In secondary education in Germany there are four types of secondary schools:
Gymnasium
The most prestigious type of school is a grammar school, a diploma which allows free entrance into all higher education universities in Germany. Typically, high schools specializing in humanities. The last 2 years along with general subjects, students choose to study a number of specialized disciplines. The duration of the school – age 9, from 5 to 13 class. After grade 12, students receive a diploma Fachhochschulreife, eligibility for admission to the Institute (Fachhochschule), and after 13 class – Hochschulreife, matriculation to university.
Real school. Realschule
Education in the real school lasts 6 years, 5 to 10 class. In contrast to the grammar schools, the school is more focused on specialized disciplines, the main subjects are taught with a mandatory profile bias. The real school is the most common type of exposure to the majority of students (40%). Upon completion of training in a real school issues a certificate (Fachoberschulreife), allows entry to college, so you may be need help with speech writing.
The Basic School. Hauptschule
In elementary school, which gets about a quarter of children who are learning to grade 10. Elementary School provides basic general education, which, as in real school, focused on the choice of future profession. After teaching in elementary school students usually come in the vocational school.
Integrated schools. Gesamtschule
Combined schools provide with the basic features of all of these educational institutions. The duration of the merged school is 6 years old, from 5 to 10 class. In some integrated schools there is also high school (11 to 13 class), organized on the principle of high school gymnasiums, however, in contrast to the high school, and the kids come here without any recommendation from the primary school. If the student successfully completes the high school, he issued matriculation Hochschulreife, certifying the level of education sufficient for admission.
In addition to all of those schools, in Germany, there are also special schools for children with mental or physical disabilities, with different levels and profiles, called Sonderschule.
CERTIFICATES
Not all schools provide education, sufficient for entry to higher education, in fact, a school-leaving certificate is issued only after the successful completion of high school or unified school.
At the end of comprehensive school graduate has one of the following (Abitur)
- Hauptschulabschluss – issued after the end of the 10 classes of elementary schools is sufficient for entry into vocational school.
- Fachoberschulreife – issued after the end of the 10 classes of real schools, sufficient for admission to college or spetsprofuchilische.
- Fachhochschulreife – issued after the end of 12 years of high school or combined school and after graduation, is sufficient for admission to the Institute.
- Hochschulreife – issued after the end of the 13 classes of high school or unified school, is sufficient for admission.