Germany from Re.ViCa

Partners situated in Germany:

Fernuniversität in Hagen (DE)

Germany in a nutshell

Germany and its "Länder"

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is a country in Central Europe. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 km² and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With over 82 million inhabitants, it comprises the largest population among the member states of the European Union and is home to the third-highest number of international migrants worldwide.

Germany (Deutschland) is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen states, known in German as Länder (singular Land). Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesländer (federal states; singular Bundesland) is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law. The peoples of the states are the nation of Germany. The governments of the states are part of the authority of Germany.

German education policy

Under the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) the exercise of governmental powers and the fulfilment of governmental responsibility is incumbent upon the individual Länder as far as the Basic Law does not provide for or allow for any other arrangement. The Basic Law contains a few fundamental provisions on questions of education, culture and science: thus for example it guarantees the freedom of art and scholarship, research and teaching, the freedom of faith and creed, free choice of profession and of the place of training, equality before the law and the rights of parents. The entire school system is under the supervision of the state.

Unless the Basic Law awards legislative powers to the Federation, the Länder have the right to legislate. Within the education system, this applies to the school sector, the higher education sector, adult education and continuing education. Administration of the education system in these areas is almost exclusively a matter for the Länder.

The scope of the Federal Government's responsibilities in the field of education is defined in the Basic Law, which was amended by the federalism reform in 2006, according to which the Federation bears responsibility particularly for the regulations governing the following domains of education, science and research:

In-company vocational training and vocational further education
Admission to higher education institutions and higher education degrees
Financial assistance for pupils and students
Promotion of scientific and academic research and technological development, including

the promotion of up-and-coming academics

Youth welfare
Legal protection of participants of correspondence courses
Regulations on entry to the legal profession
Regulations on entry to medical and paramedical professions
Employment promotion measures; occupational and labour market research

Additionally, the federalism reform transferred responsibility for the remuneration and pensions of civil servants (e.g. teachers, professors and junior professors) to the Länder. The Federation still has legislative authority over the status-related rights and duties of civil servants, as well as the legislative authority over foreign affairs. In addition to the division of responsibilities described above, the Basic Law also provides for particular forms of cooperation between the Federation and the Länder within the scope of the so-called “joint tasks” (Gemeinschaftsaufgaben). For example, in cases of supra-regional importance, the Federation and the Länder may cooperate in the promotion of:

scientific research institutions and projects outside of institutions of higher education
scientific and research projects at institutions of higher education (agreements require

the consent of all Länder)

research buildings at institutions of higher education, including major equipment.

Additionally, the Federation and the Länder may cooperate on the basis of agreements regarding the assessment of the performance of the German education system in comparison with other countries as well as in the production of related reports and recommendations.

Within the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung – BMBF) is primarily responsible for the Federation's areas of responsibility. Whenever necessary, consultations between Federation and Länder take place in the Bundesrat, the Commission of the Federation and the Länder for Educational Planning and Research Promotion (Bund- Länder-Kommission für Bildungsplanung und Forschungsförderung – BLK), the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz – KMK), the Science Council (Wissenschaftsrat) and the Planning Committee for the Construction of Higher Education Institutions. In the course of the federalism reform for the modernisation of the federal system, the direct rights of participation of the Länder have been specified in detail. When legislative powers exclusive to the Länder in school education, culture or broadcasting are primarily affected, the federalism reform of 2006 requires that the exercise of the rights belonging to the Federal Republic of Germany as a member state of the European Union is delegated to a representative of the Länder designated by the Bundesrat.

Although Germany has had a history of a strong educational system, recent PISA student assessments revealed a weakness in certain subjects. In a test of 43 countries in the year 2000, Germany ranked 21st in reading and 20th in both mathematics and the natural sciences, prompting calls for reform and dominating the political debate for the last years.

Also as a result of this, fundamental changes are currently being implemented in the German education system. In this context, special importance is attached to the various efforts for quality assurance and quality development in the school sector, teacher training and the higher education sector. In the school sector, the introduction of national educational standards and the establishment of the Institute for Educational Progress (Institut zur Qualitätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen – IQB) marked the beginning of a paradigm shift towards an output-oriented control of the education system. In June 2006, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs adopted a comprehensive strategy for educational monitoring. The global concept for the monitoring and further development of educational processes consists of four interconnected areas: International comparative studies of pupil achievement, the central review of the achievement of educational standards in a comparison between the Länder, comparative studies in order to review the efficiency of individual schools within the Länder, and the joint education reporting of the Federation and the Länder.

