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[nightrose83]

Hi all,

Had a scenario/some questions about Germany that I'd like some details on.

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[feanna]

(I'm really late, I hope you'll not mind me posting still.)

Also, SCHOOL. It's really different. Firstly, it's regulated at the state level and it changes every few decades. So you'd have to get a local from the time to get exact details. But basically there were three types of schools you could go to. Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium. Only the Gymnasium (at least in a straightforward path) leads to the Abitur which means you can go to Uni. Many other jobs in Germany can be reached without the Abitur by a kind of schooling/practical learning Ausbildung. Though today the Abi becomes more of a requirement for those kinds of jobs as well and people who only complete the Hauptschule will probably end up unemployed and there's all kinds of issues and attempts at chance associated with this system now, but 20 years ago it was still very standard. The Gymnasium was (it's now 12, but that's very recent) 13 years of schooling. Of those at LEAST 10 were with set classes, where you're class is a group of students that you share ALL your lessons with. There are often several classes in each year (depending on the size of the school, 2 to 5 or more) consisting of 20 to 30 students (roundabouts).
School is only till the early afternoon. There are times and schools where that's different. Some schools might have had Saturday lessons.

That said. Germans tend to identify with their school a lot less. One aspect of this is that schools usually aren't the place where you do afternoon activities, like sports, music, whatever other hobbies you have. There are usually some after school activities, but those are completely optional. So sports will be at a sports club, music at a music school (or private) etc.
There aren't as many set social groups. Of course there are cliques and outsiders, etc. but on a more personal level, that is indivudual to each class and not at all fixed in popular culture.
And AFTER a German has finished school, we're basically glad that that's over and move on. Nobody really cares what you were like in school. Your end grade matters for entry into certain jobs/subjects at Uni, but on a social level it's just unimportant.