Germany is known for many great luxuries in life. Sausage, beer and free in-depth education.
Like many countries that are overseas, there seems to be many more advantages when it comes to working for the people and making them better as a nation. Like America, Germanies public school is absoloutely free. However, there is no private school. The training that the students receive while in Grundschule and after is adequate enough to go on to their choice of secondary school.
While in Germany, we were able to speak to two German students that now attend the Universitie. They informed us that the cost situation for college is indeed very different in Germany. The students are given a need based loan that only requires fifty-percent of it returned after their studies have concluded. In addition, there are no GEC required classes that have to be taken before their major classes can start. Their grading scale is different from ours. They are graded by numbers (the equilavent to how Americans calculate their GPA). Also, there scholarships are mostly based on volunteer work and not what they've done in high school (athletes and good grades). I would rather be apart of the Germany university program than United States based on that information.
In Germany, Kindergarden is optional. It is offered to every child between ages two and six.
Every student from ages sx to ten attend Grundschule. This is the only time that all of these students will go through school together. The first four years are the period in which all of the students between these two ages learn the same things to prepare them for secondary school.
http://www.studying-in-germany.org/german-education-system/
After they are done with Grundschule, the students and parents decide what secondary school they will go to.
Their choices are:
Hauptschule: preparation for vocational education
Gesamtschule: a comprehensive school that doesn't select students based on aptitude or academic achievment. Compared to high schools in United States and Canda.
Realschule: school ranked between the Hauptschule and the Gymnasium. Often, after attending the Realschule, Gymnasium is the next step.
Gymnasium: prepares for university education
In every school there is a language taken (usually English) for at least five years.
http://www.expatica.com/de/education/school/The-ABCs-of-the-German-school-system_11321.html?ppager=0
http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/fubest/about/location/
http://osu.campusguides.com/aecontent.php?pid=492396&sid=4447261
