Die Wes–Duitse onderwysstelsel

Abstract

This dissertation presents a complete survey of the West German education system which should be of value to those South Africans not conversant with the intricacies of the West German education system (and particularly their school system) . In the survey of literature primary sources were used where possible in dealing with the West German education system as such. Following the Second World War West Germany was divided into four zones supervised by the victorious nations. The war led to the division of Germany into the eastern and the western zones. It was only four years later, on May 25, 1949, that the Bundesrepublik was established in West Germany. The BRD consists of eleven Länder with Bonn as the capital. Post-war education legislation has been left to the individual Länder to a large extent. Denominationally West Germany is divided mostly between Roman Catholic and the Evangelical churches. These two groups also to a large extent influence education legislation, planning and execution. This emerges especially from the pattern of Scriptural instruction which differs from Land to Land. Chapter 3 deals with the development of education in West Germany in the period stretching from the Middle Ages to the seventies of the present century. The origin of the West German education system can be traced to the establishment of ecclesiastical institutions during the Middle Ages. The Gymnasium originated in the Humanist period and during the Reformation the Volksschule came into being. In the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the principle of general compulsory education was established. The movement of Realism directed attention to subjects with "practical value for living". The eighteenth century is regarded as the starting point for the so-called modern education. The German state obtained full control over the teaching profession. In spite of the fact that a plea was made for universal education for all German children in order to break down class distinctions, a binary education system developed, viz. for academic and for professional training respectively. The academically inclined Gymnasium attracted most attention in this disposition. During the Nazi period (1933-1945) education was allied to Hitler's striving to re-awaken German Nationalism. For the first time control of a federal nature was exerted over educational matters. Teachers were regarded as officials of the Reich. During World War II (1939-1945) Germany was reduced to ruins. In order to establish as quickly as possible a functioning system of education, control of education in the Western zones (the eastern zone became the DDR) was decentralized to each of the eleven Lander. The Kultusministerkonferenz came into being. In 1955 the Düsseldorfer Abkommen or agreement regarding the standardization of the educational system was reached. In 1959 the Deutscher Ausschuss (Teachers' committee of the KMK) published the Rahmenplan. The Deutscher Ausschuss was replaced in 1965 by the Deutscher Bildungsrat (education council) which still exists today. The BundLänder-Kommission (1970) published, in 1973, the Bildungsgesamtplan, a comprehensive plan for education. In Chapter 4 attention is directed to the fundamental motives which had an influence on the compilation of the present educational system in West Germany. In order to understand the foundation of this system completely, it was also necessary to give some attention first to the structure of the education system as well as to the internal link between the education system, the community and the culture for which this system is intended. Thus the way in which education can be seen as being interlaced into both cultural, educational and social systems within a particular state as shaped by fundamental religious motives was also studied. The concepts nation and national within the West German context were also discussed. This chapter would also have been incomplete without a study of the educational policy laid down by the Allied forces (1945-1949) in West Germany and of the influence this policy had on the West German education system. The conclusion that was reached is that it would seem as if the policy followed by the Allies had no real or lasting influence leading to serious changes in the traditional German educational system. Ultimately, the Germans determined their educational policy themselves with the approval of the occupying forces. Chapter 5 deals mainly with the control and the financing of education in the BRO. In a democratic approach as regards control of education West Germany has attempted to protect the rights of the Länder to deal with their own educational processes. In their turn the individual Länder try to achieve compromises through the agency of the KMK to the advantage of the general national culture. The central government is adament in its view that matters of educational policy, reforms and financing should be dealt with by the Bund, the Länder and the Gemeinden (local government) in concert. The aim is not to achieve total similarity in educational practice throughout the Republic, but rather an equivalence based on a centralized Land system. The Lander and Gemeinden (municipalities) carry the main burden of educational expenditures, while the Land is responsible for paying teachers (who are civil servants). The Land is also responsible for the financing of the universities. Chapter 6 deals in detail with the West German schools system (respectively schools structure or schools organization). In the first place attention if given to control of and administration of education, followed by a discussion of the pattern of the schools system. The role of private schools and the problems surrounding education for the children of Gastarbeiter were discussed after this. The institutions catering for general education and those catering for professional education were described separately. Since the publication of the Bildungsgesamtplan (1973) the schools system is increasingly being divided according to school phases and not according to school types. The present school phases and school types can be summed up as follows: * The pre-primary phase includes the Kindegarten for children under the age of six years who are not yet of the compulsory age, as well as the Schulkindergarten for those children who are of the compulsory age but not yet ready for school. Provision is being made to make formal schooling available for all five-year olds by 1985. * The Grundschule forms the compulsory mutual primary school phase. It is compulsory from the sixth year onwards. This phase usually lasts four years. There is no specialization and pupils are placed heterogeneously in the various groups to ensure equal educational facilities to all. * The new orientation phase of two years (classes 5 and 6) forms part of the secondary school and serves as a period of observation in order to enable each individual child to make a correct choice as to his school career. * The Sekundarstufe I (junior secondary phase) includes classes 5 or 7 to 10 of the secondary school. These classes still fall within the area of compulsory schooling and at the moment includes general as well as professionally oriented schools. Various subject and study courses are offered in this phase. After the tenth school year a qualifying examination follows, called the Sekundarabschluss I. * The Sekundaretufe II (senior secondary phase) includes the eleventh up to and including the thirteenth school year and also involves general as well as professionally oriented study courses. The new Sekundarabschluss LL includes professionally qualifying final examinations, the general university entrance examination (allgemeine Hochechulreife) as well as entrance examinations for subject-oriented tertiary institutions (Fachhochschulreife). At the moment a great deal of attention is being given to educational opportunities for grown-ups. Tertiary studies in the BRD are concluded either with a state examination or with a university examination. The present policy of the BRD points to the emergence of a new disposition in the organization of the universities. Extensions are expected to be made over the whole front of the tertiary education situation. The transitional state of the structure of the schools system is having a definite influence on the training of teachers which is being done in part on the basis of school types while also in part already on the basis of school phases. The training of teachers on the principle of school phases has contributed to the elimination of earlier status inequalities between teachers of the different school types. Teacher training is discussed comprehensively in Chapter 7. The Bildungsgesamtplan on which the present reforms are based was a real effort by the BLK to modernize education and to obtain greater uniformity on a country-wide basis. In the years to come it should emerge whether this comprehensive education plan for West German education would have the same meaning and effect for West Germany as the Education Act (1944) has had for education in Britain.