Going to school in Germany

3POSTS

11 months ago

Going to a traditional german school as an immigrant in germany was both challenging and eye-opening. My school in Germany was at least 600 years old and it was run by the Catholic church. The first thing that'll stick out at you is the way the years are split up, elementary school goes from 1sth through 4th grade, and after that your in high school until 12th or even 13th grade. Many of the best high schools require you to pass an interview to get accepted even though they're public, and there's four different categories of high school, each once catering towards everybody's different strengths and interests. By the time you graduate you're expected to be able to speak at least both German and English, and often times French and Latin as well. That's why many Europeans are at least trilingual.

See also

Requirements to study in Germany - Guide
Homeschooling in Germany - 13 Replies
ausbildung in germany - 11 Replies
Going to Germany to marry and then stay - 15 Replies
Studying in Germany - 9 Replies
postgraduation in germany - 1 Reply
Home schooling in Germany - 6 Replies

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15652POSTS

11 months ago

Thanks for sharing your experience!

The change from primary to secondary school after 4th grade is standard in most European countries (except Britain) and should not be a surprize to people from those countries.

And the interview you mentioned, to be accepted into a school, is not in fact an acceptance test, but a placement check to make sure you enter the most suitable of the three (not four) levels of secondary school - it is there to prevent later failure, which would negatively affect the student's mental health.

No public school is allowed to actually choose which applicants to take - only a few of the private ones (which are a small minority among German schools, but include church-run schools) can.