Educational pathways in the lower secondary level outside the Gymnasium

In particular, the non-grammar school sector at lower secondary level deserves more attention. However, this is structured so differently in the federal states that it is almost impossible to make generalised statements about the need for and opportunities for action. This already applies to the school-leaving qualifications, which have different designations. The three terms ‘Hauptschulabschluss’, ‘Berufsreife / Berufsbildungsreife’ and ‘Erster (allgemeinbildender) Schulabschluss’ are predominantly used for the lower level, while the two terms ‘Mittlerer Schulabschluss / Mittlere Reife’ and ‘Realschulabschluss’ are used for the intermediate level. Some states deviate from this, such as Bavaria with the term ‘Abschluss der Mittelschule’ for the lower secondary school-leaving certificate. In addition, the federal states sometimes make further differentiations for these school-leaving qualifications. From a structural point of view, the second forms of the intermediate secondary school-leaving certificate are only awards for particularly good performance, whereas in some federal states, the extended lower secondary school-leaving certificates require one year longer school attendance and an additional final examination, which means that they are clearly to be regarded as independent. In many federal states, it is sufficient to achieve the required standard of the ninth form without a special examination to obtain the simple lower secondary school-leaving certificate, which can be problematic if the pupils' performance is not assessed in a completely standardised manner.

While the ‘Gymnasium’ exists in all federal states as an independent type of school at lower secondary level, the further educational pathways are organised very differently. There are between one and four other types of school. Almost everywhere there are comprehensive schools that also offer education at grammar school level. The amount of compulsory education pupils receive at lower secondary level also varies. For example, the total number of compulsory weekly lessons in German and maths up to the end of year 10 ranges between 22 and 30. A standardisation of these school systems is hardly conceivable, as the responsibility of the federal states for the education system is an important cornerstone of the federal system in Germany. However, it would make sense to carry out standardised comparative tests throughout Germany at the end of lower secondary level with separate certification of the results. These certificates could make it easier to compare the actual performance level of school leavers, especially when applying for apprenticeships in other federal states.