Hauptschule

Catholic Hauptschule inWuppertal,North Rhine-Westphalia,Germany

AHauptschule(German:[ˈhaʊptʃuːlə],"general school" ) is asecondary schoolin Germany, starting after four years ofelementary schooling(Grundschule), which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to theInternational Standard Classification of Education.Any student who attends a German elementary school can go to aHauptschuleorGesamtschule,while students who want to attend aRealschuleorGymnasiumneed to have good marks in order to do so. The students spend five to six years at theHauptschule,from 5th to 9th (or 10th) grade. They finish around age 15 to 17.

History

Hauptschulen(plural for Hauptschule) were first introduced inWest Germanyin 1950 and are now a part of secondary education in Germany, the other schools being theGymnasiumfor the university-bound and theRealschulefor the future technicians.

Basics

The main aim ofHauptschulenis to offer young students with average grades or below, most of whom will not attend a university, an adequate general academic education. (However some of the graduates will attend a university later in life, see below.) They largely teach the same subjects as aRealschuleorGymnasium,but at a slower pace.Subjects that are taught atGymnasien,but not atHauptschulen,include Latin and Ancient Greek, while "work studies" (Arbeitslehre) is taught at Hauptschulen, but not atGymnasien.

Subjects taught at aHauptschulealso include mathematics, physics/chemistry, biology, geography, history, religion (or another elective class), music, art, politics, sport and language. From the first year ofHauptschule,all children learn English. Once students have obtained their graduate certificate at the age of 15–16, they can go into practical vocational training, start work in the public service at basic or secretarial level, or attend aBerufsfachschule(full-time vocational school). The jobs for which they apply consequently require practical skills rather than academic knowledge. They may also qualify for further education in aRealschuleorGymnasiumif their marks are good enough.

MostHauptschulenare state-run and thus do not cost any money to attend; however some privateHauptschulendo exist. SuchHauptschulenhave comparatively low tuition fees and/or offer stipends. The "youth welfare office" may also cover the costs of the student attending a privateHauptschule.

The German state spends more money on students attending publicHauptschulenthan it spends on students attending publicRealschulenorGymnasien,andHauptschulenhave a more favourable student–teacher ratio than those other types of school.Hauptschulenoften have a very diverse student body in terms of ethnic groups, languages spoken at home, religions, social classes, and students' abilities. The schools face many challenges, because they sometimes have to educate students of average abilities alongside students that have learning difficulties or need special attention.In some German states, such as Bavaria,Hauptschulenoffer different classes to their students. They offer the so-called M-classes for it advanced students, regular classes and the so-called P-classes for students who are struggling.

Percentage of jobholders holdingHauptschulabschluss,RealschulabschlussorAbiturin Germany:

	1970	1982	1991	2000
Hauptschulabschluss	87.7%	79.3%	66.5%	54.9%
Realschulabschluss	10.9%	17.7%	27%	34.1%
Abitur	1.4%	3%	6.5%	11%

Historically, a vast majority in Germany went toHauptschule;in 2000 54.5% of jobholders had anHauptschulabschluss,indicating they graduated from one. However, in the 1970s an educational expansion started and parents started sending their children to better schools. Thus younger jobholders are less likely to hold aHauptschulabschlussthan older ones.

Problems

The percentage of children attending aHauptschulediffers very much by region (it may be as high as 60% or as low as 4%). MostHauptschulenreside in conservative areas (like Bavaria), because conservative parties want to strengthen theHauptschule,while theSPDclosedHauptschulen,replacing them with comprehensive schools. In these areas, in many cases, the Hauptschule is not a school of first choice for a student and is attended by students of whom is believed that they for a number of reasons may not profit from the more competitive environment of other schools.

In some areas where few students attend theHauptschuleand those who do often suffer from learning disabilities,Hauptschulestudents have come to be increasinglystigmatizedin recent years, the opinion of the general public often being thatHauptschulenonly harbor the bottom end of society. Stereotypes ofdysfunctional familybackgrounds, absent and/or unemployed parents anddomestic violenceandalcohol abuseare often cited when describing what is believed to be the typical social origin of these students. Teachers often complain about ongoing difficulties in trying to properly educate them and parents refusing to take responsibility. Moreover, and based on these problems, in some areas it has become very hard forHauptschulegraduates to find qualified work or begin anapprenticeship,even in professions which traditionally welcomed them and in some areas have now shifted their focus to better qualified applicants, e.g. mechanics, construction or sales. In some areas, an overwhelming majority of each graduating class is therefore forced to accept low-paying unskilled labor or live onwelfareindefinitely; many choose to stay in school for another year to obtain their diploma, which slightly, but not fundamentally, improves their career prospects. In 2006 a debate about violence at German Hauptschulen was sparked after teachers of the infamousRütli Schoolwrote a letter to thesenateoffice demanding the school be closed down. The letter stated:

We must realize that the mood in some classes currently is marked by aggressiveness, disrespect, and ignorance towards adults… The tendency toward violence against property is growing… In most of the families of our students, they are the only ones getting up in the morning. For them, school is a stage and battleground for attention. The worst culprits become role models

Baumert, Stanat and Watermann did a report on so-called "problem schools" in 2000. "Problem schools" according to the scientists were:

Hauptschulen that exist in an underprivileged environment. There is a cumulation of risk factors. Half of all students have repeated a grade. [...] 40 percent of parents have not learned a trade. One-third of parents have no job. The percentage of students who destroyed school property is high. The level of aptitude and performance on tests is very low. 16 percent of Hauptschulen must be called a problem school.

The number of "problem schools" that could be identified varied greatly by State of Germany. InBavariano "problem school" could be found. InBaden-Württembergonly 4.8 percent of Hauptschulen and inRheinland-Pfalz8.7 percent of Hauptschulen must be called "problem schools". In contrast, 60 percent of all Hauptschulen inBerlin,68.8 percent of Hauptschulen inHamburgand 95.7 percent of all Hauptschulen that existed inBremenmust be called "problem schools".(Berlin and Hamburg have abolished the Hauptschule since then.)

The graduation certificate is theHauptschulabschluss,which like the assignment to other types of high schools is less valuable than theRealschulabschlussor university-boundAbitur.Furthermore, persons holding aHauptschulabschlussmay go to night school to earn theirRealschulabschlussorAbitur.However, in some German states students that do well enough inHauptschulereceive theMittlere Reife.Students holding aMittlere Reifeare allowed to participate in classes at the Gymnasium. They can get their Abitur there.

Hauptschulen in different Bundesländer (federal states) of Germany

Some states of Germany do not have a Hauptschule. In most eastern German states, Hauptschulen never existed and still do not exist. In theGerman Democratic Republicmost students attended a polytechnical school, and only a select few attended a specialist school. Nowadays, all eastern German states offer some kind of "Intermediate School" (which may be calledRegelschule,Mittelschule,orRegionale Schule). It has to be pointed out that while those schools are called "intermediate schools", there are actually no "intermediate schools", because no school called "lower school" exists. Intermediate schools do not select students on aptitude. All states of eastern Germany also offerGymnasien,while all butSaxonyalso offer comprehensive schools.

In the German state of Saarland, the Hauptschule has been abolished, and Hauptschulen have been merged withRealschulento form "Erweiterte Realschulen", however those "Erweiterte Realschulen" still do stream by ability after 7th grade. They offer a fast and a slow track. The state of Schleswig-Holstein also abolished the Hauptschule and mainstreamed students into theRegionalschule.

The state ofRhineland-Palatinatehas merged Hauptschulen andRealschulento form a new type of school called "Realschule plus", which offers general education classes (that resemble classes held at the normal Realschule) as well as remedial classes.

Abolition of the Hauptschule in Berlin and Hamburg

Starting in 2010/2011 Hauptschulen were formally abolished in the German States Berlin and Hamburg. They were merged withRealschulenandGesamtschulento form a new type of comprehensive school calledStadtteilschulein Hamburg andSekundarschulein Berlin (see:Education in Berlin,Education in Hamburg).

Similarities to American schools

In the United States, most schools arecomprehensive high schoolsand educate students of all ability ranges, as the concept of tracking by test score was largely abandoned there by the 21st century. However, some school districts, such as theRenton School District,maintain separate schools for students who do not succeed in the comprehensive school, usually students who get the lowest test score results. Although most US students get uniform diplomas, some states are adoptinghigh school graduation examinationswith very high standards.

Although Marc Tucker of theNCEEdesigned theCertificate of Initial Masteryaround the German education model, most US states expect all students to meet one high passing standard, and tests are used to ensure success for all rather than sorting between types of high schools. High school is mandatory until the age of 17–18 in most states, but those who leave before receiving a diploma are considered to bedropoutswith a dismal future. All students, even those not going to college, must graduate with the skills necessary to succeed in college. It is thought that the incentive of losing a diploma will provide enough incentive to make that a reality, but some critics doubt that it was ever a practical idea. Students who do not pass the tests will receive no diploma or alternate documents that indicate that they do not meet the state's minimum standards for graduation.