In the hihger education sector, the development of the consecutive structure of study courses and the further development of accreditation and evaluation also serve the objectives of quality development and quality assurance. The accreditation of study courses ensures minimum standards for the academic curriculum and the professional relevance of the degrees. Evaluation is designed to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of institutions and degree programmes, and thus to assist higher education institutions in adopting systematic approaches to quality assurance in teaching. In September 2005, the Standing Conference passed a quality assurance framework concept for teaching at higher education institutions which is based on a stock-taking of measures in the Länder and defines the core elements and standards required to guarantee the reliability and comparability of the procedures.

Other central themes in education policy are for example: integration of imigrants (e.g. by improvement of German language skills), all-day school and the membered educational system. Big issues concerning higher education are: equal opportunities, tuition fees and the so called initiative of excellence that benefits only a few universities.

Description of the Educational System in Germany

The education system in the Federal Republic of Germany is divided into

pre-school education,
primary education,
secondary education,
tertiary education and
continuing education.

Optional kindergarten education is provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is compulsory for nine or ten years. In Germany, students are graded on a scale of one through six, one being high and six being very low, or failing. Home-schooling is not permitted in any of the German Bundesländer except rare cases. Primary education usually lasts for four years (six in Berlin) and public schools are not stratified at this stage. In contrast, secondary education includes four types of schools based on a pupil's ability as determined by teacher recommendations: the Gymnasium includes the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies; the Realschule has a broader range of emphasis for intermediary students; the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education, and the Gesamtschule or comprehensive school combines the three approaches. There are also Förderschulen (schools for the mentally challenged and physically challenged). One in 21 students attends a Förderschule.

In order to enter a university, high school students are required to take the Abitur examination; however, students possessing a diploma from a vocational school may also apply to enter. A special system of apprenticeship called Duale Ausbildung allows pupils in vocational training to learn in a company as well as in a state-run school.

The Education System in Germany

In 2006, 415,000 graduates received the general qualification for university entrance which is approximately 43% of the typical age cohort of the population.

For detailled information see http://www.kmk.org/dossier/organisation.pdf.

Higher Education in Germany

According to the Federal Statistical Office 2007/2008, Germany possesses 278 Fachhochschulen (Universities of Applied Science) Kunst- and Musikhochschulen (for music and art) and about 104 universities (state and state-recognised).

The Fachhochschulen offer shorter and more practice-oriented programs. They generally lead to credentials at the bachelor's level, but more and more Fachhochschulen also offer master's programs for those students eligible for further study. In addition, Germany's tertiary sector also includes either state-run or staterecognised Berufsakademien (professional academies) in some "Länder": Students receive academic training at Studienakademien (study institutions) and, at the same time, practical career training in a training establishment. A number of colleges of art and music offer programs in their areas.

At the universities, for many decades a master's level degree (differed in "Magister", "Diplom" or "Staatsexamen" - State Exam) was the first degree available and only the recent higher education reforms, which have introduced two-level programs at both the bachelor's and master's level have opened a chance to leave university earlier. The bachelor's degree in the beginning was introduced to avoid the drastic rates of non-completers, which in some university subjects were as high as 75 percent.

In German higher education there are two semesters each academic year. Most of the information materials are available in German only, and admission in most cases is depending on German language proficiency as well. Big issues in educatianol policy concerning higher education are: equal opportunities, tuition fees and the so called initiative of excellence that benefits only a few universities.

Ongoing debates and future developments

Since the beginning of the 1990s and not least against a background of inadequate financial and human resources at the higher education institutes, the Federation and the Länder have increased their efforts to modernise and internationalise the higher education system in Germany. The reforms are aimed at facilitating differentiation by deregulation, performance orientation, increasing the autonomy of higher education institutions and creating incentives, hence also enhancing the international competitiveness of the German institutions of higher education. In order to implement these goals, reforms have been and still are introduced and carried out on the structure of higher education study and the internal organisation of institutions of higher education. Detailed state control is increasingly being replaced by the autonomous decision-making of higher education institutions. Deregulation has significantly increased the freedom of higher education institutions in terms of their organisational and staffing decisions. The higher education institutions are increasingly taking on the national and international challenge. In joint target agreements, the state and the institutions of higher education cooperatively define the services to be provided, but without specifying concrete measures. The target agreements are also used as control elements within the higher education institutions. The growing autonomy of the higher education institutions is, for example, also demonstrated by their entitlement to select applicants for admission. Since 2005 the Länder have been free to decide on the imposition of financial contributions from students. A number of Länder made use of this option for the first time in the winter semester 2006/2007 by imposing study fees ranging up to Euro 500. Parallel student loan systems provide that loans only must be repaid once the course has been completed and in case of adequate income. As part of the Excellence Initiative of the Federation and the Länder for the Promotion of Science and Research in German Higher Education Institutions (Exzellenzinitiative des Bundes und der Länder zur Förderung von Wissenschaft und Forschung an deutschen Hochschulen), the Federation and the Länder support scientific projects run by universities and their cooperation partners in the higher education sector, in extramural research as well as in the private economy. In detail, until 2011 additional funds totalling Euro 1.9 billion are provided in the funding areas

research schools for the promotion of scientific talent,
excellence clusters for the promotion of leading science and
future concepts for top-class research at universities.

