Smarter Than They Look

Have you ever wondered about the reasons behind how smart many part of the world are compared to the United States? Well I sure have. Germany is indeed included in one of those smarter parts of the world and I'm here to give you a little insight into why. 

The responsibility for the German education system lies primarily with the states while the federal government plays only a minor role. Optional Kindergarten education is provided for all children between three and six years of age, after which school attendance is required, in most cases for 11 to 12 years. The system varies throughout Germany because each state  decides its own educational policies.

German secondary education includes five-that's right, FIVE- types of school. The Gymnasium is designed to prepare pupils for university education and finishes with the final examination Abitur, after grade 12 or 13. The Realschule has a broader range of emphasis for intermediate pupils and finishes with the final examination Mittlere Reife, after grade 10; the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education and finishes with the final examination Hauptschulabschluss, after grade 9 or 10 and the Realschulabschluss after grade 10. There are two types of grade 10: one is the higher level called type 10b and the lower level is called type 10a; only the higher level type 10b can lead to the Realschule and this finishes with the final examination Mittlere Reife after grade 10b.

Most German children only attend school in the morning. There are usually no provision for serving lunch. The amount of extracurricular activities is determined individually by each school and varies greatly.

Many of Germany's hundred or so institutions of higher learning charge little or no tuition by international comparison (how nice would THAT be??) Students usually must prove through examinations that they are qualified. Also, in order to enter university, students are, as a rule, required to have passed the Abitur examination.

To conclude, here is an interesting fact: Germany's universities are recognized internationally; in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for 2008, six of the top 100 universities in the world are in Germany, and 18 of the top 200. Crazy, right?!