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In discussing the role of school in adolescents' lives, teachers were quick to point out that schools serve a host of social functions in addition to the education of students. According to teachers, in recent years schools have been obliged to assume an increasingly important and central role in the socialization of youth. Schools must assume responsibility for "raising" children in areas where parents, community, and church once took on a more active role. Teachers at all types of secondary schools said that they are now faced with tasks that were not within the domain of teachers or school only 15 years ago. For example, teachers are now expected to increase AIDS awareness, foster ecological thinking and environmentalism, counsel students on drug issues, keep children up to date on the latest developments in computers and technology, and combat right-wing extremism and racism. Moreover, teachers emphasized that these educational and developmental tasks must be accomplished in a climate where less money is being devoted to education, class size has increased, and students come to school with an increasing number of social, behavioral, and emotional problems.
In some cases, especially at the Haupt or Realschule, school becomes a second home for students from dysfunctional families:
The school is a home for the kids. For many, it is more of a home than their parents' house, the families of so many students have fallen apart. Parents have stopped raising their kids. I meet many of my students at the kiosk outside where I buy cigarettes in the morning. They are there buying orange juice and bread for breakfast. The kids are sent to school early just to get them out of the house, just so the parents can have some peace. When it is particularly cold out, [the principal] opens the school doors early because there are usually kids waiting outside. (Haupt/ Realschule teacher)
In other cases, teachers said that they have to teach most students social manners:
The biggest problem for children today is that parents are no longer teaching their kids values and norms. Many things that are really the parents' responsibility are left up to us [teachers]. The kids come unprepared to school. They haven't learned the most basic manners, such as saying 'Good morning!' The problem is that parents let their children do whatever they want, and perhaps with me, students experience for the first time that they can't do whatever they want. (Haupt/Realschule teacher)
Foreign students. In the case of many foreign students, one teacher noted that school often is a place of relative freedom and is therefore a forum for behavior, which is not permitted at the family home. While for many of these students the family home and interactions with relatives play an extremely important role, school is often a "second and more accommodating home." School can serve as an important bridge between the traditional world that foreign students experience at home and the very different world of modern-day Germany:
School plays a very great role [in students' lives], I think. Because they find their friends here. This is especially important for foreign kids. They often don't go home, even after school is over at the end of the day. This is so above all for Muslim children, especially the girls. Because here they are free. At home they are not allowed to have any friends, and they have to wear a scarf on their head. Here at school there are also boys. That is important. Here everything is not forbidden like it is at home. (Hauptschule teacher)
While teachers were quick to emphasize the social functions that school provides, most agreed that the primary role of school remains being an institution, which educates students in the academic subjects. Many teachers said that school was a place where knowledge was "transferred" to students. Students shared this opinion as well:
I think school is important, because without school we wouldn't know anything. We couldn't even speak, really. But in school the teachers teach us these things. At home, we could never learn these things, because parents are always working. So I think school is important. One has to be able to read and to speak well. One has to be able to do math. (Eighth-grade Hauptschule student)
Teachers at Gymnasien and vocational schools were likely to emphasize the academic role that school plays in adolescents' lives, in contrast to Hauptschule, Realschule or Gesamtschule teachers, who more often stressed the social or developmental role of school. In particular, vocational school teachers often said that the role of school was to "prepare students for their future professional life." Similarly, Gymnasium teachers said the role of the Gymnasium was to prepare students for future academic studies and careers. One teacher stressed the role of the Gymnasium in preparing tomorrow's leaders in business and government, a sentiment that was echoed many times by parents of Gymnasium students. As one said:
The Gymnasium does not serve the wide spectrum of children in Germany. However, I believe every society needs an educated elite, and this elite must have an opportunity to learn as much as possible in school. Every country needs institutions which train the elite for the leadership positions in society.
