5.1 Faktoren, die die Lebensqualität beeinflussen

Welche Aspekte des Alltags beeinflussen die Lebensqualität?

Hauptschule (grades 5-9 or 5-10)

1. The Hauptschule is generally considered the least demanding of the five types of secondary school, but it is often the best choice for students who are interested in trades or those who want to go through an apprenticeship for certain types of industrial jobs.
   1. The Hauptschule prepares students for vocational education. Vocational education prepares people to work as technicians or to work in a skilled craft. Here, most of the pupils work part-time as apprentices. After grade 9 or 10, they complete their final Hauptschulabschluss. They also have the option of earning the more prestigious Realschulabschluss after grade 10. With that, the next step is often a Berufsschule, an advanced technical/vocational school with a two-year course of apprenticeship and study.
2. Realschule (grades 5-10)
   1. This is the most popular type of secondary school in Germany. About 40 percent of German students attend this kind of school. The Realschule may be a step below the Gymnasium, but it can be a very good school, with academic standards that usually exceed those of a typical high school in the US. For instance, Realschule students must study at least one foreign language (usually English 🇬🇧 or French 🇫🇷) for a minimum of five years. (In Gymnasium a second foreign language is required.) Graduates earn a Realschulabschluss (diploma). In some communities, a Realschule and a Gymnasium may share the same building, with a shared library and other common facilities.
3. Mittelschule (grades 6-10)
   1. A Bavarian specialty: The Mittelschule ("intermediate" level between elementary and higher education) combines the Hauptschule and Realschule tracks.
4. Gymnasium (grades 5-12 or 5-13)
   1. The German Gymnasium is an academic secondary school that prepares students for the university. It begins with the fifth grade (seventh in Berlin/Brandenburg). After grade 12 or 13 (depending on the state), students earn a diploma called das Abitur by passing an oral and written exam. Traditionally, there had been a heavy emphasis on the study of Latin and Greek, but modern languages are favored today. Until the 1970s there were separate Gymnasien for boys and girls, but today they are co-ed.
   2. The Gymnasium curriculum is highly academic, with two foreign languages required, plus higher-level math ➗ and science courses. Students also have the option of taking more advanced “honors” courses (Leistungskurse).
   3. Any student with an “Abi” diploma from a Gymnasium is eligible to be admitted to a German university, but there are no guarantees that you will be able to study what you want. Popular fields such as law and medicine are extremely competitive. Students often have to choose a second or third choice for their major or have to enroll in a smaller university or one further away.
5. Gesamtschule (grades 5-12 or 5-13)
   1. This type of school combines the three school types into a comprehensive school that is similar to an American high school. Beginning in the late 1960s, the Gesamtschule (comprehensive school) was introduced as an alternative to the traditional three-tiered secondary education system. Instead of three different schools, there are three different tracks within one school.

Image taken from german-way.com.

Einige Schulunterschiede zwischen den USA und Deutschland

Das Notensystem-- Das deutsche Notensystem geht von 1 bis 6, wobei eins (1) die beste Note (A) und sechs (6) die schlechteste (F) ist Schlechte Noten in mehreren Fächern können dazu führen, dass ein Schüler ein ganzes Schuljahr wiederholen muss.

Der Stundenplan -- Ein deutscher Stundenplan ist nicht jeden Tag gleich. Eher wie ein Stundenplan an einer Universität, mit einigen Unterrichten dreimal pro Woche, während andere nur zwei Tage pro Woche sind. Die Klassen werden für die Woche geplannt, nicht für den Tag.

Schule Freitagen -- Um massive Staus zu vermeiden (ja, wirklich), haben die deutschen Schulen in den 16 Bundesländern einen gestaffelten Urlaubsplan, der jedes Jahr wechselt. Einjährige Schulen in Berlin können ihre Sommerferien im Juni beginnen, während die in Bayern im Juli beginnen. Es gibt sogar eine Website, auf der Sie einen staatlichen Schulferien-Leitfaden für die nächsten Jahre finden.

Klassenlehrer -- Ab der fünften Klasse eines Gymnasiums (siebter für andere Schultypen) werden die Schüler mit einem bestimmten Klassenlehrer in „Klassenräume“ eingeteilt. Sie bleiben für den Rest ihrer Schulzeit zusammen.