Situation of the school In the German
secondary school system,
Realschule is ranked between
Hauptschule (lowest) and
Gymnasium (highest). After completing the
Realschule, good students are allowed to attend a professional Gymnasium or a general-education Gymnasium. They can also attend a
Berufsschule or do an
apprenticeship. In most states of Germany, students start the
Realschule at the age of ten or eleven and typically finish school at the age of 16–17. In some states,
Realschulen have recently been replaced by
Oberschulen or
Sekundarschulen. In 2006 1.32 million German students attended a
Realschule. At
Realschule, a student gets an extended education and learns at least one foreign language, usually
English. In the state of
Baden-Württemberg, after the sixth grade, the student has to choose among
technology,
home economics, and a second foreign language, usually
French. The new subject becomes the student's fifth main subject, after German, math, science and English; and it is also possible to learn other foreign languages in free workshops. Other subjects are
geography,
social sciences,
economics,
history, religious education, and physical education. After the 8th grade a student has to choose between
arts and
music. High school diplomas obtained in
Canada or the
United States are usually acknowledged as a
Mittlere Reife (graduation from a
Realschule). In some cases however students may apply for certain subjects at a university. All students holding an American high school diploma may apply for the
Studienkolleg, and after successfully graduating from this they may attend a German university. Those holding a high school diploma can choose from a wider range of possible major subjects at a German university if they did well on the
SAT or
ACT. Those who scored higher than 1300 on the SAT or higher than 28 on the ACT may apply for any subject at a German university. to be socially useful in the sense that the upper class is able to reserve the best schools for itself without having to resort to private schools. Finally, no democratic society outside the German-speaking world has tripartite school systems that separate children largely according to background; this finding was the main complaint about Germany in the recent PISA study. Proponents of the tripartite system consider the arguments brought forward by the critics to be invalid. They point to the fact that not only Gymnasium, but also comprehensive schools and schools serving mature students, such as the
Kolleg or the
Berufsoberschule, offer the possibility for the
Abitur. Also, it is possible to attend college without holding the
Abitur. They also hold the opinion that state-funded
Realschulen and Gymnasia have offered many working-class children the possibility to move up the social ladder. Proponents of the tripartite system fear that abolishing Gymnasia and
Realschulen would lead to the growth of a private school sector. Proponents of the
Realschule also hold the opinion that it aids students' personality development. According to a study those attending a
Realschule became more altruistic and more likely to care for others over time.
The "Erweiterte Realschule" and "Realschule Plus" The "Erweiterte Realschule" (expanded
Realschule) is a school that exists in the German State of the
Saarland. It is not to be confused with the
Realschule. While the
Realschule is a
selective school, the
Erweiterte Realschule is a school that does not select its students on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. It streams students by perceived ability after 7th grade. The "
Realschule Plus" is a non-selective school that exists in the State of
Rhineland-Palatinate. It offers general education classes (that resemble normal
Realschule classes) as well as remedial classes. The
Erweiterte Realschule and the
Realschule Plus are not the school of first choice for many students and often are attended by students who have been turned down by or have been expelled from other schools. == Austria-Hungary ==