The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2012/2013

The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2012/2013 A description of the responsibilities, structures and developments in education policy for the exchange of information in Europe Published by: Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany Graurheindorfer Str. 157, 53117 Bonn Edited by: BRIGITTE LOHMAR THOMAS ECKHARDT Documentation and Education Information Service/ German EURYDICE Unit of the Länder in the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany in cooperation with the German EURYDICE Unit of the Federal Government in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research Editorial deadline of the original version: September 2013 © KMK, Bonn 2014 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR The Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs is herewith presenting the NATIONAL DOSSIER for Germany as a contribution to the better mutual understanding of the education systems in Europe. The Dossier describes the responsibilities, structures and key developments in educational policy up to the middle of 2013. In Germany measures to develop and safeguard the quality of school education continue to re- main at the heart of education policy debate. The introduction of educational standards binding for all Länder and the establishment of the Institute for Educational Progress ( Institut zur Qua- litätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen – IQB) to review and develop them marked the beginning of a paradigm shift towards an output-oriented control of the education system. The Standing Con- ference had already decided, in March 2012, to develop a shared pool of standards-based Abitur examination tasks which apply to all Länder in the subjects German, mathematics and advanced foreign language. The Länder are thereby guaranteeing the comparability and high quality of Abitur examination tasks on the basis of the educational standards for the Allgemeine Hochschulreife general higher education entrance qualification agreed in October 2012. A plan for the implementation of the standards was adopted by the Standing Conference in October 2013. The educational standards are part of a comprehensive strategy for educational monitoring as adopted by the Standing Conference in 2006. Currently Länder quality development and quality assurance measures in the school sector are increasingly focused on boosting equality in education, and further improving the permeability between the various school types in the education system. Special weight is attached to the transition from school to work. Against this background, in October 2013 the Standing Conference adopted the Recommendation Lebenschancen eröffnen, Qualifizierungspotenziale ausschöpfen – Übergänge gestalten (Open up new opportunities, make the most of qualification potentials – create transitions) to help school leavers with difficulties transition into the world of work. The aim is to offer all young people coordinated, tailored and immediate training in a recognised occupation requiring formal training. With its Resolution of October 2013 the Standing Conference promoted nationwide mobility for those entering the teaching profession. Irrespective of the Land in which they studied or were trained, prospective teachers can, from the 2014/2015 academic year onwards, apply for jobs throughout Germany under the same entrance requirements. The Standing Conference also adopted recommendations to assess suitability as a teacher already in the first stage of teacher training. The National Dossier for Germany provides an overview ranging from early childhood to adult education, as well as offering background information on the basic political and economic condi- tions in Germany. As this dossier serves the purposes of the exchange of information in Europe, the focus is initially on the common features of the education systems in the 16 Länder. Howev- er, in order to give the reader a picture of the variety of educational programmes in Germany, the features unique to each individual Land are also included in the description. The National Dossier has been drawn up each year since 1993 as part of the Information Net- work on Education in Europe (EURYDICE) on the basis of a common structure for all states. The complete texts of each National Dossier are available online in English, and partly also in the national language(s) of the country or region concerned, through EURYPEDIA , the European Encyclopaedia on National Education Systems (http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurypedia). The EURYPEDIA site allows Europe-wide comparisons of individual aspects of the education systems in the 36 countries participating in the activities of the EURYDICE information network. Work on the German Dossier was completed following consultation and agreement with the Federal Government and the Länder. The work was performed by the Eurydice Information Unit of the Länder which, in accordance with a resolution of the Bundesrat, is established within the Documentation and Education Information Service of the Standing Conference of the Minis- ters of Education and Cultural Affairs. The Dossier is supplemented by references concerning the basic legal regulations of the Federal Government and the Länder, a list of institutions and a bibliography, as well as by a glossary of national terms and the special technical terminology used. In accordance with the function of the national dossiers, the annual report for 2012/2013 contains a reliable presentation of the German education system completed in consultation with the ministries responsible for education. In this regard, the dossier supplements the reporting on education based on statistical indicators and serves Germany as basic documentation and refer- ence source on the federal education system for international contacts and consultations at Eu- ropean level. Furthermore, the National Dossier, being an up-to-date assessment of responsibilities, structures and developments in the German education system, addresses all interested readers in Germany and abroad. Udo Michallik Secretary General of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs PREFACE BY THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND RE- SEARCH Europa is shaped by diversity – by different cultures and languages. These differences are evi- dent in many areas and can also be perceived in the structure of the different education systems. The Eurydice education network, consisting of 36 European countries, presents an overview of the national education systems and offers an exchange of information and experience. The Eu- rydice publications provide information about the structure and organisation of the individual education systems and about political initiatives in this field. This exchange of in-depth knowledge facilitates mutual learning. This is important against the background of the continu- ing economic and financial crisis, as effective education systems are a basis for the ability of Eu- rope to rise to future challenges. Joint action at European level is essential to address current challenges in Europe. The issue of education is therefore a priority for the long-term solution to the crisis. The Eurydice publication “The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2012/13” contains a detailed description of the German education system and supports Eurydice in its European educational cooperation. It contributes to more transparency, comparability and exchange of experience. The report was produced in cooperation between the Federation and the Länder for Eurydice and covers all education sectors and levels, and current reform plans. The publication clearly demonstrates the strength of the German education system: continuity and change. With new measures and initiatives education policy is oriented consistently at current national and international challenges, without neglecting tried-and-tested structures and strat- egies. A future-oriented education policy is not just focused inwards, but includes European and international developments. I would like to invite you not only to attend to the current publication but also to visit the online education encyclopaedia Eurypedia. This presents the German education system clearly and in detail, and allows simple direct comparisons with a variety of aspects of the education systems of the other countries in the Eurydice network. Volker Rieke Director General for European and International Cooperation in Education and Research Federal Ministry of Education and Research CONTENTS 1. POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND TRENDS 11 1.1. Introduction 11 1.2. Historical Development 12 1.3. Main Executive and Legislative Bodies 13 1.4. Population: Demographic Situation, Languages and Religions 17 1.5. Political and Economic Situation 22 2. ORGANISATION AND GOVERNANCE 23 2.1. Introduction 23 2.2. Fundamental Principles and National Policies 24 2.3. Lifelong Learning Strategy 24 2.4. Organisation of the Education System and of Its Structure 25 2.5. Organisation of Private Education 33 2.6. National Qualifications Framework 37 2.7. Administration and Governance at Central and/or Regional Level 40 2.8. Administration and Governance at Local and/or Institutional Level 55 2.9. Statistics on Organisation and Governance 64 3. FUNDING 79 3.1. Introduction 79 3.2. Early Childhood and School Education Funding 80 3.3. Higher Education

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