The mother of two students at a Gymnasium likened the role of school in adolescents' lives to the role of a career in adult lives. For example, she said of her daughters: "They go to school, they more or less satisfy the demands placed on them there, they are either happy or not, and everything runs with regularity, just like in a regular job." Parents, teachers, and students themselves, especially at Gymnasien, often referred to the role of the secondary school student by using analogies to the world of work. One possible explanation for this attitude is the fact that many adolescents of the same age as Gymnasium students in the upper grades are indeed fulfilling vocational roles. Students 17 or 18 years of age in vocational school are concurrently apprentices in a profession and identify themselves as professionals in training. Thus, it is natural for many to think of the Gymnasium student in the upper grades as an "academic in training."
Regarding students' attitudes toward school, a Gesamtschule teacher said with irony:
For some, school is only a burden. For others, it is a replacement for 'home'. For others yet, school is a place to play; however, with unpleasant side effects. And then there are those few students who gladly come to school.
Several students clearly fell into the category of those who "come gladly to school." A Gymnasium student in the 13th grade said that what he appreciates most about his school experience, in addition to meeting friends, is the chance to remain a "generalist" in a society which is becoming increasingly specialized. He believes the German education system often produces individuals who are highly trained in one area and ignorant in many others, and he used the common expression "subject idiot" (Fachidiot) to describe such a person. He views school as his last opportunity to avoid becoming a Fachidiot.
While a large percentage of adolescents said they enjoy school, several students consider school to be a burden in their lives. For example, students in the 12th grade at a vocational Gymnasium felt that school was a duty (Pflicht). One 18-year-old student said that he was "torturing himself" to stay in school and get the Abitur only because he had already invested so much time and energy in school. These interviews would appear to cast doubt on previous reports of adolescent attitudes towards school, such as a 1991 survey in which 87 percent of adolescents said they "felt good in school" (Behnken et al 1991).
Many teachers and parents who were familiar with the U.S. school system said they believe schools in the U.S. do a better job than German schools in fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among the students. For example, they said that the fact that many American students and teachers stay in school till 4:00 p.m. or later for sports practice, newspaper, or theater builds a sense of community within the school, not only among the students but among teachers as well.
One Gymnasium principal said that his school participates in several exchange programs with U.S. high schools; every year a small group of students returns to the Gymnasium after spending the 11th grade at a U.S. school. According to the principal, students who spend a year in the United States generally return with a more positive attitude towards school:
I've found that the year in America has an impact on how the students talk and think. They have a more easygoing attitude, they are more ready to converse about different subjects, and they have learned how to work with books in a different way, just to mention a few things.
The father of a student in the 12th grade at a vocational Gymnasium who lived with his family in the United States for 2 years had similar praise for the United States school system. His children attended one high school in the Midwest and another in a major East Coast city. He was impressed by the positive attitude that his two children had about both high schools, attributing this attitude to the generous offering of extracurricular activities and the nurturing personalities of many of his children's teachers:
In America, the students' personalities are developed at school; here, the emphasis is on knowledge. School in Germany is too stressful for children. They don't experience enough success at school to feel good about themselves. What I and my kids liked about the American school system was the fact that schools offered many extracurricular activities, such as music groups and sport teams. These kinds of activities provide kids with opportunities to challenge themselves to improve and to experience success from an early age.
