Education takes many forms in Saxony-Anhalt, from nursery %-0,/9-%.4 education for infants to offering a general or voca- tional education, music schools, adult education centres, and #ONTINUINGEDUCATION and . This diversity, as well as the options #OLLEGEOF !DULT for mobility and connectivity within the education system of !RT#OLLEGE 5NIVERSITIESOF 5NIVERSITIES #HURCH EDUCATION Vocational schools Saxony-Anhalt, make it possible for everyone to benefi t from -USIC APPLIEDSCIENCES a good education and enjoy the opportunity to obtain quali- in Saxony-Anhalt embraces different types of schools: vo- cational schools, vocational colleges, technical schools, technical colleges and fi cations appropriate to their individual skills and interests. 5NIVERSITYOF vocational grammar schools. They teach vocational syllabuses, as well as sup- APPLIEDSCIENCES 4ECHNICAL plementing the level of general education already acquired. They award general ENTRANCE SCHOOLS and vocational -leaving certifi cates and qualifi cations for further educa- 'ENERALHIGHEREDUCATIONENTRANCEQUALIFICATION QUALIFICATION tional institutions. They also provide advanced vocational training.

6OCATIONALQUALIFICATION Nursery schools 6OCATIONAL Vocational schools are attended by young people as part of the dual system of 4ECHNICAL vocational training. Here they learn theoretical knowledge, skills and profi cien- Early childhood education and nurture are the cornerstone of each individ- GRAMMAR 6OCATIONAL 6OCATIONAL cies relevant to their future careers, whilst companies offering apprenticeships ual’s educational history. In order to enable all children to share in the avail- SCHOOL COLLEGE SCHOOL teach them the practical syllabus for one of approximately 350 trades which are able educational opportunities and in the development of talents which goes DUAL FULL TIME recognised throughout Germany. hand in hand with this, but also to ensure that they receive the best possible SYSTEM TRAINING preparation for school, Saxony-Anhalt provides encouragement for young par- Vocational colleges are fl exible full-time institutions offering training courses ents wishing to combine a family with a career. There is a legal entitlement to 4EACHINGTOWARDSTHE lasting one to several years and leading to a vocational and/or general qualifi ca- full-time day-care for the children of working parents right from birth. INTERMEDIATESCHOOL 4EACHINGTOWARDSTHESECONDARY %XTENDED INTERMEDIATE 'RAMMARSCHOOL tion. Children are generally cared for and encouraged to develop their individual CERTIFICATE GENERALSCHOOLCERTIFICATE SCHOOL LEAVINGCERTIFICATEPOSSIBLE skills in municipal or private facilities or in church-run nurseries, usually until 9EAR 3ECONDARYGENERALSCHOOL Once one has a skilled job or a vocational qualifi cation, further qualifi cations they reach the age of compulsory schooling. 1UALIFIED SECONDARYGENERAL SCHOOL LEAVINGCERTIFICATEPOSSIBLE #OLLECTIVECLASSES can be obtained at a technical school which equips one to work in middle man- SCHOOL agement, e.g. in planning or organisation. #HILDRENMAYTRANSFERBETWEEN CLASSES WITHINTHESECONDARYGENERALSCHOOLIN #OMPREHENSIVE Attendance at a technical college is possible after vocational training in class 12 0RIMARYSCHOOLCLASSESTO Primary schools ANYSCHOOLYEAR or without vocational training from class 11. Both paths culminate in an entrance

Children attend classes 1 to 4 in , where their education focuses 4HEYMAYTRANSFERFROMTHESECONDARY 3PECIALNEEDS qualifi cation for a of applied sciences, entitling the holder to enter SCHOOLSCENTRES predominantly on basic skills and profi ciency in reading, writing and arithme- GENERALTOTHEGRAMMARSCHOOLATTHE &LEXIBLEPHASETOYEARS . tic. Depending on the speed of their development, pupils spend one to three BEGINNINGOFCLASSES OR years in the reception phase before moving on to Year 3. In Year 4, the school Anyone with a qualifi cation entitling them to join the upper division of gram- advises parents on the educational options best suited to their child (secondary )NTEGRATEDORCOOPERATIVEAND mar school, or holding an extended intermediate school-leaving certifi cate, or general school or ). ADDITIVECOMPREHENSIVESCHOOL .URSERYSCHOOLS who can demonstrate an equivalent standard of education, can receive an in- depth general education specialising in areas relevant to one’s future career at a vocational grammar school, culminating in an Abitur examination and a higher Secondary general schools, grammar schools education entrance qualifi cation.

