Parents who routinely ask their children about their school day will know that the answer (especially once they become teenagers) is almost invariably “fine”, “gut” or “OK.”
Finding out what they actually do all day is hard enough in your native language, let alone when you have to manage an unfamiliar system and a torrent of new vocabulary.
Despite the fact that each German state takes a slightly different approach to education, we’ve done our best to break down the most important information and terms which parents need to help them engage meaningfully with their children’s education.
Apes or angels
To begin at the beginning, when children start primary or elementary school (Grundschule) in Germany, parents often face a choice related to religious education.
In Berlin, for example, children can opt for Religion (or “Reli”) and attend traditional religious classes in their faith — typically Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish. Or they can go for a secular alternative called Lebenskunde (life skills), designed to offer a humanistic, ethical curriculum without religious content.
In practice, Lebenskunde seems to be quite heavily focused on dinosaurs in many Berlin schools.
This system is fairly unique to Berlin and Brandenburg, where religious instruction is voluntary, and secular ethics classes are well established. The state also allows children to opt out of either class and engage in other, supervised activities instead.
In most other German states, religious education is treated differently. Here, confessional religious education (e.g., Catholic or Protestant) is usually compulsory, but students (or their parents) have the right to opt out.
READ ALSO: How to find mental health resources in Germany for children
Children who opt out are generally obliged to attend a secular alternative, sometimes called Ethik, Philosophie, or Werte und Normen (values and norms).
The arrangement and names of these alternatives vary widely across states, reflecting Germany's federal education structure.
Sachunterricht: Exploring the world
The term Sachunterricht which literally translates as “thing class”, refers to a primary school subject in Germany that combines elements of biology, geography, history, natural sciences and social studies into an interdisciplinary course.
The goal is to introduce children to a broad range of topics connected to the natural world, society and everyday life in a way that is engaging and relevant.
The word Unterricht refers to the general concept of instruction or teaching in German, whereas Stunde is the word used to describe a single class. It's also the German word for hour but in this case a Stunde is about 40 minutes.Â
Typical Sachunterricht themes include nature and the local environment, simple geography and history lessons, practical skills, and environmental awareness.
Other subjects (Fächer) taught in German primary schools include:
- Deutsch (German)
- Mathematik, or just Mathe (Mathematics)
- Musik (Music)
- Kunst (Art)
- Sport (Physical Education)
- Englisch (English, often introduced in Grade 3)
- Werken und Gestalten (Crafts and design)
NaWi and GeWi
In Berlin, Sachunterricht is usually split into two distinct areas in Grades 5 and 6:
NaWi (Naturwissenschaften) is short for natural sciences, and covers biology, chemistry, and physics.
GeWi (Gesellschaftswissenschaften) is short for social sciences, and includes history, geography, and politics.
READ ALSO: What parents need to know about kids missing school in Germany
This separation is designed to allow a more focused approach to the sciences and social studies, in order to better prepare students for later specialisation.
Other German states may introduce this division differently or delay it, but the trend towards dividing general studies into specialised subjects is common across the country.
Secondary school
From secondary school onwards, natural and social sciences become even more specialised. NaWi is split into Biologie (Biology), Chemie (Chemistry) and Physik (Physics)
GeWi is split into Geschichte (History), Erdkunde or Geographie (Geography) and Politik or Sozialkunde (Politics/Social Studies).
Secondary students also have to study German and Maths, a first foreign language (Erste Fremdsprache, typically English), and a Zweite Fremdsprache, as well as art, music and information and communications technology.
READ ALSO: What foreign parents really think of schools in Germany
Depending on the federal state and the school type (Gymnasium, Realschule, Hauptschule, Gesamtschule), there may be additional vocational or elective subjects such as economics, technical education or additional languages.
The Second World War
The Second World War occupies a key place in German history teaching.
German schools generally introduce this topic in history classes around grades 9 and 10 (ages 14 to 16), though some earlier exposure may occur. Students learn about the causes and consequences of the war, Nazi dictatorship, the Holocaust and postwar reconstruction.
Education about the Holocaust is mandatory in all German schools.
Key events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, German reunification, and the establishment of democracy are often covered as well.
Alongside history classes, students may explore relevant literature, documentaries and visit memorials to encourage deeper engagement.
A reading list for parents
Everyone remembers the books they struggled through at school, the ones they never read at all because they had been adapted into films, and perhaps also the ones which inspired a life-long passion for reading.
Anecdotally, a number of adults still feel a slight sense of shock when they think back to the kind of literature they were exposed to at school.
There is no set list of mandatory books that pupils in Germany have to study. But for parents keen to get a sense of what their children might be reading at school, either now or in the future, the following (mostly but not exclusively short) German novels are all commonly taught.
EXPLAINED: How German schools are including more and more AI
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (1915): A surreal novella about a man transformed into an insect, exploring themes of alienation and identity.
Why We Took the Car (Tschick) by Wolfgang Herrndorf (2010): Two 14-year-old boys take a summer road trip across eastern Germany in a stolen car.
The sorrows of young Werther (1774 ) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: A seminal Romantic-era novel about doomed and passionate love.
The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann (1816): A dark, psychological short story blending fantasy and horror, about on a student's obsession with a mysterious figure.
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (1995): A postwar tale revolving around love, guilt, and the struggle to come to terms with the Nazi past. Also a film with Kate Winslett and Ralph Fiennes.
The Visit by Friedrich DĂĽrrenmatt (1956): A dark comedy addressing morality and justice through a tale of vengeance in a small town.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (1928): A powerful anti-war novel set during World War I, depicting the brutal realities faced by soldiers.
Comments