Responsibility for the quality and upkeep of the educational system lies in the hands of the individual federal states, while the federal government has only a minor role. Kindergarten is optional and provided for all children between the ages of three and six that wish to attend. Hereafter school attendance is compulsory for at least nine years.
Primary education usually lasts for four years and public schools are not stratified at this stage. In contrast, secondary education includes four types of schools based on a pupil’s ability as determined by teacher recommendations: the Gymnasium only accepts the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies, this lasts eight or nine years depending on the state; the Realschule has a broader range of emphasis and caters to more intermediate students, this lasts six years; the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education, and the Gesamtschule or comprehensive school combines the three approaches.
To enter a university in Germany, high school students are generally required to take the Abitur examination, which is similar to A-levels in the UK and typically done in the Gymnasium at the age of 18 or 19.
However, students possessing a diploma from a vocational school may also apply for matriculation in certain subjects. German universities are world renowned because of the high standards of education in the country.