Three years as an apprentice, another exam, and she qualifies as meister . Many Americans resist tracking. We re skeptical of systems that determine a child s future lifetime by who and where they are at age 10. But the German system doesn t do that. It undergoes constant modification.
Today there s the gesamtschule and options for apprentices.
Four years of good performance at realschule and a student can transfer into a gymnasium at age 14. Meisters can attend a four year college called a fachhochschule . In fact many German employers now prefer to hire college grads with hands-on experience rather than those with nothing but academics. In today s workplace learning is constant, hands-on skills are academic, and academics are practical. And purely academic studies improve with practical applications.