Rescuing our Failing Education System

A competitive system would also be a great tool, but there are too many factors that go into that kind of system. You say that a Charter school system receives public funding, but where is the funding coming from exactly? If it comes from the taxpayers, then how are you going to decide which taxes will pay for one system and which taxes will pay for the other? And if you choose two different tax systems to fund public school and charter school, isn"t there a likely chance that one will get more funding than the other? Generally a school does better when it has more funding, so you can"t really judge school systems efficiency based on their scores if one has more access to newer material than the other. A public school could be just as good as the charter school if it was given equal funding. I am not opposed to charter schools and private schools; my argument only lies with the public education system. I think charter and private schools should be left to their own choices. The public school system is what needs to be remodeled. And before you dismiss the German school system, let me explain it a little bit more in detail so that you can understand. The Hauptschule (grades 5-9) teaches the same subjects as the Realschule and Gymnasium, but at a slower pace and with some vocational-oriented courses. It leads to part-time enrollment in a vocational school combined with apprenticeship training until the age of 18. These are for those students who struggle in class or fail to put in the same effort as others. Instead of being forced to graduate with a certain GPA average, their strength in certain classes and weaknesses in others determine which future job(s) they will be trained for that do not require that high of an education. The Realschule (grades 5-10 in most states) leads to part-time vocational schools and higher vocational schools. It is now possible for students with high academic achievement at the Realschule to switch to a Gymnasium on graduation. The Gymnasium leads to a diploma called the Abitur and prepares students for university study or for a dual academic and vocational credential. Curricula differ from school to school, but generally include German, mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, art (as well as crafts and design), music, history, philosophy, civics, social studies, and several foreign languages. In recent years many States have changed the curriculum so students can get the "Abi" at the end of the 12th grade. Other States are making the transition but may still require a 13th grade. The Gesamtschule, or comprehensive school, is only found in some of the states. It takes the place of both the Hauptschule and Realschule. It enrolls students of all ability levels in the 5th through the 10th grades. Students who satisfactorily complete the Gesamtschule through the 9th grade receive the Hauptschule certificate, while those who satisfactorily complete schooling through the 10th grade receive the Realschule certificate. These classes focus on the more difficult subjects like math and sciences (as well as arts but more in depth that the previous schooling) which can be hard for many people to comprehend. I also would like to add that the German system requires students to learn MORE THAN ONE foreign language through all their years in school which I think would benefit everyone when they finally enter into the workforce. Beyond the Hauptschule and Realschule lies the Berufsschule, combining part-time academic study and apprenticeship. The successful completion of an apprenticeship program leads to certification in a particular trade or field of work. These schools differ from the other ones mentioned in that control rests not with the local and regional school authorities, but with the federal government, industry and the trade unions. No matter what kind of school a student attends, he/she must complete at least nine years of education. A student dropping out of a Gymnasium, for example, must enroll in a Realschule or Hauptschule until nine years have been completed. Students are required to study at minimum one foreign language for at least five years. A second foreign language is required in Gymnasium. This gives students the option of graduating from a less educational intense school. Instead of their be a standard across the whole nation, the student can opt to take easier courses (of course that will hinder what jobs they can apply for later in life, but that is their decision ultimately). German students at public schools attend school in the morning. Classes normally start between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. and can end between 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. Class periods are normally 45 minutes long with a short break in between. There is no provision for serving lunch. There can be a lot of homework and heavy emphasis on the "three Rs" - reading, writing and aRithmatic. The curriculum expands as students move up from Grundschule and depends on which of the three secondary schools they attend. I realize this contradicts my previous comment about longer school years, I admit I was wrong on that one, but if anything it should make the German system more appealing. You have shorter school days with longer breaks and while they do assign much more homework, you are also give a lot more time to complete it. The school year consists of two semesters and normally starts around the middle to end of August. There are longer breaks at Christmas and in the summer. Shorter breaks are around Easter and in autumn. There is no school on public holidays. The Christmas break is usually 2 weeks and the summer break is about 6 weeks. The exact dates of the various vacations and breaks are set by the individual L"nder. (http://www.howtogermany.com...)