Education in Schleswig-Holstein
Education makes an early start in Schleswig-Holstein. Providing for the best interests of even the youngest child, there are over 1,600 kindergartens for those who are under 6. In particular, these offer programmes of support to children with little knowledge of German. In this way, they can begin school successfully.
All children who reach the age of six before 30 June begin compulsory education, in the same year. For the first four years, they attend a Grundschule (primary school). After this, children move to a secondary school. At present, depending on recommendation, they can choose between Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium and Gesamtschule. From the academic year 2010/11, the school system will be restructured to provide just regional schools (Regionalschule), comprehensive schools (Gemeinschaftsschule) and grammar schools (Gymnasium).
At the Hauptschule (a current secondary school) pupils receive teaching with a practical bias, emphasising vocational training. The youngsters have to pass examinations in German, maths and English, after year nine.
The Realschule (a current secondary school) comprises six school years and finishes after year ten, with the Intermediate School Certificate examinations (Mittlere Reife). It provides the education necessary to support highly demanding vocational training.
The Gymnasium (grammar school) finishes after nine years with the Higher Education Entrance Qualification examinations (Abitur). From the academic year 2008/09, school time at the Gymnasium will be reduced to eight years. Successful graduates will be able to find a place to study at any university.
The Gesamtschule (current comprehensive school) combines the Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium schemes of education. All relevant graduation certificates can be attained there.
From the academic year 2010/11, the Regionalschule (regional combined school) will combine the Hauptschule and Realschule schemes of education. In years 5 and 6 all pupils will study the same subjects. After that, different courses will be followed, according to progress and academic achievement (Hauptschule and Realschule school certificates).
In the Gemeinschaftsschule (new comprehensive school) scholars will be taught together for longer, from years 5 to 10. They can attain the Secondary General School Certificate (Hauptschulabschluss), or the Intermediate School Certificate (Realschulabschluss), or they can transfer to the higher grammar school level (gymnasiale Oberstufe) and complete the Higher Education Entrance Qualification (Abitur).
Since 1990, disabled and able children alike have been taught in the same classes in Schleswig-Holstein. Currently, this integrated teaching takes place in half of all primary schools and increasingly in secondary schools. In addition, there are special schools for children who require more intensive support, owing to a disability.
As is usual in the rest of Germany, most children in Schleswig-Holstein schools attend school only in the morning. However, the number of schools offering whole-day education is rising constantly. Meanwhile, over 300 schools in Schleswig-Holstein offer a wide range of facilities, from school lunch to music workshops.
Vocational training in Schleswig-Holstein follows the German principle of dual education. This means that training in outside workplaces is matched to the training within the vocational school.
The Ministry of Education and Women’s Issues of Land Schleswig-Holstein has supervision of the state school system.
Contact:
Ministry of Education and Women's Issues of Land Schleswig-Holstein
Brunswiker Straße 16-22
24105 Kiel
Phone: +49 (0) 431 988-5806
Fax: +49 (0) 431 988-5815
E-mail: pressestelle@mbf.landsh.de
Institutions of Higher Education in Schleswig-Holstein
The academic landscape of higher education is diverse in Schleswig-Holstein: there are 3 universities, 4 Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule), an academy of fine arts, a music academy and, in addition, there are also several private institutions of higher education. The nine public Universities of Applied Sciences alone offer around 300 courses of studies. Around 40,750 students were enrolled there in the 2004/05 winter term. The share of foreign students amounted approx. 8 percent.
The introduction of the new Bachelor and Master Degrees has also led to extensive changes in the structure of the university studies in Schleswig-Holstein. Courses of study at universities and universities of applied sciences will be adjusted to the internationally acknowledged two-tier Bachelor and Master studies until 2010.
An examination system giving degrees to academic achievement along the course of study is linked to it. Overall compatibility between German universities and those of other countries is ensured based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
The Christian Albrechts University of Kiel is the oldest and largest university of the Land of Schleswig-Holstein. It was founded in 1665 and established as a foundation by Duke Christian Albrecht von Holstein-Gottorp. Research focus lies in oceanography and geographical research, molecular biology and medicine, health and nutritional research, environmental research, economics, mathematics/IT, surface research and technology sciences as well as cultural studies. Works carried out in the economics and medical fields are internationally acknowledged. The largest university of applied sciences of the Land of Schleswig-Holstein is also established in Kiel. Its hallmarks are attractive courses on offer in the multimedia field and in practice-oriented vocational training and learning.
The University of Lübeck (www.uni-luebeck.de) has its focus on fields of Medicine, Technology, Natural and Life Sciences, having an especially close connection between courses. The university works chiefly in the Medical Engineering field, together with the Lübeck University of Applied Sciences (www.fh-luebeck.de). Innovative course studies have been jointly developed, such as the “Medical Technology” Master Studies, for example. Moreover, the University of Applied Sciences offers a qualitative high-quality education in the building and construction industry field, in the technical field and in the area of Business Administration and Engineering. In addition to this, it also manages the “Virtual University” (www.oncampus.de).
