h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I hang around the SchoolGate weblog on The Times (UK) newspaper sometimes.

Currently there's a debate about the German education system and during the debate an American said that in the states 85% of children graduate (high)school but in Germany it's only 60% (and that's why Germany is going down the toilet... )

Anyway. I think that 60% seems very low - but I don't know how or where to check her figures. Any ideas?

If you're interested the discussion is here

http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/2010/04/inside-the-box-a-cautionary-tale-of-skipping-around-europe-with-your-schoolaged-kids.html#comments

Hi, Sho

I don't really have time at the moment, but I will read the article / discussion later. (Oh, and I don't mind )

But my gut feeling (are there any others?) is that there must be something wrong with the numbers / terms the American is using. I think it might just be some kind of confusion along the lines of "In America, High School means 12 years of education, and everybody *has* to be in that school up till the end. Therefore, to graduate properly means to spend 12 years in school." In Germany, of course, 12/13 years is reserved for the Gymnasium programmes, whereas Realschule finishes after 10 th grade and Hauptschule after 8th grade. Maybe the American commentator (commenter?) just thinks only the whatever % that finish Gymnasium actually graduate?

And then of course there is the misconception that the obligation to go to school (Schulpflicht) ends with 8th or 9th grade - the regular age of Hauptschul graduation. See the table here http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schulpflicht#Heutige_Rechtslage that explains for how long you actually *are required* to go to some kind of educational institution.

Anyway... will think about the actual numbers later. And sorry for quoting wikipedia rather than using my own words

Grüße und so

Y.

oh thanks, honeypie!

I rather suspected that she was comparing Abi figures with total pupil figures, so it's good to hear you suspect the same.

(btw - any chance of you making the Mannheim meet?)

I liked your comment there! thanks