Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese background attend grammar schools than is the case with children with a purely German background.
Performance of high school students in various tests
Intelligence quotient
Only a few specialized high schools select their students on the basis of IQ tests. A 1999 study revealed that tenth graders from regular grammar schools and tenth graders from secondary schools have a higher IQ than tenth graders from comprehensive or community schools. In addition, the backlog of all students in the tenth grade was even higher than in the seventh grade. The media responded to this study by stating that comprehensive schools are “a place where intelligence withers”. According to the Max Planck Institute for Educational Research, intelligence does not wither in comprehensive schools; Students in the tenth grade of comprehensive school did not do any worse than students in the seventh grade. Instead, the difference increases as the intelligence quotient of high school and junior high school students continues to grow between the seventh and tenth grades. One of the reasons for this is that in these two types of school the pupils with the least learning difficulties leave school in the meantime, as they cannot keep up with the level of the rest of the class.
The high school and the performance on standardized tests
In Germany there are no regular standardized and objective tests to compare performance between grammar schools and comprehensive schools and most students are therefore not familiar with this type of test. However, some scientists use standardized tests for school evaluation. Accordingly, the performance of high school tenth graders outperforms those of comprehensive tenth graders by a full standard deviation on a standardized mathematics test. This corresponds to a lead of two to three school years. The supporters of comprehensive schools criticize such studies on the grounds that standardized tests disadvantage comprehensive school students, since comprehensive school students mainly learn skills such as “independence, teamwork, creativity and conflict management”, which are not measured in tests. In some federal states, such as Lower Saxony, the backlog is taken into account by school pupils who have successfully completed the 10th grade and are generally re-enrolled in the 10th grade when they switch to the grammar school.
High school students and social skills
According to a controversial study, which records the character of pupils in different school types on the basis of a standardized test, secondary school students and high school students are more willing to deal respectfully and responsibly with the feelings of other people than is the case for general school students. According to this study, there is the highest proportion of high school students classified as “selfless” compared to all other types of school. However, this study was criticized from many quarters on the grounds that the character could not be measured with standardized tests and that the students' answers could differ from their real behavior. In addition, it was criticized that the questions were formulated in too academic language and therefore misleading for many students as a whole.
Performance of high school students in the TOEFL
Students who seek a high school to a high school, achieve significantly better results in TOEFL ( English "Test of English as a Foreign Language" ) as future graduates of a comprehensive school, which, however, again something were better than students of construction high school , technical school or a Business high school .
| School type | Percentage of students who at least ... | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Reach 500 points |
Reach 550 points |
Reach 600 points |
|
| Traditional high school | 64.7% | 32.0% | 8.1% |
| Comprehensive school / community school | 30.5% | 11.3% | 2.2% |
| Advanced high school | 18.9% | 5.2% | 0.9% |
| Business high school | 19.7% | 5.7% | 0.4% |
| Technical College | 22.3% | 12.6% | 1.0% |
See also
literature
- Torsten Gass-Bolm: The Gymnasium 1945-1980: Educational Reform and Social Change in West Germany . Wallstein, 2005, ISBN 9783892448693
- Matthew Arnold: Higher Schools and Universities in Germany. second edition. London 1882.
- Wilhelm Schrader: Education and teaching for grammar schools and secondary schools. 5th edition. Berlin 1893.
- Friedrich Paulsen: German Education, Past and Present. New York 1908.
- Adolf Beier: The higher schools in Prussia and their teachers. Hall 1909.
- John Franklin Brown: The Training of Teachers for Secondary Schools in Germany and the United States. New York 1911.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rolf-Dieter Müller, Hans Erich Volkmann: The Wehrmacht. Oldenbourg-Verlag, 1999, p. 447.
- ↑ see en: College-preparatory school (English)
- ↑ Barbara Gillmann: Germany wastes its talents . In: Handelsblatt . No. 241, December 12, 2012, ISSN 0017-7296 , p. 8.
- ↑ Hildegard Küllchen, Sonja Koch, Brigitte Schober, Susanne Schötz (eds.): Women in Science. Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2010, p. 27.
- ↑ Founder of the first German girls' high schools Calendar sheet by Ulrike Rückert, Deutschlandradio Kultur , January 5, 2012.
- ^ History of the Lessing grammar school
- ↑ This subject has different names in different countries; see social studies .
- ↑ For further information sports high school .
- ↑ For further information: Musikgymnasium .
- ↑ Information on the European Gymnasium Type II . Did.mat.uni-bayreuth.de. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
- ↑ "European Gymnasium" on the rise. Press release from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Baden-Württemberg. June 28, 2005 on: Bildungklick.de .
- ↑ Manfred Fuhrmann: Latin and Europe, the foundations of our education that have become alien, the history of learned teaching in Germany from Charlemagne to Wilhelm II. Cologne, 1st edition. 2001, ISBN 3-7701-5605-6 , 2nd edition. 2001, ISBN 3-8321-7948-8 .
- ↑ a b c Manfred Tücke: Psychology in school, Psychology for school: A topic-centered introduction to psychology for (future) teachers. 4th edition. LIT Verlag, Münster 2005, p. 126 f. (The study was carried out in North Rhine-Westphalia with advanced course students).
- ↑ Year abroad despite G8? March 5, 2009 on: eltern.de .
- ↑ gradcaps.eu . gradcaps.eu. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
- ^ Klaus Klemm: Education expenditure in the federal system - To implement the resolutions of the 'Education Summit'. (PDF; 548 kB) Friedrich Ebert Foundation, p. 41.
- ↑ Federal Statistical Office Germany: Slight increase in the population with a migration background . Press release No. 105 from March 11, 2008.
- ↑ Marina Mai: Clever Immigrants: East German Vietnamese outperform their classmates. In: Der Spiegel. October 7, 2008.
- ^ Sun-Ju Choi, You-Jae Lee: Reverse Development Aid - The Korean Labor Migration in Germany. Seoul: Goethe Institute, January 2006.
- ↑ Panagiotis Kouparanis: Migrant children with educational success . on: Deutschlandradio Kultur. November 15, 2005. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ↑ Manfred Tücke: Psychology in School, Psychology for School: A topic-centered introduction to psychology for (future) teachers. 4th edition. LIT Verlag, Münster 2005, p. 126.
- ↑ a b Kathrin Spoerr : The comprehensive school: a place where intelligence withers. In: The world. February 8, 2000.
- ^ Max Planck Institute for Human Development. Letter to the non-profit society for comprehensive schools (February 9, 2000)
- ↑ a b Anne Ratzki: BiJu and the comprehensive school or: About the subjectivity of grades. ( Memento of the original from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Jürgen Baumert, Olaf Köller: National and international school performance studies: what can they achieve, where are their limits? Max Planck Institute for Human Development.
- ↑ Josef Keuffer, Maria Kublitz-Kramer : What does the upper school need? Beltz-Verlag, Weinheim / Basel 2008, ISBN 978-3-407-25487-0 , p. 112.