Structural aspects of the German school system also affect the attitudes that parents, students, and teachers have about their school. Many teachers supported the system of tracking students from an early age into what has also been called "differently privileged forms of secondary school" (Engel & Hurrelmann 1994). On the other hand, some teachers were opposed to the socially ordained role of school as a means of social and economic "selection" of adolescents:
The primary purpose of school should be to foster the intellectual, social, and spiritual development of children. That's difficult enough. Teachers do not need the additional task of selection. Life will take care of selection by itself; we teachers shouldn't be required to do it at the Gymnasium. (Gymnasium teacher)
Most teachers emphasized the importance of the link between school performance and vocational opportunities as a factor in students' motivation to succeed in school:
It is not school itself that plays the largest role in the students' lives; rather, it is the certificate they get from the school. This will make a great difference in their future lives. This piece of paper will determine which avenues are open to them in the future — whether it is, for example, an apprenticeship in a bank or university studies. (Vocational school teacher)
While efforts have been made in recent years to increase the permeability of the German educational and employment system, overall it remains highly structured and credentialed, and there is a strong incentive for young people to make vocational decisions early and stick to them. Students, teachers, and parents all emphasized the enormous importance of school performance on vocational options, thus agreeing with published statements on the strong impact of course grades and secondary school achievement on the availability of future jobs and vocational training programs (Petersen, Leffert, & Hurrelmann 1993). The perceived link between school and career is therefore very strong for most students. However, in many cases the type of secondary school attended will determine the career options available more than will the grades earned. Sometimes, this can lead to a sense of resignation regarding career, especially for students in Haupt or Realschulen. Students attending Haupt or Realschulen are generally aware of their career options and limitations and what kinds of grades they need to earn to achieve their goals. In many cases, students who do not have the required grades for a preferred career path said they would choose a different career rather than struggle to earn better grades. They are also aware that the number of vocational paths open to graduates with a Hauptschule diploma is limited.
The perceived link between school and vocation becomes strongest, according to teachers, during the last few years of secondary school. At this point students start to examine carefully options for employment or study-training programs. One Gymnasium teacher believes that students only realize the importance of school performance in the upper grades and only then start working hard to succeed in school. However, others disagreed, saying that most students are aware of the link between school and vocational success at an early age. For example, the father of two Gymnasium students (in the 8th and 12th grades) said that both of his children are convinced that a good education at school is necessary for their future career success: "They both want to get the Abitur. They realize that one has many more opportunities for career choices with the Abitur." Similarly, another Gymnasium teacher emphasized the strength of the link between school and career, saying that students see school primarily as an opportunity to prepare themselves for a profession and to create an advantageous starting position for their future career.
Many did not share this optimism. Some teachers complained that their students were not aware of the importance of school performance for a future career or, if they were aware, did not seem to care. According to teachers, students at the vocational school are often the least interested and least motivated to succeed in school. This is the case because vocational school students have already chosen a career and are involved in an apprenticeship; often, they do not see the relevance of school to their future careers.
Motivation to succeed in specific subjects. Students pointed to several factors that influenced their motivation in a particular class. The most common reason students gave for not succeeding was that the teacher was boring. While students rarely admitted a lack of interest in a subject as a cause of failure, they were quick to point to "genetics" and "upbringing" as reasons for poor performance in school. For example, one Gesamtschule student told me, "I just don't have a head for languages." In contrast, she believed she was talented in science and mathematics and therefore planned to enter a technical profession as a physician's assistant.
In general, students tended to categorize themselves as being good in either mathematics and science or in the humanities and social sciences. Very few students expressed a keen interest in both areas. In one extreme case, an eighth-grade Gymnasium student said that he came from a "family of humanists" and actually believed he was "genetically programmed" not to understand mathematics and science. When I challenged his assumptions, I was surprised to learn that his father was the source of this view. On many occasions, the father had told his son, "Don't worry about math, you are a humanist." This student was extremely nervous in school and in the biology class I observed. Perhaps most difficult for this student was the fact that he is also doing poorly in his Latin class. As a "humanist," he felt particularly ashamed of his performance there.
While many students said they enjoyed interacting with peers and teachers at school, the majority of students disliked the fact that school is obligatory. Many considered school to be a burden in their lives: a place which imposes a steady stream of demands on their time, and a place where they are judged critically based on their performance. A Gymnasium teacher referred to school as "a forced community" in which many students do not feel free. Teachers, parents, and students commented that German schools are not as "cozy" or "homey" as are schools in the United States. A 12th-grade student at a vocational Gymnasium who spent a year as an exchange student at a U.S. high school said American teachers were more "easygoing" and therefore the lessons were more fun. She also emphasized the cooperation among students at the American high school: "Here I feel like it's everyone for himself, but in America we did a lot of work in groups. The other students were really friendly."
