4 ms·

I'm sure there is a German or two here who can chime in with the specifics, but the parent poster shared a somewhat abbreviated version of the story. There are

I'm sure there is a German or two here who can chime in with the specifics, but the parent poster shared a somewhat abbreviated version of the story. There are multiple kinds of high school in Germany (and other European nations) whereby you can opt into the right kind of school to fit your talents and needs. So what they likely meant was Gymnasium, which is traditionally viewed as a university bound high school program. Other students will go to other kinds of more hands-on schools that I'd say are no less rigorous or well-rounded, just different.

rootusrootus 4y ago
We are seeing some of that in the US in the form of charter schools. We have one locally that is focused more on trades and technology, and goes all the way from middle school through high school. Traditionally, you'd go to the regular public school if you were interested in post-secondary education. Not that you couldn't go to college if you went to the charter school, just that isn't the focus. You get an equivalent high school diploma either way.
mibollma 4y ago
I think that sounds a bit more voluntary than it actually is. Some argue its to early to decide after elementary school to decide who will likely study and who won't.
- mantas 4y ago
  After elementary may be too early. In my country most of selection is at year 9 (pupils being 14-15 y/o). That's not a hard cut off though. Technically you take same exam and may go to university if you want. But if you picked arts school, you probably won't do well in exams needed for STEM at university... Works pretty well I'd say.
- ido 4y ago
  This is somewhat out of date as modern day system in Germany is a lot less exclusionary and less prone to railroading pupils to vocational education than it was 20-30 years ago. This also depends on state, in Berlin for example basically any capable/motivated pupil can get an Abitur by attending an Integrierte Sekundarschule.
Hir0ki 4y ago
So I'm going to be the german who is going to chime in. The german system works like this: The frist 4 years of education you'll got to Grundschule where you learn the basics. Then you'll get sorted in the 3 different "high school" types. - Hauptschule - This type of school is the least academically demanding and has a lot more hands on classes like woodworking/cooking and the likes. - This take usualy 5 years to complete. - Realschule - This is the middle ground school it offers a bit of both worlds - this takes 6 years to complete. - Gymnasium - This is the more acadamiclly focus type of school, with stuff like AP classes. - have to learn a thrid language - takes 8 or 9 years But after you complete Hauptschule or Realschule you can go do an apprenticeship or add on some more school years to get the better school diploma. Appranticeships can be in trades, manufacturing, IT or office jobs. There is also Duales Studium where you go to collage but also work half time at a company. As an example take my school journy: I was sorted into the Hauptschule. After I completet that school, I added 2 more years school time so i get a Realschul depolma, as a bonus the school I went to also touth me the frist year of electricians apprenticeship. After that I got a apprianticeship to become a software developer which took me 3 years to complete. edit: formating and last paragraph
- ido 4y ago
  This also differs based on state within Germany. In Berlin for example the Grundschule is 6 years and then you go to either Gymnasium or Sekundarschule[1] for another 6, which offers either university-bound education or vocational education but generally everyone attending that wants to and is academically capable can get a highschool diploma out of it, allowing them to go to uni. [1] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekundarschule#Berlin https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekundarschule#Berlin

rootusrootus 4y ago

We are seeing some of that in the US in the form of charter schools. We have one locally that is focused more on trades and technology, and goes all the way from middle school through high school. Traditionally, you'd go to the regular public school if you were interested in post-secondary education. Not that you couldn't go to college if you went to the charter school, just that isn't the focus. You get an equivalent high school diploma either way.

mibollma 4y ago

I think that sounds a bit more voluntary than it actually is. Some argue its to early to decide after elementary school to decide who will likely study and who won't.

mantas 4y ago
After elementary may be too early. In my country most of selection is at year 9 (pupils being 14-15 y/o). That's not a hard cut off though. Technically you take same exam and may go to university if you want. But if you picked arts school, you probably won't do well in exams needed for STEM at university... Works pretty well I'd say.
ido 4y ago
This is somewhat out of date as modern day system in Germany is a lot less exclusionary and less prone to railroading pupils to vocational education than it was 20-30 years ago. This also depends on state, in Berlin for example basically any capable/motivated pupil can get an Abitur by attending an Integrierte Sekundarschule.

Hir0ki 4y ago

So I'm going to be the german who is going to chime in. The german system works like this: The frist 4 years of education you'll got to Grundschule where you learn the basics. Then you'll get sorted in the 3 different "high school" types. - Hauptschule - This type of school is the least academically demanding and has a lot more hands on classes like woodworking/cooking and the likes. - This take usualy 5 years to complete. - Realschule - This is the middle ground school it offers a bit of both worlds - this takes 6 years to complete. - Gymnasium - This is the more acadamiclly focus type of school, with stuff like AP classes. - have to learn a thrid language - takes 8 or 9 years But after you complete Hauptschule or Realschule you can go do an apprenticeship or add on some more school years to get the better school diploma. Appranticeships can be in trades, manufacturing, IT or office jobs. There is also Duales Studium where you go to collage but also work half time at a company. As an example take my school journy: I was sorted into the Hauptschule. After I completet that school, I added 2 more years school time so i get a Realschul depolma, as a bonus the school I went to also touth me the frist year of electricians apprenticeship. After that I got a apprianticeship to become a software developer which took me 3 years to complete. edit: formating and last paragraph

ido 4y ago
This also differs based on state within Germany. In Berlin for example the Grundschule is 6 years and then you go to either Gymnasium or Sekundarschule[1] for another 6, which offers either university-bound education or vocational education but generally everyone attending that wants to and is academically capable can get a highschool diploma out of it, allowing them to go to uni. [1] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekundarschule#Berlin https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekundarschule#Berlin