Comparative Education

In German and American schools, education is mandatory, free, and publicly run. German students begin with kindergarten which is not mandatory, then at age six students begin Grundschule, with compulsory attendance until age ten to twelve. At age ten, German students enter one of three tracks which ultimately determine whether the student will enter a university or a “technical field or trade.” Students who attend Hauptschule receive a general academic education with the focus on the “world of work.” In some states these schools do not exist, never did exist, or have transformed into intermediate polytechnical or specialized schools. Only the Gymnasium is a university-preparatory school, so essentially a decision is made as early as the fourth grade about whether a child will be allowed to attend college.This does not happen in America, and this elitist practice is currently being debated in parts of Germany.

The typical German school day begins at 7:30AM and ends around 12:-1:PM. Each day contains thirty to forty 45 minute periods per week with the secondary schools using 90 minute block lessons. After each 45 minute session, students have a fifteen-twenty minute break. There are about 12 compulsory subjects: two or three foreign languages (one to be taken for 9 years, another for at least 3 years), physics, biology, chemistry and usually civics/social studies (for at least 5, 7, 3, and 2 years, respectively), and mathematics, music, art, history, German, geography, physical education and religious education and ethics for 9 years. Renate Tower,(a Penobscot School German teacher), said in our brief interview that by Gymnasium entrance, students have at the minimum, taken five years of English. A few afternoon activities are offered at German schools, mainly choir or orchestra, sometimes sports, drama or languages, but not officially graded in students' report cards.

In German schools, students are not provided lunch, snacks, any extra curricular activities, and for some states, there is no school contained physical education. Libraries are not part of their schools, so students frequent their public libraries. Technology is limited, so there are no laptops provided to take home to work on their hours and hours of homework they are required to complete daily. They are not bussed to or from school, and attend only half days, with dismissal ranging from 12:-1:PM. They have two weeks less vacation than we have in our school year, attending school approximately 220 days to our 180 days per year. Renate prefers the school system in Maine over other schools she has observed in other states, and she prefers Maine schools over German schools, because students “have more opportunities to choose for themselves” what they want to do with their future lives. “It has not been decided when they are ten years old.”

Germany follows a strict grouping and tracking philosophy, providing “different paths for students based on individual ability.” Students remain in one of three groups for all their school years, unless the parents are rich and influential. American schools practice inclusion, assist students throughout their school career, and typically host after school and summer programs to assist any remedial learners to achieve and succeed in school. German students are segregated based on academic achievement in fourth-sixth grade, (varies from state to state), and both students and families feel the pressure for advancement into Gymnasium, attempting to avoid Hauptschule placement. Students can be home schooled in America, but homeschooling is not allowed in Germany. There are church run schools in Germany, and some private schools. Students may attend any school anywhere within Germany, providing their grades are good enough and the school is willing to accept the student.

Germany is not quite the size of California, so we are quite different geographically as well as educationally, and according to the Educational System In Germany report, not all schools in Germany are consistent throughout their country. “It is important to note that there are regional differences in the education system in Germany.” The German states vary in their regional differences and their educational implementation.

The Christian Democrats, who have held power predominantly in the southern states, strongly identify with the traditional school forms and the fostering of the academic elite, while the Social Democrats have encouraged school reform as a means of increasing “equality of educational opportunity.” As a result, many aspects of schooling in the states of central and northern Germany differ from those in the southern German states, although each state has the same education structure and core curriculum, practice the same examination requirements for “completing upper secondary schooling (Abitur), and recognize school completion credentials from around the country.” It is the states who determine the educational curriculum, while the federal government “plays a minor role.”

Our American states also run the educational system, influencing mandates and standards implementation, but the federal government plays a larger role in education. Each German state's school structure has been influenced to some extent by different historical and political events. Education is the responsibility of each state, and part of their constitutional sovereignty. According to Renate, teachers are employed for the states by the Ministry of Education, and after a period of time can choose to hold that position for life. Teachers receive a reduction in their teaching hours if they assume the role of school administration. The local town is responsible for the school building and employs the janitorial and secretarial staff, typically two custodians and one secretary for a school of six to eight hundred students. In America, teachers are interviewed by administration, other teachers, school board, and community members, ultimately chosen by the principal with various input from the interviewing team, approved by the superintendent, and can hold a provisional contract for two to three years. These hiring practices vary from state to state and regions within states, depending on the school unit.

The disparities in educational programs are vastly different from state to state, region to region, county to county, and school unit to school unit in the United States. We have many exceptional schools who have demonstrated proven success for a number of years, but not all schools throughout our country can be “exceptional, and certainly there are “failing schools.” It is not clear that all our students have an equal beginning and a chance to continue in a direction they have chosen, but I do not believe the socio-economic factors are the entire fault for “failing schools.” Of course there are dismal situations in some of our nation’s schools, some of which are being addressed through reformative programs and intervention strategies, and there have been success stories reported. Michelle Rhee, Washington School Chancellor, made great strides improving those failing schools, changing leadership positions, administrators and teachers, although she did not embrace all the stakeholders and community leaders in the reformation process. It does take a team of collaborating leaders to make improvements. A report from Time magazine states,”Daily and weekly figures on student performance, attendance, tardiness — these numbers are pored over by teachers who are themselves regularly monitored and evaluated. The goal is for every person in the building to be constantly improving.” When a collaborative leadership team owns the strategic plan for improving a school unit, students achievement will result.

With each new administration, comes further developments to improve our educational status in the world. A Nation at Risk, a 1983 report commissioned by the Reagan Administration warned that "a rising tide of mediocrity in our schools threatens our very future as a nation." Due to the implementation of No Child Left Behind, schools are forced to make adequate yearly progress which is reported publicly. Former President Bush declared that in the Information Age, a solid education is a “fundamental civil right.” What will be done with these reports is another story involving reformation and transformation in our most troubled schools, all of which are currently being debated by the Obama administration, our Maine governor, the Maine Department of Education, and our local administrations. Can this leadership improve our schools? Once good leadership has been established, curriculum development can follow, and schools begin to improve in their climate, culture, and achievement levels. Heidi Hayes Jacob wrote, "Curriculum development is the essential function of school leadership. Whether this role is carried out by a principal, an assistant principal, for curriculum, a team leader, a department head, or by leading classroom teachers, the curriculum defines all other roles in a school.” There is no quick fix for troubled schools, but I do believe the solutions begin with our leadership, local, state, and national, collaboratively working for improvements in our educational system.

References

Ashwill, M. A. (1999, June). The Development and Implementation of Education Standards In Germany. Retrieved from:
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/GermanCaseStudy/chapter1a.html


Chuck Emerson Media Services. (2001) How To Germany - German School System. Retrieved from: http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/germanschools.html


Cruz, G. (2002, February 22). A Quick Fix For America’s Worst Schools. Retrieved from: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1963754,00.html


Flippo, H. (2011). The German Way and More: Education.
Retrieved from: http://www.german-way.com/educ.html

Symonds, W. C. (2001, March 19). How To Fix America’s Schools. Bloomberg Business Week. Retrieved from:
(http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_12/b3724001.htm