Education in Germany

The German education system has long been admired and, at times, envied by the rest of Europe, but the history of German educational development is a turbulent one. Concentrating on the post-war German scene, this timely book examines the interrelationship of educational and social developments in Germany from 1810 to the present day.Providing new insights into German history and challenging traditionally-held opinions about Germany, education and society, the author questions, for example, whether Germany's rapid industrial growth and economic success in the late nineteenth century were based upon its academic development, or the country's much less acclaimed training in crafts and vocational subjects. The rise of a new academic elite and its possible contribution both to the collapse of Germany's first democratic government and to the emergence of National Socialism are examined, as are the stagnation of the educational system in West Germany, which led to the student unrest of 1968, and the modern system introduced in East Germany under Soviet influence, which failed to be implemented in an open and democratic fashion.In considering the opportunities offered by re-unification and the effects of emerging reform movements, the author argues that Germany now seems to have reached a new impasse with overcrowded, under-resourced universities, a socially divisive school system and uncertainty as to how to meet the challenges of the next century.The interdisciplinary nature of this volume will make it essential reading for all those interested in German history and politics, comparative education and sociology and a core text for students.

Repainting the Little Red Schoolhouse is the first English-language study of GDR education and the first book, in any language, that traces the full history of eastern German education from 1945 through the 1990's. It traces the full history of the GDR's attempt to create a new Marxist nation by means of educational reform. The scope of the book goes beyond previous investigations of the subject, both in the sense of its comprehensive inclusiveness of topics beyond education in narrowly conceived terms, and in its extension of the historical narrative to post-GDR life.

This is the first study of its kind that closely examines the process of re-education and addresses such vital questions as whether the reforms were educationally sound and to what degree they meshed with local circumstances.

List of Tables and Figures List of Abbreviations Preface Acknowledgments A Twin Study of a Different Kind The Two Germanys Public and Private Values in the German Democratic Republic Education Values and the Law in the Federal Republic of Germany Goals of Education in East and West Who Runs the Schools? Different Schools for Different Twins The Curriculum: Free Choice and Diversity versus No Choice and Requirements Teaching and Learning in the Schools of East and West Conclusion: Alternative Schools-Hospitals or Laboratories? Bibliography Index

Reflecting the growing integration of the European Union, this volume presents one of the results of an increasing cooperation between the education department of Berlin, Amsterdam and London universities.

This volume brings together empirical and comparative research from across the social sciences to examine whether or not Germany's system of skill provision is still capable of meeting the economic and social challenges now facing all the advanced capitalist economies.

In modern societies the university is the most important channel of mobility & a central institution to ensure equality of opportunity & social justice. Universities assumed an important role in the political & cultural emancipation of women, minorities, & the lower socioeconomic classes. Expansion & Structural Change explores the historical process of the expansion of universities for a period of more than a hundred years in the United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, & France.

This book provides valuable insights into the situation of women in distance education around the world. A wide variety of evidence from different countries supports the conclusion that open and distance learning has the potential to provide equal opportunities in higher and continuing education.