The University of Flensburg is close to the border with Denmark (www.uni-flensburg.de). It has been turning into the centre of education and instructional sciences in Schleswig-Holstein. Moreover, it also offers cultural and economics courses of study that are distinguished by close cooperation with the University of Southern Denmark. The Flensburg University of Applied Sciences (www.fh-flensburg.de) has its special profile in courses of study in areas of Communications Technology, Energy Management, Biotechnology and Process Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Technical Translation and Business Management
The Westküste University of Applied Sciences in Heide (www.fh-westkueste.de) has very special core areas with study courses on International Management, Economics and Law, as well as Management and Technology that are offered in addition to Electrical Engineering and Business Management.
Schleswig-Holstein has two small but refined Colleges of Art. The Muthesius College of Art (www.muthesius-kunsthochschule.de) in Kiel and the Lübeck College of Music (www.mh-luebeck.de) with only approx. 1000 places available. Students must take a very demanding examination prior to entrance.
The public universities, academies of fine arts and universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) charge a maximum tuition fee amounting to 90 Euros per semester which covers expenses such as transport tickets and membership of the student union. Halls of residence are made available to students.
In addition to public universities, Schleswig-Holstein has several private universities of applied sciences such as University of Applied Sciences Wedel (www.fh-wedel.de), the University of Applied Sciences Nordakademie (www.nordakademie.de) in Elmshorn and the Distance Learning College AKAD (www.akad.de). Moreover, there are also two private learning institutions that are connected with the Universities of Lübeck and Kiel and these offer Master Studies mainly in the Media Field, subject to payment: The International School of New Media ISNM (www.isnm.de) in Lübeck for Master of Science in Digital Media (the language, of course, is English) and the Multimedia Campus Kiel (www.multimedia-campus-kiel.de), which also offers Master Studies in the management and multimedia fields in English language. Both institutions offer scholarships for particularly talented students, as well as Master Studies to be combined with work.
A forward-looking project is the Baltic Sea Virtual Campus (www.bsvc.org) which was created by renowned universities in the Baltic Sea Region. In this project, the best teachers hold online lectures on subjects such as Industrial Engineering, Business Informatics and Health Care Management training the intercultural competence of students in the whole world.
Research
Children are the researchers of tomorrow
Schleswig-Holstein offers young people many possibilities of discovering the world. An example of this lies in the favourite popular discovery lectures for children at the University of Kiel or the Multimar Wattforum national park centre in Tönning, or the ”Phänomenta Science Museum“ in Flensburg, where experiments on natural science and sensory impressions can be experienced. The ”Mediendom“ which takes place at the University of Applied Sciences of the capital of the Land also opens its gates to young discoverers. Students attend their lectures during the day, but in the evening and on the weekends, their classes are transformed into a cinema room using Europe’s most modern projection technology to educate persons who are thirsty for knowledge. Not only do the Laboratories of Biotechnology in Borstel, Flensburg or in Lübeck offer an insight into research: students and pupils who are interested in modern scientific method of operation and processing can clone real bacteria, for instance – obviously under supervision. Those who have had this experience can imagine how science works.
Top performance for a common vision
Schleswig-Holstein has been relying on future technologies for many years – by carrying out researches into alternative energy sources, on medical engineering or maritime sciences. Lübeck serves as an example: the Hanseatic City, which has numerous companies and research institutions is the centre of medical engineering in Germany. The German Research Foundation brings the local university to a top position in the medical field. A new type of endo and exo-prosthesis has been developed in the Clinic for Surgery in conjunction with “Eska Implants”, a company specialised in the field of joint replacements which connects the artificial leg replacement to the thigh bone by means of an adapter element.
Researchers in the Hanseatic City are also well-ahead in the fields of molecular biology and biochemistry. At the Institute of Biochemistry, the staff of Prof. Dr. Rolf Hilgenfeld analyse the structure of new coronaviruses which cause lung diseases on people, such as SARS. Medicines are developed to treat this disease based on this analysis. Kiel, for example: the Christian Albrechts University plays an important role in the research of the human genome. A group of scientists who assist Prof. Dr. Stefan Schreiber has been working on finding genetic reasons for chronic inflammation of mucous membranes. Their findings have led to a new biotechnological therapy procedures which are further developed in an own company. It is no wonder that, compared with all other German Länder, many successful doctors of medicine and natural scientists study and research in Schleswig-Holstein. There they have the opportunity to meet internationally distinguished tutors and to find exceptional good study conditions in the land between the seas.
Maritime expertise
Our region has already acquired an outstanding reputation as a health destination. During the coming years, it aims to establish a name as the European model region for maritime science and commerce. The research in all fields of maritime sciences is a tradition in Schleswig-Holstein and is internationally acknowledged. The Leibnitz Institute of Marine Sciences in Kiel offers the most multifarious research and tutoring programme in Europe. Seven companies with a total of around 35 highly qualified scientists, engineers and technicians have settled in the surroundings of the Institute. In addition to the university centres, there are further important research institutions, such as in the Isle of Helgoland and the Isle of Sylt, in Busum or in the City of Geesthacht on the Elbe River. Moreover, in order to bring advancement to the economy and knowledge around the sea, famous representatives work together in the initiative ”Zukunft Meer – sea: our future“.
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Innovative research has a broad basis: from the playful access to sciences as it is presented at the ”Phänomenta Science Museum“ in Flensburg to the High Technology Development at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology in Itzehoe.
Thematic statement
Renewable energy, medical engineering or marine sciences: Schleswig-Holstein focuses in future technologies.