The father of a Gymnasium student disliked the "over-emphasis on formal thinking in subjects like math and languages at the Gymnasium, and the relative neglect of free thinking in subjects such as art or music." He stressed that while the Gymnasium is modeled on a traditional system of education which included art and the humanities as well as science, the present-day Gymnasium falls far short of the classical ideal: "The biggest failing of the modern Gymnasium is its emphasis on science and scientific method." He complained, in fact, that more training (Ausbildung) than education (Bildung) occurs at the Gymnasium.
Many students find school to be a stressful place; in some cases, students feared being the object of ridicule by a teacher or other students. Several mentioned that students are often laughed at for getting an answer wrong in class. The mother of a eighth-grade Gymnasium student said that the transition from Grundschule to Gymnasium was particularly hard for her daughter:
The Gymnasium is a stressful place, especially for incoming fifth-graders. In Grundschule, my daughter got all 1's and 2's [A's and B's]. On her first test in fifth grade at the Gymnasium, she got a 4 [D]. She cried when she got the test results.
Even so, not every Gymnasium student perceives school to be threatening or stressful, a fact made clear by observations of classroom instruction. In many cases, I noticed a lively, cooperative interaction between students and teacher and among students. This was as likely to be the case in upper-level Gymnasium courses as it was in courses at other school types.
In one eighth-grade biology class observed at a Gymnasium, students were able to joke with the teacher about the topic of the day: the common worm. Students in this class were enthusiastic about the topic, largely because the teacher was able to relate the physiology of the worm to human physiology. For example, after the teacher mentioned that worms breath air just like people, one girl asked "Why doesn't the worm suffocate when it's underground?" The teacher used this question as a way of introducing the principal of gas diffusion through a wet membrane, and he explained the anatomy and physiology of the worm's breathing organs. Rather than leave it at that, the teacher then turned the question around and asked the same girl: "Why then do you think a human being can't breathe underground?" This really captured the student's attention. Some shouted out answers: "Because people are too big!" "Because we're not slimy enough!" The teacher then explained how humans breathe and that gas diffuses across a wet membrane in our lungs, just like the worm. Only, he continued, since we are so large (acknowledging the student who gave that answer), we couldn't get enough oxygen just by breathing through our skin if we were underground. In effect, he said, we are in fact "slimy" (now acknowledging the other student), but only inside our lungs. The period continued like this with 90 percent of the students riveted to their seats the entire time. When class ended, many stayed to ask questions.
In contrast to this eighth-grade biology class, a seventh-grade chemistry class at a Haupt/Realschule painted quite a different picture of student motivation and involvement. The lesson topic was to learn to recognize "chemical properties," such as texture, smell, color, and combustibility. The teacher had her hands full trying to maintain discipline in the classroom—students often left their seats to see what their neighbor was doing and talked out of turn. Perhaps because this was a laboratory period, in contrast to the biology lesson mentioned above, the class was more hectic and loud. While some students apparently concentrated on the task and listened to the teacher, others were clearly not paying attention. The teacher made little effort to pull those students into the discussion. Afterwards, the teacher indicated to me that she thinks some of the students are not bright enough to follow along and that she has to move on or those who do follow will get bored and cause trouble. In fact, she said the class I observed was not too chaotic, because several "problematic" students were absent.
Most teachers interviewed said that how a student reacts to the school environment depends as much on the student's personality and family situation as it does on the actual school setting.
Depending on a student's background, he or she might find school to be a pleasant or an unpleasant experience. For example, when the family relationship is less than ideal, very often children find the school to be a replacement for the family. The school becomes a kind of home. The kids have their own orderly world here in school when it is missing at home. These students gladly come to school. Other kids, who do not lack a good environment at home, may find the strict order and the many rules at school to be unpleasant, and these kids do not come to school so gladly. They don't like the feeling of responsibility they have to bring to school. (Gymnasium teacher)
Many students reported having a great deal of respect for teachers, whom they feel have a difficult job. Students said that the teachers they respected the most were those who did the best job maintaining discipline and order in the classroom. Students were overwhelmingly supportive of "strict" teachers. However, they also emphasized that strict teachers should not be "authoritarian" and must treat students with a measure of respect.