In October 2006, the decisions on funding applications from higher education institutions in the first round of funding of the Excellence Initiative were made.

Virtual learning initiatives in Germany

In Germany there are many distance e-learning initiatives. In 2006 there were more than 350,000 people participating in distance e-learning programs. 88,000 of them were taking part in higher education offers: 63,000 in distance teaching universities and 25,000 in other universities. Most participants are female and between 20 and 30 years old.

An overview about current distance e-learning programs can be downloaded here.

An historic overview since 1999/2000 about statistical dates concerning distance e-learning programs in higher education you get here: Media:Distance-E-Learning_unis_Englisch.pdf‎ (in English language).

E-learning-offers in the context of further education which are accompanied by tutorial support and assessment are a matter of Distance education according to German law.

The bill from 1977 is exactly called "Ferunterrichtsschutzgesetz" (FernUSG). This regulation for the protection of distance education focuses not on the technique but on the teaching-method as the spatial separation between learner and teacher.

Those Distance-learning-offers require an accreditation by the Staatliche Zentralstelle für FernUnterricht (ZFU) (federal agency for distance education). It is a special regulation for German providers and is quite contended – particularly in the European comparison.

In the year 2005 31 per cent of the federally accredited distance-education-courses (632) were classified as e-learning-courses. But more than 80 per cent of all distance-schools are supporting there distance education by e-learning nowadays. So the boundary between classical Distance Education and E-Learning blurs.

In the following table we would like to highlight the initiatives that we consider to be important virtual learning opportunities in Germany

Table 1

Nr	Name	Institution	City	Type
1.	Distance and Educational Study Center	Technische Universität Kaiserslautern	Kaiserslautern	Higher Distance Education.
2.	FernUniversität in Hagen	FernUniversität in Hagen	Hagen	Distance learning university.
3.	[http://www.akad.de/ AKAD Privat-Hochschulen	AKAD]	Stuttgart	Privat higher education.
4.	Wilhelm Büchner Hochschule	Wilhelm Büchner Hochschule	Darmstadt	University of Applied Sciences.
5.	PFFH-Technikum	Private Fernfachhochschule	Darmstadt	Privat distance education.
6.	Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg	Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg	Hamburg	Distance learning / continuing education.
7.	Hamburger Fernhochschule	Klett-Gruppe	Hamburg	Distance learning.
8.	ZFH	Zentralstelle für Fernstudien an Fachhochschulen	Koblenz	Higher Distance Education.

1) The Distance and educational study center (ZFUW) of the Technical University of Kaiserslautern is a leading institution in the area of postgraduate programmes in Germany. The courses on offer range from e-commerce and -buisness to nano-biotechnology. For undergraduates the center offers electrical and technical engineering. A special opportunity: People can start their campus-studies after a first year of distance learning, for example alongside the last year of school or while working. Altogether the TU Kaiserslautern counts 2810 students in distance-education.

2) The FernUniversität in Hagen is the only state-maintained distance teaching university in the German-speaking countries and regions. Presently, around 49,000 students are registered. They benefit from the modern distance education system which combines pedagogically well prepared study units with individual support, net-based co-operation in seminars and working groups, online communication offers and face-to-face sessions. Contact and contact persons for the students are to be found on the main campus at Hagen as well as at the around 60 study centres in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Central and Eastern Europe. The FernUniversität offers a real alternative to on-campus studies with high-quality final degrees (Bachelor, Master, ‘Diplom’, and Doctorate). Meanwhile, the FernUniversität has existed for more than 30 years and is an established institution in the scientific community.

3) AKAD is the leading private institution of higher education in Germany. It offers bachelor-, master- and diploma- programmes especially for students working in the field of business (furthermore informatics and languages). There are among study centres and cooperations three “Fachhochschulen” (Universities of applied sciences) belonging to AKAD: the AKAD FH, Stuttgart (2443 students in 2006/2007), Leipzig (1337) and Pinneberg (2064). Students can chose between full-time, half-time and 25 percent-studies when studying with AKAD. And unlike public institutions students can start their studies at anytime of the year.