and comprehensives Students normally attend the vocational grammar school for three years in one Secondary general schools provide a general and vocationally-oriented educa- grammar school, with an introductory phase in the 10th class and a qualifi cation Secondary general schools, grammar schools and comprehensives may all have of the following branches of study: tion. In Years 5 and 6, the pupils are prepared for the key areas of study, learning phase in classes 11 and 12. Grammar school education ends in the 12th class, when particular specialisations. This enables them to focus on nurturing their pupils’ • Agriculture requirements and work methods they will encounter in Years 7 to 10. During the pupils are examined for their Abitur school-leaving certifi cate. individual gifts and interests. • Nutrition and domestic science fi rst two years, teaching covers subject matter which is compulsory for all pupils • Health and social affairs before they begin to specialise for different school-leaving examinations in Year Comprehensive schools provide a general and vocationally-oriented education. • Technology 7. Some will leave at the end of Year 9 with a secondary general school certifi - They are of two different types: integrated or cooperative and additive. In their • Commerce cate or a qualifi ed secondary general school certifi cate, or at the end of Year 10 integrated form, they constitute a pedagogical and organisational entity, and Special needs schools with an intermediate school-leaving certifi cate or an extended intermediate enable students to take courses within a differentiated teaching system leading Special needs schools teach children with special educational needs. All of the Young people without a general school-leaving certifi cate, and those who have school-leaving certifi cate. This is a good preparation for those intending to take to all the school-leaving certifi cates available at the end of the lower and -leaving certifi cates available in general education can be acquired there. attended special needs schools, can join a foundation course at a vocational in- vocational training. An extended intermediate school-leaving certifi cate al- , without any assignation to different types of schools. Classes 11 to 13 Pupils can develop their potential thanks to individual support provided on a stitute. This enables them to make a transition to vocational training and opens lows pupils to transfer to Year 10 of a grammar school or to attend a vocational are equivalent to the upper school at grammar school. Coope rative and additive specialised rehabilitative and pedagogical basis. To this end, there are seven the way for them to acquire a secondary general school certifi cate. grammar school. comprehensives combine pedagogical and organisational aspects of the second- different types of special school. Support centres created as a result of co-op- ary general and grammar school. Pupils are taught for the most part in classes eration agreements between special needs schools, schools providing a general Young people with a secondary general school certifi cate can acquire basic vo- Grammar schools are attended by pupils in classes 5 to 12. They provide a more specifi c to a particular type of school, but also in learning groups which transcend education and vocational schools make it possible for regional or supra-regional cational training in a trade, such as metals technology, during a foundation vo- in-depth general education and prepare pupils for their general higher edu- different types of schools. Here, too, classes 11 and 12 are equivalent to the qualifi - integrative options to be made available, as well as advice, diagnosis and pre- cational training year involving both theoretical and practical learning, with the cation entrance qualifi cation. Classes 10 to 12 constitute the upper division of cation phase in the upper school at grammar school. vention. aim of later participation in the dual training system. Ñ

