Q and A in English

Questions and Answers concerning...

Pre-school education and child care in Germany

Question

We are a group of students attending .... in Canada. We are enrolled in Early Childhood Education. We have been assigned a project to learn about the quality and standards of Childcare across the globe. Our main point of interest is for children under the age of six. We were wondering if you could send us the following;

1. Government regulations dealing with Child care policies and standards 2. Funding information, who pays for childcare? 3. Any pamphlets or other materials about general information on children up to the age of six years old.

We appreciate your time reading this letter, and hope to hear back from you soon with more information.

Answer

Thank you for your kind interest in German education system – especially in German child care. For the moment all I can offer to you is this:

The German education system: basic facts http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=4112

also

Pre-school education and care http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=4459

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Choice of school, school types, North Rhine-Westphalia

Question

My name is ... and I plan to do my PhD in Aachen RWTH, Germany next year. I have three children. I would like to send them to public school and I understand they have different types of school there. I would like to know which or what type of school could my children go since they have not studied in Germany. Please help me.

Answer

Regarding your questions about schools for your children, I would like to invite you to visit the following link on Deutscher Bildungsserver: http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=136 You will find informations in english regarding school systems, institutions, laws, addresses etc.. Furthermore it might be useful for you to visit the homepage of Nordrhein-Westfalen's Ministry of Education klicking on http://www.learn-line.nrw.de/start.html (here, information ist only available in german, though). Here you can find especially addresses of single schools and further information about the school system in Nordrhein-Westfalen and phone numbers.

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Regulations for English language exams of the Abitur (A-level)

Question

I am a staff member in the Undergraduate Admissions Office at the .... We are currently researching the English language component of a range of qualifications, including the German Abitur.

I would be grateful for any other information available on the English language component of the German secondary qualification. Ideally, we're looking for a syllabus, detailed assessment/mark scheme and sample exam papers.

Answer

There are several resources about the German Abitur available but unfortunately only in German.

As a federal state Germany actually has 16 education systems but there are a number of agreements on and regulations for the Abitur from the "Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs" that apply to all:

Gymnasiale Oberstufe (sixth form) in the Laender: http://www.kmk.org/doc/beschl/abi-02.pdf

Agreements on the Abitur and gymnasiale Oberstufe (sixth form): http://www.kmk.org/schul/abipr.htm

http://www.kmk.org/doc/beschl/abi-03.pdf

http://www.kmk.org/doc/publ/Vereinb-z-Gestalt-d-gymOb-i-d-SekII.pdf appendix to the above document: http://www.kmk.org/doc/publ/176_Listen-zu-Ziff_10-1_10-2_11-2.pdf

Central and decentral exams in the Laender: http://www.kmk.org/schul/zdzabi.htm

Duration of schooling at the Gymnasium (secondary school/ grammar school): http://www.kmk.org/schul/SchulzeitamGymnasium.pdf

Agreement on the mutual recognition of the Abitur in the Laender: http://www.kmk.org/doc/beschl/abi-07.pdf

Sample for school leaving report: http://www.kmk.org/doc/beschl/abi-08.pdf

Concerning the English language:

Unified examination requirements for the English language (Abitur): http://www.kmk.org/doc/beschl/epa_englisch.pdf

Some resources on exam questions for secondary schools (no complete list for all Laender) http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=638 Up-to-date information is also available from the ministries of education

school curricula in the Laender: http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=400

For information on detailed assessment and mark schemes you best contact the ministries of education: http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=580

For general information:

A short introduction to the Oberstufe (sixth form) in English: http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=687 Collection of resources on the German education system: http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=505 (several resources are available in English)

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Recognition of Australian Dr title

Question

I have a Doctor of Philosophy from the University....

Could you please inform me in which German documents I am entitled to include my Dr Title (i.e. Melderegister, legal communication, bank accounts, etc.).

Answer

For information on the recognition of foreign qualifications you can contact the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen): http://www.kmk.org/zab/home1.htm They should be able to advise you on this matter or can tell you which authority in Germany is responsible in your case.

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Recognition of degree in special education from the USA

Question

I recently graduated from a university in the United States with a degree in Special Education. Is that type of degree accepted in Germany to teach at a public school? Please send me some information because I am interested in teaching special education in Germany.

Answer

please visit the following link on Deutscher Bildungsserver to find vast informations about special education in Germany: http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen.html?seite=908

Most informations are in german language.

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Purchase of German math books

Question

I am interested in purchasing German Math books that would be used in German schools for children ages 9-14. If I can not purchase the exact books, I would like equivalent material. I am trying to develop math comparisons between US grades 4th-8th for my PhD.

Answer

As we are no bookshop it is not possible to buy math books from us. We only provide internet resources on education in Germany.

Links to lists of school books used in schools in the German Laender can be found at: http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=522 Unfortunately the websites are only in German. Of interested for the given age groups are the school types: Grundschule, Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium. The German word for math is Mathematik.

You can also try and contact the ministries of education for lists of school books: http://www.bildungsserver.de/zeigen_e.html?seite=580

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