Hupfinsgack isn't German, he's actually from Austria. But that's near enough to know that Zurich didn't know what he was talking about.
If you say so. From my textbook: (excuse the typos, my head was in a book)
Das deutsche Schulsystem
Germany and Switzerland have similar public school systems that are centrally administered, in Germany by each Ministry of Education and the ARts (das Kultusministerium) and by the individual Cantonal Ministries in Switzerland. The Federal Ministry of Education in Austria overseess educational policy there. These ministries initiate the educational curricula that schools will follow. This guarantees greater educational uniformity.
In Germany eighty percent of all three-to seix-year olds attend a private pre-school (der Kindergarten). Thereafter, children enter the public school system (or a private school), where they attend primary school (die Grundshule) through the fourth grade.
In the third and fourth grades teachers asses each pupil's abilities and then recommend tha tthey attend die Hauptschule, die Realschule, or das Gymnasium. During the fifth and sixth grades, called die Orientierungsstufe, students can change their minds and switch toa more appropriate school. All German students are required by law to attend school at least on a part time basis through the age of 18 (die Schulpflicht).
Roughly one third of all German students are Haptschuler. They attend school through the 9th grade, and, thereafter enter the workforce as an apprentice (der Lehrling or der/die Auszubildende), continuing with part time classroom work for three more years.
Another one-third of all German students attend die Realschule. Realschuler follow a middle-track educational path with a more demanding academic program that concludes with examinations at the end of the 10th grade. An intermediate diploma (die Mittlere Reife) is awarded upon successful completion of their training. This diploma qualifies students to attend specialized training colleges (eg die Fachschule or die Fachoberschule) and recieve training in areas such as engineer, administration, and business. In Austria, this type of school does not exist.
Gymnasiasten, making up the final third of German high school students, pursue the tradional college prepatory track that continues through the 13th grade. They usually take courses in German, math, chemistry, physcis, biology, English, a second foreign language, social studies, sports, and the arts. In the 11th through 13th grades, students choose two major areas of academic specialization for their Leistungskurse and several minor subjects for their Grundkurse. Before graduating from a Gymnasium, students must have completed coursework in atleast nine subjects. The two major subjects tested in depth when students face the complrehensive exams required for graduation. With this diploma (der Abschluss), the student is qualified to attend a university or any other post-secondary educational institution, such as a Musikhochschule, Kunsthochschule, or a Fachhochschule specialiing in engineering or the sciences.
A fourth type of German school, die Gesamtschule, modeled on the complrehensive American high school, was a product of the reform movement of the 1960s. It incorporates the curricula of all three traditional German secondary schooles, giving students a broad choice of programs and courses. While hailed by some as a more progressive and democratic schools, Gesamtschulen have been criticized by others for loweing standards. They remain controversial but are growing in number.
Berufswahl und Berunfsausbildung in deutschprachigen Landern
Students in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are trained in a profession that they willl most likely have for life. Occupational choices come early in school. During the third and fourth grades in Germany, parents and teachers decide if students will go to die Hauptschule, die Realschule, or das Gymnasium.
German businesses, government, and schools collaborate closely to provice thourough vocational and academic training for Hayptschuler, who will learn manual trades, or for Realschuler, who seek administrative poisitions. This close collaboration ensures a skilled workforce and streamlines the vocational education that the students receive.
In an on the job apprenticeship an apprentice from the Hauptschule learns his or her trade in three years. Only about one third of all apprentices get placed in their firce choice of fields, while many others must peruse careers in new fields. During this time apprentices are paid a trainee wage that increases annually. They must also attend academic classes at a school one or two days a week. There they take courses in their speciality along with courses in German, history, economics, and other subjects. The training ends when the apprentice passes an exam given by a board of teachers, employer trainers, and representatives f the approriate trade guide.
Students who are interested in technical professions or careers in buiness, administration, or civil service attend die Realschule for six years and participate in short term internships (die Praktikantenstellen). Upon passing die Mittlere Reife at the end of the 10th grade, these students may start an apprenticehsip in areas such as banking, business, or office administration or attend a technical college (die Fachschule) or a special school.
Das deutsche Universitatssystem
The German system of higher education, respected and emulated around the world, is undergoing change as more and
more Gymnasium graduates try to go on to study at universities. To limit the number of students, the universities have established maximum enrollments (Numerus clausus) in many subject areas. Students interested in these subjects submit credentials to a central clearing-house, die Zentralstelle fur die Vergabe von Studentienplatzen (ZVS) in Dormund, which assesses the student's academic record and length of time spent waiting for admission, along with tests and interviews. The student then may get a 'space', that is, admission to student at a particular subject at an institution chosen by ZVS, or the student is directed to another subject area. The requirements for getting a Studienplatz by the ZVS are particularly high for subjects suc as medicine, economics, law, and computer science.
Sorry for the long post, but for anyone who read it, you're now definitive experts on Germanys school system
How this relates to my two friends?
Well Stephen Beckermann from Munster was pushed into Engineering at Munster UNiversity (which isnt even in the top 35 for any catagories, Politik, Mathematik, ANglistik, Biologie, Padagogik, Okonomie, and CHemie). As a result, he jumped ship to UWaterloo for Mech Eng, one of the top Engineering schools in North America.
Jenny Nachschem on the other hand was going into Dentistry in Mannheim (ranked 8th overall), but had a change of heart and wanted to study Drama (dont ask). It was kind of too late for that, so with her dual citizenship she came to Canada.
There, Österreichmeister.
zurich