For example, a Gymnasium student in the 13th grade said that he respects only those teachers who treat students with respect in turn:
[Teachers] have to respect my opinions—to recognize that I do, in fact, have an opinion, and to not discount my opinion just because I am a student. I respect teachers who come to class with enthusiasm, who enjoy teaching. Also, [I respect] teachers who you can talk to outside of class as people. I don't like teachers who have the attitude: 'I am here to teach and you are here to learn.' The most important thing is that teachers respect us. This is partly reflected in the fact that in the upper grades the teachers use the formal address (Sie) with us. This makes a difference.
An eighth-grade Hauptschule student said that her favorite teacher "tells jokes in class and has a good time with students, but he still keeps class under control." She said she learns a lot in his class. When students misbehave, "the teacher does not get angry or yell and does not make the students feel bad." In contrast, a teacher she does not respect "often loses her temper and gets stressed out by the students. She has a hard time keeping class under control. She makes class stressful." Similarly, other students described teachers whom they did not respect:
They are the kind of people who just stand there in front of you and don't have any idea what they should do. They can't keep the class under control. Everyone makes them crazy. Or the worst thing is when they jump on the whole class when someone is being difficult. Instead of dealing with the one person and keeping the class under control, they judge the whole class and we all suffer. . . . and when the teacher doesn't succeed in controlling the class, then he usually resorts to being authoritarian. And that of course just makes it worse. The kids just 'block' him at every step, but these teachers just don't understand this. (Twelfth-grade vocational Gymnasium student)
The question as to what constitutes a "good education" provoked lively discussion with parents, students, and especially teachers. Many teachers had obviously spent a considerable amount of time reflecting upon this issue, offering well thought-out responses. Parents also had interesting ideas as to what characterizes an "educated" person. In general, teachers tended to emphasize one of three ways in which education shapes the lives of young people: integration into society, development of the individual, and the acquisition of specific knowledge. Most respondents listed mathematics, German, and social studies as the most important individual subjects to be mastered in school. Following closely in importance, for most teachers, parents, and students, are natural sciences (chemistry, biology, and physics) and foreign languages.
While there was disagreement on which area is most important, teachers generally shared the opinion that education must accomplish the three complementary tasks of stimulating and shaping the social, personal, and intellectual development of students. Teachers also agreed that "education" does not occur only in school, but also in other contexts, such as family, peers, and community. Where there was not a consensus, this was normally a reflection of the different priorities and expectations of teachers at various types of secondary schools. Gymnasium teachers were most likely to emphasize the intellectual or academic purpose of education, whereas teachers at the Haupt/Realschule more often stressed the importance of education as a means of adolescent socialization. In contrast, a teacher at a Gesamtschule and several parents said that they considered the primary task of secondary education to be the stimulation of personal development and maximization of individual potential. A general definition of the purpose of education published by the largest teachers' union in Germany, the Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW), summarizes and incorporates all three viewpoints:
Education has the task of empowering all individuals, as far as possible, to direct their lives with autonomy, to determine their own role within their community, and to take an active part in shaping society and social relations. Education, in this sense, is the prerequisite for finding one's own life path, for making this path meaningful and responsible, and for taking part in social change in as many areas as possible. This concept of education thus encompasses both individual and social personality development, and empowers each individual to have an impact on the course of social change, which will have an influence on his or her life. (GEW, Landesverband Central State 1992).
Gymnasium teachers frequently offered a list of specific skills and content areas, which form the basis of a good education. For example, one Gymnasium teacher said a well-educated person should possess mastery of at least one foreign language (preferably two), a fundamental knowledge of political processes, an ability to understand and articulate abstract mathematical and scientific concepts, and a highly developed capacity for critical thinking and reasoning. Gymnasium students echoed these attitudes in a more specific manner. Students said that knowledge of the following areas was a necessary part of a good education: mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences (in particular, politics, history, and geography), languages (German, English, and possibly a third language), art, and music.
