Inequality is elementary to Germany's school system
Key takeaways
- Children's paths through Germany's school system are often determined before their first day of kindergarten, according to the national report on education.
- Nearly all of the 250 students come from families who have migrated to Germany within a generation.
- Germany's two-tier educational system sorts children into a university track or trade-school track by the time the reach their teens.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Children's paths through Germany's school system are often determined before their first day of kindergarten, according to the national report on education. An elementary school in Bonn is offering a new model for kids.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fek8Germany's education system excludes many children from opportunities Image: Unai Huizi/image BROKER/picture alliance Advertisement The Kettelerschule, a primary school located in the northern part of the western German city of Bonn, is not in a wealthy neighborhood. Nearly all of the 250 students come from families who have migrated to Germany within a generation. Many do not speak German at home. One in three students requires individualized support. However, the school has consistently scored above average on achievement tests in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Germany's two-tier educational system sorts children into a university track or trade-school track by the time the reach their teens. At the Kettelerschule percentage of students who transfer to university-track institutions after four years of elementary school has risen from 0.5% to 30% in the past 20 years.