In Germany, there is a general compulsory education system that is not regulated uniformly at the federal level. Rather, it is organized by each federal state.
General compulsory education is divided into full-time compulsory education and vocational school attendance. Across all federal states, general compulsory education continues until the age of majority. Full-time compulsory education is divided into the primary level (elementary school) and lower secondary level. In Saxony-Anhalt, it lasts nine years. Following this, students can earn the following credentials:
- a vocational qualification and/or the Fachhochschulreife (qualification for admission to universities of applied sciences) by attending vocational schools,
- the general university entrance qualification (Abitur) by attending the upper secondary level of a gymnasium
Immigrants who are subject to compulsory education attend regular schools and, if necessary, also receive language support. Once compulsory education ends, the dual vocational training system and the so-called “second-chance education” program offer the opportunity to earn school diplomas.
Possible school diplomas include:
- Lower secondary school diploma and advanced lower secondary school diploma
- Intermediate school diploma (Realschulabschluss and comparable school diplomas)
- University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification (general or subject-specific)
- Abitur (general or subject-specific university entrance qualification)
Further Information
An overview of which school-leaving certificates can be obtained at which types of schools can be found on the Employment Agency’s website under “Catching Up on School-Leaving Certificates – Adult Education.”
An infographic on the basic structure of the education system from the Conference of Ministers of Education provides an overview of the school system in Germany.
The “Loop” project, run by the Evangelical Youth Welfare Foundation St. Johannis Bernburg in Halle (Saale), offers counseling and support for obtaining a school-leaving certificate, specifically for young migrants between the ages of 17 and 25.