How does the German school system work?    

Germany has over 32,000 schools located throughout the country, all of which guarantee the same minimum standard. In Germany, responsibility for school education lies with the 16 Länder. Since the onset of the war, all the Länder have been preparing to provide an unbureaucratic welcome to refugee pupils at their many schools and to guarantee school places for their education.

As a rule, compulsory education in Germany begins for all children in the year that they turn six and usually involves nine full-time school years (in Berlin, Brandenburg and Bremen ten full-time school years, in North-Rhine Westphalia nine years at a grammar school and ten full-time school years at other general schools).

General information about school education (in German): www.bmbf.de

The standing conference of federal and state ministers of education (KMK) focuses on coordinating education policy for all of Germany. On this KMK website, you can find out more, including whom to contact, about education issues in the federal state where you are currently staying.