What school level is below gymnasium school and where do I find one in frankfurt?

Question

im planning to move to frankfurt and im 15. I have above average grade in canada but I dont know any german. also I've heard gymnasium schools are like college level which is way too hard. im also entering my grade 11 level next symester

Answer 1

German school system is different from the Canadian school system.

Germany has four branches of education above grammar school:

- Hauptschule:

This level of school has a lower academic profile and focusses more on preparing students for jobs like a car mechanic, shop assistant etc.

Hauptschule has six grades and ends with a "Hauptschulabschluss" that doesn't qualify you for Universität and college. At best, it will qualify you for "Fachoberschulreife", which is the gymnasium level.

- Realschule:

This school form has a higher academic profile. It prepares students for clerk and administrative type of jobs.

Realschule also has six levels and ends with the Realschulabschluß.

If your grades are good enough, you'll qualidy for a "Fachoberschulreife" that enables you to go to a Gymnasium, but you can't go to college with it.

- Gymnasium (this is a "Fachoberschule"):

This school form has a slightly higher academic profile than the realschule. It prepares students for college. Gymnasium has 9 grades. You can opt out at grade 10 with a "Fachoberschulreife". Students who have a Fachoberschulreife from the Haupt- and Realschule join the Gymnasium in grade 11 (when the students are 15 or 16). In grade 13, there's be finals that determine wether you'll get a "Fachhochschulreife", which is the qualification you'll need to enter University or college.

Please note that German school system is devised in a way that will allow people from all school forms to go to University if they get the required qualification. But for most students who don't go to Gymnasium, school life ends at the age of 16 and they start their 3 year job training that will qualify them for a job of their choice (given they find a job-training employer and get a contract).

- Gesamtschule:

A school form that mixes all three above school forms and it's determined by how well you do in your classes what qualification you will get.

I'd strongly recommend that you get into contact with the German embassy in Canada:

http://www.ottawa.diplo.de/Vertretung/ot...

They will be alble to determine or help you find ways to determin which school level is appropriate and also tell you what kind of paperwork is required (because in Germany, *everything* is about paperwork...). Since you're a minor, there should be some legal issues involved.

You'll need a Visa if you plan to stay for a year anyway.

Most important is that you German is up to par. Otherwise you'll be busy learning the language and fall back in classes.

Perhaps a better idea would be to complete high school in Canada and then come to Germany for studying a year. This way, you'll avoid losing a year or two in your education, since German schools and other schools quite differ in matters of the curriculum and what things are taught in what grade.

This would also give you time to polish up your German.

(I assume that you speak at least some basic level of German to plan changing to a German school - because if you don't speak any German you can as well forget the entire thing altogether. Even an A-level student wouldn't stand a chance mastering a new language and catch up with what is taught.).

If you change now, most of your fellow students would still be at  a very basic level of English and communication would be difficult. Also, in most German schools, outside of the foreign language classes, all classes are held in German language entirely.

Check out this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_i...

As you scroll towards the bottom of the page, there's plenty of useful information, like an average German school day and such things.

Answer 2

Lee L said it all.

I am only adding this to concur with her recomendation to finish your High School first, so you will not be empty handed, for at that level it is hard to enter into a german school system and leave with good grades when just learning the language.

Speaking German and taking a test in German are 2 different things. When the rest of your life will depend upon the grades you get it is a risk that I would not want to take.

I found the US High School system far easier than a Gymnasium, I never needed Latin before for one, and the classes are instruction then you have to do the work on your own after school, I have stayed up till all hours just getting it done and I mean every night. You can count on doing school work everynite till 19:00. everyday. You are really pushed.

A realschule might be better but it is still demanding. There will be things you need to learn that you never even studied.

Plus add in the culture shock, & language barrier.

Answer 3

Hi, I live in german and attending Gymnasium in Karlsruhe its about an hour away from Frankfurt. You`ll probably have to take a test so the school sees in which school your going to do best in if you go in the Realschule und can change into the gymnasium if it is to easy for you, but what I have see in america the high school is easy compare to Gymnasium in Germany.

Answer 4

after i think 5th grade a kid can go into three different levels os schooling.

1. A gymnasium which is for kids who want to go to college.

2. A Realschule which is for intermediary students.

3. A Hauptschule which is for vocational education.

The Realschule only goes to grade 9 and the Hauptschule only goes to grade 10. The gymnasium goes to 13 but the last year is prep for the Abitur which is the hradest test imaginable. As for not knowing any german, that's ok. Germans start learning English in 3rd grade.

Answer 5

Hi Joho,

you can go into the German "Yahoo Clever" under "Schule & Bildung" to ask questions in English, too.-

My niece came to live in Germany from the US when she was 16. She went to 9th grade in "Gymnasium" over here and did not know any German. At first she was allowed to write tests in English to keep up with classes. Now she attends 11th grade and has learned German well. (She worked hard!)-Most students are 17 or 18 years old in 11th grade. So you will be too young to enter 11th grade. The best way to find out what is right for you is to get in contact with an international school in Frankfurt. They will let you know which class you can enter to succeed in Germany. If you want to go to university later you need a degree from Gymnasium. - We are changing our school system over here from 13 to 12 years; however, this will be in an other 5-6 years.