the problem to me always was that the dumb kids need more guidance and for a longer time, giving them shorter education time is probably adding to the problem.

the problem to me always was that the dumb kids need more guidance and for a longer time, giving them shorter education time is probably adding to the problem. You're not completely fcked when u go to "hauptschule", you can always work to get the next best graduation. Would look like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hauptschulabschluss https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hauptschulabschluss -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittlere_Reife https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittlere_Reife -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abitur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abitur -> Bachelor -> PHD But it's more work, paperwork and your parents have to be supportive and be able to push you financially and with tutoring and stuff. Someone with a wife and 2 kids and no second income won't be able to push unless they're a manager. You gotta be extremely resilient to go this path, and that's not what's being cultivated in Hauptschule. so yes, you're right. Migrant kids have it harder, but since they're like 50% of the population now, the whole system will have to change if Germany wants to keep its title as thorough, smart, engineering nation. Bein German without kids, I was fortunate, my father brought home enough to pay rent for my university. I'm not smart enough and failed my bachelor though. But without a next generation, it's all been for nothing, feels that way.