Traveler

The Graduation ceremony
The Grundshule a.k.a. (also known as) elementary school has only four grades, due to their ability abased education system. The graduation ceremony not only means the end of elementary school but also the start of a somewhat fixed career. Depending on ability the children are sorted out into three main groups Gymnasiun, Realshule, Hauptschule according to their academic performances in elementary school. In my opinion, the system is very practical, but is quite cruel because it seldom offers a second chance. If Taiwan used such a system, I would never have had the chance to attend university, let alone attend medical school.

The following set are photos taken from their graduation ceremony, the settings are rather nice, small school, kind faculty and nice principal.

School of the ideal size

Nice principal

Song by juniors.

Performance by juniors.

Song & performance by graduates.

Singing a song and saying farewell to a member of the faculty.

Tatoo!!

The German way of saying farewell to graduates.

Simply clever!

An Overview of the German System of Education

The following is referenced from
The Educational System in Germany : Case Study Findings, June 1998 http://www.ed.gov/pubs/GermanCaseStudy/chapter1a.html
Please proceed only if you have interest.

The German education system provides different paths for students based on individual ability. Children enter the Grundschule at age 6, and students of all levels of ability remain together as a group through the fourth grade of Grundschule (sixth grade in two states). Following Grundschule, when most students are around 10 years old, the German school system tracks students of differing abilities and interests into different school forms. In spite of the far-reaching changes of the past 30 years, including the shift from elite to mass education, Germany?s traditional three-tiered system of education at the secondary level remains intact. In addition, support for this system remains strong among teachers, students, and parents of differing educational and social class backgrounds.

Grundschule teachers recommend their students to a particular school based on criteria such as academic achievement, potential, and personality characteristics, such as ability to work independently and self-confidence. However, in most states parents have the final say as to which school their child will track to following the fourth grade, and some parents go against the teacher's recommendation because they believe the higher level tracks offer their children more opportunities.

In most states, students enter one of several school forms at the lower secondary level (which comprise of a pyramid of academic achievement).

* The Hauptschule (grades 5-9 in most states) leads to receipt of the Hauptschule certificate and then to part-time enrollment in a vocational school combined with apprenticeship training until the age of 18.

* The Realschule (grades 5-10 in most states) leads to receipt of the Realschule certificate and then to part-time vocational schools, higher vocational schools or continuation of study at a Gymnasium.

* The Gymnasium (grades 5-13 in most states) leads to the Abitur and prepares students for university study or for a dual academic and vocational credential.

Although it is possible for students to switch to a higher-level school form with improved performance, it is not a frequent occurrence. It is more common that a student will move to a less rigorous school if they cannot meet their school's performance standards.

Hauptschule

The lowest-achieving students attend the Hauptschule, where they receive slower paced and more basic instruction in the same primary academic subjects taught at the Realschule and Gymnasium. Additional subjects at the Hauptschule have a vocational orientation. In most states, students enroll in the Hauptschule beginning in the fifth grade and continue their education at the Hauptschule through the ninth grade. However, some states require school attendance through the 10th grade, and in one of the southern states all students who do not enroll in the Gymnasium for the 5th grade are sent to the Hauptschule for a minimum of 2 years. Enrollment figures reported 25 percent of 14-year-olds attended Hauptschulen in the 1992-93 school year (Statistisches Bundesamt 1993).

Realschule

The Realschule provides students with an education which combines both liberal and practical education from the 5th through the 10th grade, but the emphasis is on liberal education. Enrollment figures for 1992?93 reported by the Statistisches Bundesamt (1993) listed 24 percent of 14- year-olds enrolled in Realschulen, and an additional 7 percent enrolled in combined Haupt/Realschulen (the latter located mostly in the eastern states).

The education focus of the Realschule is differentiated between the Unterstufe (lower level), which incorporates the 5th, 6th, and 7th grades, and the Oberstufe (upper level), which includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades. The lower level has a strong pedagogical emphasis, while the upper level is more closely oriented to various disciplines. The combined Hauptschule and Realschule, which exists in some of the former East German states, is called a Mittelschule.

Gymnasium

The Gymnasium provides students with a liberal education and traditionally leads to study at the university. According to statistics reported by the Statistisches Bundesamt (1993), 30 percent of 14-year-olds at schools in Germany in the 1992-93 academic year were enrolled in Gymnasien.

Students may enroll in the Gymnasium at the lower secondary level (5th grade) or may transfer to the Gymnasium after the completion of the Realschule (11th grade). In some states, it is also common for students to transfer to the Gymnasium following the sixth grade. The final 3 years of Gymnasium (grades 11-13 in most states) are called the Oberstufe (upper level).

The three most common education tracks offered by standard Gymnasien are classical language, modern language, and mathematics-natural science. A variation of the traditional Gymnasium is the Berufliches gymnasium, which offers specialized orientations in areas such as economics or the technological sciences in addition to core academic courses. Students who successfully complete study at a Gymnasium (or Berufliches gymnasium) and pass the comprehensive examinations receive the Abitur.

First Impressions

If there was a word that could describe how our journey to Germany became possible, it would be the word “緣分” (yuan fen).

“緣分” (yuan fen) indescribable in English words is the reason how our journey to Germany became possible. Our hostess Judy was my mother’s first year student. Now forty years old (mind you, my mother is only fifty ), a mother of a brilliant child and a wife of an Austrian Engineer(his name is Cluas) who works in a international corporation. Living with such a German (Austrian) family was the perfect way to have a better perception of the European culture.

Knowing that Germany is a highly industrialized nation by heart, I never imagined it’s houses could be so elegantly and artistically built. But all the beauty didn’t just come out from nowhere, only with a nicely functioning government and tight building regulations could all this be accomplished. In Germany, if you wanted to modify the exterior of the house you own, you must get the approval of not only your friendly neighbors, but also the local government.

Beautiful house

A huge garden with fruits and vegetables, a nearly impossible dream for city dwellers in Taiwan. In addition, having a vivid four seasons is quite unimaginable for someone like myself.