School Uniforms:  Modern Unified Germany


Figure 1.--Here we see the older boys on the the last day of a primary school in Grünstadt. They will begin secondary school the following year. Note the the teenage "uniforms" like jeans, _T-shirts, sun glasses, and the the last electronic gadget. This is a good example of globalization. It is not possible from the clothing to tell where these boys are from. Source: Jennifer Großer.

Germany today guarantees a free public education by law. All German children must attend school until at least till reaching their 16th birtday. In fact most students persue secondary studies until 18-19 years of age (if they had not to repeat a class due to poor performance). The schools, except the universities, (except private ones) are free, however there are normally fees associated with Kindergarten (a curious situation). Kindergarten was a German educational inovation in the 19th century. Kindergartens today are available for children 3 to 6 years of age. Kindergärten are run by communites and the big churches (protestants and catholics) as well as privately (e.g, by Waldorf schools). Many other countries have adopted kindergartens. Attendance is not mandatory and up the parents. Compulsory eduvation begins with primary scool at age 6 years. All students attend Primary School until 4th grade. Beginning with 5th grade thereare thre different types of school available to childrn, depending on their academic abilities and career goals. Germany also has some private schools in bigger towns, most of them Catholic schools. Catholic schools in many countries do generally have uniforms, even in America. I have no information, however, on German Catholic schools. Modern Germany is confronting many of the same problems faced by schools in the United States and other western countries.  Based on the experiences of other countries some Germans are beginning to reconsider school uniforms. The absence of required school uniforms continues in today's unified Germany. Modern young Germans virtually live in jeans and closely follow the latest in fashions. The idea of wearing a school uniform would be a very unpopular idea indeed.

Decade Trends


Organization

Germany today guarantees a free public education by law. All German children must attend school until they reach their 16th birthday. In fact most students persue secondary studies until 18-19 years of age (if they had not to repeat a class due to poor performance). The schools (except private ones) are free, however there are normally fees associated with Kindergarten (a curious situation). Kindergarten was a German educational inovation in the 19th century. Kindergartens today are available for children 3 to 6 years of age. Attendance is not mandatory and up the parents. Compulsory eduvation begins with primary scool at age 6 years. All students attend Primary School until 4th grade. Beginning with 5th grade thereare thre different types of school available to childrn, depending on their academic abilities and career goals. Grades 5 and 6 are orientation grades. At grade 5 students may change the type of secondary school. However, in some German states grades 5 and 6 are orientation grades („Förderstufe“). In any case they have to learn one foreign language, in most cases English but there are also some French beginnings. Junior Secondary („Hauptschulen“), grades 5-10, prepares them to enter a „Lehre“ and/or to attend a Vocational School. About one-third of students attend these schools. Intermediate („Realschulen“) , grades 5-10, prepares students for more academically demanding technical schools or for middle-level careers in business or government. One-third of students attend these Intermediate school. Gymnasium, grades 5 - (in some cases 12, but most) 13 offers an educational program more closely resembling American high schools, but is more academically rigorous. It prepares students for university studies. Students in grades 11-13 can choose from a variety of optional courses which interest them or are needed for their university progrm. One-third of students attend Gymnasium, and more students are graduating than there is room in the universities! German vocational Schools combine on-the-job training with class work.

Catholic Schools

Germany also has Catholic schools. Catholic schools in many countries do generally have uniforms, even in America. I have no information, however, on German Catholic schools. One observer from former East Germany reports: I don’t know much about this kind of schools in Western Germany, but I am sure schools there do not have uniforms, otherwise I would have heard a little more about them. Here in Germany there is a strict separation between church and state/government. In Bavaria, a very religous part of Germany, there were recently lawsuits about crucifixes in classrooms. Some parents said that religious symbols like crucifixes violate the the right of their children for freedom of religion. They won the lawsuits, and the schools have had to remove the crucifixes, if only one student in the class demanded it.

Educational Problems

Modern Germany is confronting many of the same problems faced by schools in the United States and other western countries.  Based on the experiences of other countries some Germans are beginning to reconsider school uniforms. There is in fact a growing movement in the United States to introduce school uniforms, at least in elementary and junior high schools. Some German legislators are now suggesting that German schools should also introduce school uniforms.   A member of the German Parliament's children commission during April 1998 suggested that the country should consider pilot projects to assess the value of school uniforms in Germany. The idea is to avoid the increasing problems based on the differences between kids from poor and rich families. Clothing with popular brands (like Reebok, Adidas and so on) have become increasingly important, but poor families can’t affird the high prices. So an increasing number of robberies and blackmailing are being reported as young people try to obtain money for the most popular styles and brands. Several incidents have been reported at schools. While not nearly as serious as in the United States, the problem appears to be growing as is of concern to today's German parents.

Uniforms

The absence of required school uniforms continues in today's unified Germany. Modern young Germans virtually live in jeans and closely follow the latest in fashions. The idea of wearing a school uniform would be a very unpopular idea indeed.
 

Student Opinions

One German teenager offers his view:

I have to say that I don’t like the idea of a uniform, but I also can understand the arguments of the pro-fraction. My little brother last year had some unpleasant experiences with two older guys who thought it would be a nice idea to let him pay for the right to pass their street on his way to school. Luckily I was able to end this quite fast, but I know that other kids weren’t so successful. So the question about school-uniforms is a tough decision. I would hate to have to wear the same clothing as anyone else, but to stay objective I have to say that school-uniforms have their advantages. And neither my brother or me had and have to worry about having the money to buy the new Levi’s or not. I think most parents would like the idea, but most kids would hate it. Especially in a country where quite a lot of generations were raised without school-uniforms and a cool "image" has become more and more important especially for teenagers. Peter Conrad, April 11, 1998

Educational Philosophy

Germany in the early 20th century had perhaps the premier education system in the world. The system was eroded by the NAZIs during the Third Reich, but Germany continueds to have one of the best education system in the world. Perhaps no other quality education system has had to adapt to such wide swings in educational philosophy as the German syste. Educarors have worked under a conservative monarchy, a liberal democracy, the Third Reich, foreign military occupation, Communism and today's uninted democratic Germany. Throughout all of this the state has been the center of German education. Private schools have never been as important in Germany as in Britain and America. Tooday there is a debate in Germany over educational philosophy. The same debate is being persued in America and other Western European countries, but there are some unique aspects to the German debate because of the unqiue German historical experience as well as social attitudes.








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Created: April 14, 1998
Last updated: 6:45 PM 7/12/2007