In Germany, the school system differs from the US system in quite a few ways. German students start school at around six years old, the same as the US, and once they are at about age ten things become very different. Depending on how well the child performed during those years decides where they will go to school next. Some students will go to a certain school to learn a trade and others may go to a University. Parents can choose where they want to send there children depending on what career they think their child will be going into. Whether it be full time vocational school (Berufsfacherschule), Gymnasium (US equivalent to High School), and many other technical and trade schools. Usually parents will choose from these schools at ages 10-14. While in the united states Children will usually always go to kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and then college. The US does not really have any certain schools where you can send your child to learn a trade for their future. You can take honors classes in middle school and high school but college is usually the point of schooling where you decide what career you want. Germany prepares their youth starting at age 10, which to me makes a lot more sense.
Work Cited
http://www.expatica.com/de/education/school/The-ABCs-of-the-German-school-system_11321.html?ppager=0
http://library.thinkquest.org/26576/schoolpage.htm
Can you think of some of the negatives in preparing for a career starting at age 10? What negatives are there in the US system which does not identify a career path as early.
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