Education
In Germany, each state has the right to create their own educational structure, as the country has 16 state regions, it can be stated that models of education prevailing among Germans are well diversified. Some points, however, are consensual, as the beginning of compulsory lessons from 6 years of age in the whole of Germany.
The kindergarten, although not required, is provided to all children who have at least 3 years old. Usually the family fund this educational stage, always according to their financial resources, no matter whether the school is public or private, is required to pay the pre-school.
Some of these institutions are preserved temples for religious and / or private companies, in small municipalities they reveal a strong influence over the population. The demand for kindergartens is so high that governments usually ask families who, a few months before the start of school, they already undertake the search for a vacancy.
In recent surveys conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the OECD, the amount paid by parents in kindergartens sum double the average spent by other members of this institution. Meanwhile, the monthly payment in universities and other expenses of students in schools of higher education total less than half the average statistics captured in this comparative research.
In some parts of Germany it is possible to find preparatory courses for one year duration for entering the key stage, which offer fun activities for children, a way to extend its dominance of the German language. Primary education is public, does not pay and it takes four to six years to complete, depending on the state in question.
At the end of elementary school students are guided in their choices and targeted to the secondary stage. It is up to teachers and parents choose the best institution to be cursada by students according to their performance in the previous stage. This decision is not irreducible, as it may be revised. There are three models of secondary education: Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium.
The first students acquire a basic education which generally extends five to six years. Soon after they are already prepared to attend an institution that forms vocational workers to work in the industrial or agricultural activities.
The Realschule follows the same pattern as the previous model, but is distinguished by providing students with the resources necessary for it to follow later stages in vocational schools, their average duration is six years. The Gymnasium, in turn, provides young people an education deeper and longer studies, nine years.
When you finish this step the student achievement certificate known as Abitur, similar to our Vestibular and ready to attend a university, as the notes acquired during high school. Incidentally, the grading system in Germany is very different, ranging from 1, the highest, and 6.
Twenty years ago education in Germany comes into decline in relation to other nations that make up the OECD, is a system that is on the verge of bankruptcy. For three consecutive years the German educational system got low prices, the main causes of this problem are lousy investments, mechanisms antiquated and low rate of students who graduate in the Universities.