05675_Bildungssystem_engl4.indd 1 28.04.2009 18:12:37 Uhr Higher education Information and advice The two-tier education system in Saxony-Anhalt offers Saxony-Anhalt offers modern, attractive and innovative courses at its two uni- everyone the opportunity to acquire an educational quali- The education system Kultusministerium des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt versities in Magdeburg and Halle, the College of Art and Design in Halle, its fi cation in accordance with their individual skills, capabilities and Turmschanzenstraße 32 four universities of applied sciences, the Evangelical College of Church Music interests. in Halle, and the state-recognised Theological College in Friedensau. Higher D-39114 Magdeburg www.mk.sachsen-anhalt.de in Saxony-Anhalt education can lead to many different careers in the arts or sciences. Universi- The ability to transfer between individual school types and www.studieren-in-sachsen-anhalt.de ties are oriented more towards theory and research, and universities of ap- courses can be regarded as both a challenge and an opportunity plied sciences have a stronger bias towards practical and applied subjects. for students and teachers alike. Students normally attend higher education for about six to ten semesters, de- Landesverwaltungsamt Abteilung Schule pending on the qualifi cations that they hope to achieve. After only three years, Once a vocational or higher education has been completed, both Ernst-Kamieth-Straße 5 they can embark on a career in an academic fi eld, equipped with a Bachelor s state and private providers of adult education offer many oppor- D-06610 Halle degree. Or they can continue their studies by taking a Masters course in order tunities to gain additional qualifi cations within the concept of to deepen their academic or scientifi c knowledge or to perhaps specialise in lifelong learning, in order to attain new career or personal goals. a particular fi eld. Landesinstitut für Schulqualität und Lehrerbildung Sachsen-Anhalt (LISA) The state is making every effort to safeguard and improve the Riebeckplatz 9 Some courses, such as medicine, law or teaching, culminate in a national quality of education and training. Thus schools are regularly as- D-06110 Halle (Saale) state examination. Church qualifi cations can also be obtained. sessed and the results are analysed in central performance stud- ies. Schools are under an obligation to use these analyses for Landeselternrat In order to be allowed to study at a college or university, a higher education internal evaluations to ensure an ongoing improvement in their Kultusministerium des Landes entrance qualifi cation is required. This can take the form of standards. The Supervisory Board provides advice Sachsen-Anhalt • an Abitur certifi cate and support in this respect. Turmschanzenstraße 32 • a vocational Abitur certifi cate D-39114 Magdeburg • a university of applied sciences entrance qualifi cation • a comparable educational background approved by the Ministry of Educa- Landesschülerrat tion (for instance, master craftsmen and the holders of certain advanced Kultusministerium des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt qualifi cations are entitled to study) Learning foreign languages is a major priority, in the light Turmschanzenstraße 32 • entitlement to study at a college or university granted in another federal of globalisation and the European process of integration. D-39114 Magdeburg state In some cases, modern foreign languages are introduced as early • an entrance examination for persons in employment without a college or as at nursery school. English is compulsory from Year 3 at primary Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg university entrance qualifi cation school. A second foreign language can be learned at secondary general schools from Year 7, while this is compulsory at grammar www.uni-halle.de schools from Year 7 (options include French, Russian, Italia n, Span- Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg ish and ). Pupils can elect to study a third language from Year www.uni-magdeburg.de 9. A number of international school partnerships also help to im- The state and the local authorities ensure that prove foreign language skills. the public education system is diverse and fi t for Burg Giebichenstein Hochschule für Kunst und Design Halle purpose. The majority of schools are run by the admin- www.burg-halle.de Foreign language learning continues at college and university, istrative districts, independent cities or municipalities. e and English-language courses are being offered to an increasing Hochschule Anhalt (FH) Some specialised schools – currently three grammar r extent. www.hs-anhalt.de schools and fi ve special needs schools – are run by the u state. Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal (FH) t www.hs-magdeburg.de fu Hochschule Merseburg (FH) e Independently operated schools make an important con- IMPRINT www.hs-merseburg.de h tribution to fulfi lling the educational mandate alongside Hochschule Harz - Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (FH) t state schools, and the alternative options they can offer make the Published by: www.hs-harz.de o school landscape all the richer. With their specialised syllabuses The Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs t and different types of education and teaching, they bring benefi ts of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Polizei Sachsen-Anhalt ng to the school system and increase the opportunities for selecting Turmschanzenstrasse 32, D-39114 Magdeburg www.polizei.sachsen-anhalt.de ki a form of education which meets particular pedagogical or faith www.mk.sachsen-anhalt.de o Theologische Hochschule Friedensau Lo requirements. Independently operated schools are managed, www.thh-friedensau.de among others, by foundations, associations, churches and indi- viduals. They may be alternative or complementary schools. They Picture credits: Evangelische Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Halle 3!8/.9 !.(!,4 generally charge fees, but these must not be set at a level which Thomas Immo www.ehk-halle.de prevents pupils’ access. The state provides a fi nancial framework www.phototek.net -INISTRYOF%DUCATIONAND upon which the independently operated schools can rely. #ULTURAL!FFAIRS February 2009

05675_Bildungssystem_engl4.indd 2 28.04.2009 18:12:55 Uhr