Parents often shared this view:
A good education is the basis for lifelong social and intellectual development. Education doesn't end with school but continues throughout one's working life and career. Prerequisites for a good education are the ability to reason, to think critically, and to solve problems. Some basic knowledge is necessary. One must be able to work with numbers, to articulate ideas, to hold an intelligent conversation, to work with new technology, etc. (Father of a Gymnasium student)
However, not all Gymnasium teachers emphasized subject knowledge over socialization. One teacher said he distinguishes two categories of education: first, education as particular knowledge, such as algebra, chemistry, and so forth, and second, education as socialization, that is, a more general knowledge of how one lives in and contributes to society. According to this teacher, the second category is a more important component of a "good education" than any amount of knowledge in particular subject areas.
Haupt/Realschule teachers, in discussing the subject knowledge needed for a good education, mentioned basic skills such as the ability to read, to perform simple arithmetic, and to understand the laws and political system of the country and state in which one lives. In contrast to Gymnasium teachers, Haupt/Realschule teachers more often emphasized the importance of the social functions of education:
[Having] a 'good education' means being able to deal with an increasingly difficult and complex society and to find one's way in spite of obstacles–to be able to lead an independent and reasonable life. Of course, in a democratic society, this means being able to understand the problems of a democratic society. An educated person knows how to live in a democratic society. We have a word in German, Herzensbildung [literally, 'education of the heart'], and this means being good, not in a religious sense, but rather possessing character, honor, morals, values; knowing who one is and what one's purpose in society is. All this, in my opinion, is a necessary part of a good education. (Haupt/Realschule teacher)
This teacher also stressed that schools cannot accomplish the momentous task of educating young people on their own. Rather, a good education must develop "organically" over the entire life span and in all spheres of life. "As a teacher I cannot do it alone. I need help from students' families and from society. When a kid leaves my class and hangs out on the street, he should continue to be 'educated,' but all too often he is not being educated in a positive way either in society or at home."
In addition to the social and intellectual tasks of education, many teachers and parents emphasized the importance of education for fostering individual development, promoting self-esteem and self-discipline, demonstrating to young people what their capabilities and talents are, and encouraging students to reach their full potential. A Gesamtschule teacher said that he considers education to be a very personal issue and that each of his students has an individual pathway to becoming educated. Education, in this teacher's words, is a "personal process of discovering one's own interests and talents." A teacher at a vocational Gymnasium also emphasized that education is an idiosyncratic process. More important than the acquisition of particular subject knowledge, according to this teacher, is the fact that students learn how to learn, and that in the process they discover they are capable of concentrating on and learning concepts from any subject, if and when they choose to do so.
Similarly, several parents of secondary school students were of the opinion that the purpose of education is to foster individual development. As the mother of a 12th-grade Gymnasium student put it, a good education insures that an individual develops "many antennas." An educated person will find something interesting in almost every topic or subject and, therefore, makes a lively conversation partner. The father of a Gymnasium student said that the purpose of education is "to realize as early as possible that questions are more important than answers." Several parents and teachers added that education is the key to a good life and the best means to ensure success in an industrial society.
Few topics evoked as much heartfelt debate with teachers, parents, and students as did questions about the German school system. The primary point of contention concerning the German school system is the age at which children are selected to attend one of the four types of secondary schools. In most cases, students are tracked after fourth grade into either Gymnasium, Realschule, Hauptschule, or Gesamtschule.
