The German Educational System   Term Paper ID:27520 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines the history of the German educational system. Focuses on contemporary characteristics & curricula.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines the history of the German educational system. Focuses on contemporary characteristics & curricula. Paper Introduction: The German Educational System Introduction Like the education systems in many developed countries, the German system is experiencing a number of stresses and a need for reform. Although most European systems are considered far superior to the U.S. system in providing students with a solid basic education, they have their own problems. One of the major ones for Germany is consolidating its education system and integrating the East German and West German models. In addition, its system of vocational education is declining, and providing less than an adequate labor supply for the country's technological needs. Characteristics of Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The local towns provide support to theapprenticeship programs, and businesses are the linchpin of the training.However, during recent years, the system has experienced some strain.Fewer students applied for vocational training, indicating that it has notcome up with the technological advances in modern society (The Economist,1994). students, for example. Again,this is a joint effort. Another major characteristic of the German system is its track nature. Education Digest, 58(9), 38-4 . The decline of German universities. Thus, despite its continuing reputation for rigor and high standards,German education is stressed in at least two major areas, with thedeclining apprenticeship program at the secondary level and the problems ofovercrowding and underfunding at the university level. (1993). Because of this high skill level, German teachers alsohave high status in Germany, unlike their American counterparts (Waldrop,1991). References Kahn, P. In addition, despite academic reforms inthe 196 s that made a university education more accessible, Germanuniversities still maintain relatively rigorous academic requirements foradmission to their programs. TheGerman government is attempting to shore up the program by encouragingcorporations to offer more apprenticeships (Miller, 1996). TheGerman vocational system, known as the duel system, is a complexapprenticeship system that emerged from the earlier guild apprenticeshipsystem. The focus is on providing each student with a fundamental educationin science, math, languages, and history. (1994). For example, German universities are suffering from problems thatinclude overcrowding, aging facilities, and poor allocation of resources(Kahn, 1996). The German Educational SystemIntroduction Like the education systems in many developed countries, the Germansystem is experiencing a number of stresses and a need for reform.Although most European systems are considered far superior to the U.S.system in providing students with a solid basic education, they have theirown problems. Newsweek, 118(23), 62-64. The Economist,332, 44. Waldrop, T. Losing an edge. Theyare required to earn master's degrees in two separate subjects to startwith. (1991). The rigorousness ofGermany's own system to feed young people into the universities has workedagainst it in attracting students from other countries. Science,273(5272), 172-175. Foreign students, too, are avoiding the German university system,because of its restrictive academic requirements. The rigor of the education begins with the rigorous nature of teachertraining in Germany. At the secondary level, German students are divided into three tracks. It is a joint effort of state school system, business, and thelocal communities.The Duel System In this system, students continue to learn school skills while alsoserving an apprenticeship to gain experience in a specific career. Then, prospective teachers must spend two full years in a student-teaching program to learn those skills and to see if they are suited forthe profession. The system has not been turning out enough graduates to meetGermany's need for skilled workers. This has an effect on the entire education system, leadingto declining capacity to teach sophisticated science and math, for example. The next generation: Education in Germany. Without training, I can't start my real life.Business Week, 3493, 6 . Ifthey have not performed well academically up to this point, they do nothave the opportunity to continue. It is a very well-designed system, put together to provide a cohesiveand rational approach to educating students of differing abilities fortheir later roles in German society. (1992). In other words,the joint effort is beginning to experience stress, with the corporationsno longer always experiencing it as in their best interest to contributetheir share to the education system.Operation of the System As Tice (1993) noted, the German education system reflects the societyfrom which it emerged. (1991). Tice, T.N. During the lower grades, all German students take the same subjects.They experience a heavy load that is focused on all the basics of afundamental education, including science, math, German, foreign languages,history, geography, and others. There clearly is a canon,or fund of information, that the German education system seeks to inculcatein all its students. (1996). They are engineered like no other students inthe world. Even with the addition of the EastGerman labor force, Germany has become increasingly short of the trainedand skilled blue-collar and white-collar workers it needs to keep theeconomy growing. The vocational andtechnical tracks are designed to provide students with training for variouskinds of career in German business and industry (Waldrop, 1991).Standards of Education Despite Germany's history of high standards, it appears that thesystem is declining in all aspects, not just the duel system. After elementary education years are completed, German students enter uponeither a vocational or academic track for the rest of their schooling. (1996). Students are expected to conform to thesystem, not the system conform to the student. Miller, K.L. Time, 14 (3), 19. Waldrop, T. In addition,educational reforms put in place in the late 196 s have led to enrollmentincreases of German students in German universities which have not been metby adequate financial appropriations. This means thatGerman workers, who are dependent upon the smooth operation of the systemfor their future careers, are experiencing declining opportunities. In addition, German apprenticeships are decreasing as German companiesmove jobs overseas to take advantage of cheap labor. Like the British system, and otherEuropean systems, it emphasizes sorting students out at a certain point andproviding some with a strictly academic program and others with a programthat is vocational or technical in content and intent. TheEconomist (1994) indicated that Germany's high unemployment is at leastpartially the result of declining standards in the education system, whichit attributed both to the government's failures and the failures of thelarger community. The politics of work. The college-preparatory track is designed to prepare the student forcontinuing academic training and a professional career. Newsweek, 118(23), 61-63. All teachers receive the same type of training. Teacher education has suffered, which also affects all levels of thesystem. German education. The Economist, 331, 53-55. In comparison to the U.S.,the curriculum is more difficult and students take more classes (Time,1992). This continues into the secondary levels, where German high schoolstudents take much heavier class loads than U.S. Thus, German universities are beingsqueezed by lack of income from foreign students, high enrollment of Germanstudents, and inadequate attention by the government, particularly in thearea of financing. One of the major ones for Germany is consolidating itseducation system and integrating the East German and West German models.In addition, its system of vocational education is declining, and providingless than an adequate labor supply for the country's technological needs.Characteristics of the System As noted above, the German system is noted for its rigor in providinga basic, fundamental education to its students. (1994). It is grounded in order, discipline, andrationality, rather than emphasizing such qualities as creativity orflexibility. Before you lead a German class, you really mustknow your stuff. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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