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East Germany The Educational System
In the mid-1980s, the education system comprised preschool
education (kindergarten) for children from three to six years of
age; a compulsory ten-year polytechnical education for all
children of ages six through sixteen; postpolytechnical
education, which consisted of either vocational training leading
to entry in the work force or extended general education leading
to the university; and higher education at a special technical
institute or university.
Attendance at kindergarten was not mandatory, but the
majority of children from ages three to six attended. The state
considered kindergartens an important element of the overall
educational program. The schools focused on health and physical
fitness, development of socialist values, and the teaching of
rudimentary skills. The regime has experimented with combined
schools of childcare centers and kindergartens, which introduce
the child gradually into a more regimented program of activities
and ease the pains of adjustment. In 1985 there were 13,148
preschools providing care for 788,095 children (about 91 percent
of children eligible to attend).
Compulsory education began at the age of six, when every
child entered the ten-grade, coeducational general polytechnical
school. The program was divided into three sections. The primary
stage included grades one through three, where children were
taught the basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics. The
primary stage also introduced children to the fundamentals of
good citizenship and, in accordance with the 1965 education law,
provided them with their "first knowledge and understanding of
nature, work, and socialist society." Instruction emphasized
German language, literature, and art as a means of developing the
child's expressive and linguistic skills; about 60 percent of
classroom time was devoted to this component. Mathematics
instruction accounted for about 24 percent of the curriculum and
included an introduction to fundamental mathematical laws and
relations. Another 8 percent was devoted to physical education,
which comprised exercises, games, and activities designed to
develop coordination and physical skill. Polytechnical
instruction was also begun at the primary level and consisted of
gardening and crafts that gave the child a basic appreciation of
technology, the economy, and the worker; about 8 percent of
classroom time was allotted to such instruction.
An intermediate stage in the child's education began in grade
four and continued through grade six. The study of the Russian
language was introduced at this stage and consumed about 12
percent of classroom time. Natural and social sciences also
became part of the curriculum and together with mathematics
formed about 26 percent of instruction time. Another 44 percent
of instruction was taken up with German literature, language,
art, history, and geography. The remainder was divided between
sports and polytechnical instruction. During this stage of the
young person's education, the political-ideological content of
the curriculum becomes increasingly important. The curriculum
emphasized the connection between education and work, and it
acquainted pupils in a more detailed way with the life of society
and with work, science, technology, and culture. The development
of a socialist personality, especially a socialist attitude
toward work, was a major objective.
The final stage of polytechnical schooling comprised grades
seven through ten. Polytechnical instruction included courses in
technical drawing, socialist production, and productive work. The
pupil spent one day per week in practical training, working
alongside regular employees at a nearby factory or agricultural
cooperative. About 14 percent of the curriculum was devoted to
polytechnical instruction during this stage. Science education
formed about 22 percent of instruction time, and courses covered
biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. Mathematics consumed
roughly 15 percent of the classroom period; the Russian language,
9 percent; and German art, literature, language, and history,
about 34 percent. A second foreign language, generally English,
was introduced at the upper grade levels.
The polytechnical curriculum gradually accorded a prominent
role to science and technology, reflecting the regime's need for
technically trained individuals. Throughout the entire
educational program, the regime emphasized instruction in
"socialist values." The curriculum balanced scientific knowledge
with ideological instruction to produce "a scientific view of
life" according to Marxist-Leninist philosophy. Theory was
related to practice through polytechnical training, and the child
was expected to grasp a basic understanding of productive
relationships.
The educational system's major goal was producing technically
qualified personnel to fill the manpower needs of the economy.
The government guaranteed employment to those who completed the
mandatory ten-year program. Ostensibly the student was free to
choose his or her occupation, but career choices were often
guided by government plans and policies.
In 1985 there were 5,864 general polytechnical schools with a
total student population of 2.1 million. The average class size
was twenty students. Educators and specialists developed the
curriculum, textbooks, and teacher manuals, which, however, were
closely controlled and had to be approved by the appropriate
authorities. The Politburo of the SED made most policy decisions
regarding the educational system. The main task of the Ministry
of Education, which oversees the kindergartens and polytechnical
schools, was making certain that SED policies were implemented
and that instructional materials reflected the proper
philosophical orientation.
Upon completion of the compulsory ten-year education, the
student had essentially three options. The most frequently chosen
option was to begin a two-year period of vocational training. In
1985 about 86 percent of those who had completed their ten-year
course of study began some kind of vocational training. During
vocational training, the student became an apprentice, usually at
a local or state enterprise. Students received eighteen months of
training in selected vocations and specialized in the final six
months. In 1985 approximately 6 percent of those who had
completed their polytechnical education entered a three-year
program of vocational training. This program led to the
Abitur, or end-of-school examination. Passing the
Abitur enabled the student to apply to a technical
institute or university, although this route to higher education
was considered very difficult. In 1985 East Germany had a total
of 963 vocational schools; 719 were connected with industries,
and another 244 were municipal vocational schools. Vocational
schools served 377,567 students.
A final option was the extended polytechnical education,
which prepared only a minority of students for higher education.
In 1984 approximately 8.3 percent of those completing their
general schooling continued in extended polytechnical programs.
In the past, children were selected for extended schooling after
the eighth grade, but as of the early 1980s the selection was
generally made after the tenth grade. In effect the extended
schooling was a college preparatory program. The curriculum
continued the general education provided at the lower grades, but
instruction was more intensive and geared specifically to
university entry. The extended schools had instruction through
grade twelve. A thirteenth year was spent in practical training.
This year was meant to instill in the student an appreciation of
labor and to prevent an elitist attitude from emerging among
those who went on for higher education.
After passing the Abitur examination and completing a
year of practical training, the student could apply to either a
university or a technical institute. Applicants were judged
primarily on their scholastic achievements and political
attitudes. In the past, applicants from working-class backgrounds
were given priority for positions at the university and
institutes. A Workers' and Peasants' Faculty was established at
each university to help prepare the prospective student for entry
into universities. During the 1950s, the proportion of students
of working-class origin steadily increased and was over 50
percent around 1960. The proportion declined, however, during the
1960s, and by the end of the decade working-class students
constituted roughly 38 percent of the university population. The
special faculties were closed in the late 1960s. Under Honecker,
there was a renewed effort to attract working-class students to
the universities, but no figures were available on the proportion
of such students at institutions of higher learning in the late
1970s or mid-1980s.
In 1985 East Germany had 54 universities and colleges, with a
total enrollment of 129,628 students. Women made up about 50
percent of the student population. Courses in engineering and
technology headed the list of popular subjects. Medicine,
economics, and education were also popular choices. There were
239 technical institutions, with a total student population of
162,221. About 61 percent of the students studied full time,
while the remainder enrolled in correspondence study or took
evening classes. The three most popular fields of study at the
institutes were medicine and health, engineering and technology,
and economics. Courses at the university and technical institutes
consisted primarily of lectures and examinations. Completion of
the program led to a diploma or license, depending on the field
of study.
As of the mid-1980s, higher education was very inexpensive,
and many of the textbooks were provided free of charge. Full or
partial financial assistance in the form of scholarships was
available for most students, and living expenses were generally
minimal because most students continued to live at home during
their courses of study. Germans have a high regard for education,
and the regime has generally supported young people who have
wanted to upgrade their level of skills through further training
or education. Ironically education has become one way in which
young people seek to achieve social recognition. Higher education
has also produced a generation that is oftentimes overqualified
for available jobs. The government began restricting the number
of positions available at the universities and technical
institutes during the late 1960s, making competition for entry
extremely stiff.
Data as of July 1987
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