Students, teachers, and parents from the Gymnasium were generally very happy with the existing system. In fact, some teachers from the Gymnasium expressed a wish to revert to a more selective system, making the performance criteria higher for selection to attend the Gymnasium. Many Gymnasium students supported the current school system, often saying that they had been selected to attend the Gymnasium based on intelligence. The comment of one parent is typical:
I find that the German system of segregating kids after fourth grade works perfectly. I think that by that age one can tell what a child's talents are—whether he is better suited for Gymnasium or for a practical trade. Certain kids are suited for hand trades, such as construction, technician, etc., and you can already determine this by the 4th year of school. (Father of two Gymnasium students)
Many teachers believe that the best students should be segregated in order to allow them to fulfill their academic potential and that there is nothing wrong with a system of segregation into different school types so long as avenues exist for mobility between schools:
Germany is a land without natural resources. It is overdeveloped. What we have to export to the world is our brains, our skills, and our abilities. Thus, it is crucial that our schools develop our children to their full mental potential. Therefore, I think the system is good. Of course, there have to be opportunities for children to move up from Realschule to Gymnasium, for example, or vice versa. But these opportunities do exist, after 4th, 6th, and 10th grades. The important point is that students who are suited for the Gymnasium would not be challenged to achieve their full potential in a middle-level school. (Gymnasium teacher)
In contrast, teachers, parents, and students from other secondary school types often raised serious criticism of the existing system and generally said that fourth grade is "too early to make a school tracking decision." The father of a vocational school student said that the German school system does not adequately foster students' psychological and social development, nor does it encourage every child to live up to his or her individual potential. Many teachers and parents shared this view. One father said that the system of deciding in fourth grade whether a child will attend Hauptschule, Realschule, or Gymnasium is simply "nonsense."
One teacher at a Haupt/Realschule, who grew up and attended school in former East Germany, said that he believes the system there was fairer to all children. In East Germany, students attended a common school from 1st through 10th grades, and only then was a decision made about whether a student would attend an academic or vocational school. According to this teacher, the former East German system, in contrast to the present system, allowed ample time for students, teachers, and parents to determine where a student's interests and abilities lie before making an appropriate school-tracking decision.
In the last decades, several alternatives to the traditional tripartite German school system have been introduced, including the "orientation level" (F?rderstufe) and the Gesamtschule, in an effort to postpone the segregation of students into different school tracks. The F?rderstufe during grades five and six is offered at some Grundschulen as an alternative to choosing between Gymnasium, Realschule, Hauptschule or Gesamtschule after fourth grade. Many teachers expressed the opinion that delaying a school tracking decision is advantageous for many students, particularly for "late bloomers," who thereby have more time to "show their stuff."
Students were also often-enthusiastic proponents of the F?rderstufe. For example, an eighth-grade student who attended a Gymnasium in fifth grade but had to transfer to the Realschule because of failing grades believed that she would have benefited from attending a F?rderstufe and waiting until sixth grade to decide what kind of secondary school to attend. She said she didn't do well in Grundschule because she didn't like school and did not realize how important it was:
Kids don't know how to learn in fourth grade and so it's no fun at school and they don't do well. In Grundschule, kids are still playing with Barbie dolls. If they had more time, maybe they'd learn how to do well. I only learned too late to work hard for school, and now I have to try even harder to catch up. It's too hard. I don't know if I can make it through Realschule.
A 12th-grade Gymnasium student also praised the F?rderstufe, which he attended before entering the Gymnasium in 7th grade. He believes that the transition from Grundschule to Gymnasium would have been more difficult for him in fifth grade than the transition to F?rderstufe and that he learned just as much during the fifth and sixth grades in the F?rderstufe as he would have at the Gymnasium.
The other alternative to the traditional segregation after fourth grade is the Gesamtschule (comprehensive school), which accommodates students who would have attended different secondary schools within one school. While many praised the Gesamtschule in theory, most teachers and parents said they felt that in reality Gesamtschulen are often too large to provide adequate support for all students. In addition, the multitude of tracks and educational pathways within the Gesamtschule make it even more difficult for students and parents to make informed decisions regarding education and career.
-###-In practice, Gesamtschulen are simply too big. I did my student teaching at a Gesamtschule where there were 3500 students and 250 teachers! I said to myself after this experience. . . . never in such a factory! The anonymity was terrible. The Gesamtschule has to be so large because of financial and logistical reasons. In order to offer all the different tracks and courses, you have to have that many kids and teachers. But I certainly wouldn't want to work in an environment where I have to run around with a name badge saying 'I am colleague so and so.' (Haupt/Realschule teacher)
[Chapter 4 (Part 4 of 5)]