In German schools attendence is
mandatory for children from the ages 6-14, this is called Grundeschule. While
in Grundeschule all the kids are on the same program and by the end they will
know which school they will attend next. They will either attend the Gynasium,
Realschule, or Hauptschule. Gynasium is like high school in America, except for
the fact that there is no summer school and if you fail a year twice you are
kicked out. It would be more like our private schools. The next option is
Realschule, where you learn the basic subjects for midlevel jobs. This is more
like the trade schools in America. The last option is Hauptschule, where you
learn the basic skills for an apprentice or an unskilled role. The pro’s to the
German system is that they are educating the people in the certain skills that
they are most likely to succeed at. The downfall is they test the children at
such a young age, it can seem unfair. The con to America’s system is we spend a
lot of money and time give a broad education instead of a specialized one. The
pro is that everyone has an equal opportunity to be whatever they want to be. Although
both systems have numerous pro’s and con’s, each country using the system that
works best for them.
Can you explain more about the relationship between private US schools and the German Gymnasium? Grundschule is only through the fourth grade. Do you think that the citizens of both countries are satisfied with their education systems? Can you find some data on how the two school systems and university systems compare to each other (i.e. which one is considered "better")?
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