Germany has an excellent educational system. Children under six may attend Kindergarten, which is usually run by a church, charity or municipality. Kindergarten (meaning children's garden) is a 19th-century German invention. Payment for pre-school education is determined according to the parents' income.

Between the ages of six and ten, students attend elementary school. When they are ten, they choose one of three options for further education. The Hauptschule is a vocational training school for students aged 10 to 16. Those interested in technical and business subjects can attend a Realschule until they are 17. Students who plan to go on to university attend a Gymnasium until they are 18 or 19. They can then go to university or to a polytechnical school.

Young people with disabilities whose needs cannot be met at general education schools receive instruction at special schools called Sonderschulen.

Attendance at public schools is free, but in some areas students must buy educational materials, including textbooks. Students usually attend school for half a day, and are expected to spend the afternoon doing homework. Schools have traditionally held classes on Saturday mornings, but this custom is being phased out. Summer vacations are only six weeks long, but students get several short vacations during the year.

Did you know?
	Göttingen is the headquarters of the Max Planck Institute, named in honour of the discoverer of quantum theory, who lived in the town.

There are 17 universities and 14 colleges of art and music in Germany. Those interested in learning a trade opt for vocational or apprenticeship schools, where practical on-the-job training is combined with theoretical instruction and paid for by the employer.

One in three German students attends a Fachhochschule (polytechnical school), which offers practical courses in engineering, design, business administration, agriculture and social work. Further education is also available through correspondence courses or adult continuing education courses.

German universities are among the best in the world. Towns such as Heidelberg, Marburg, Göttingen and Tübingen are famous for their universities and their large student populations. Students do not pay tuition fees at university, but they must pay for books, materials and living expenses. University work usually involves more independent study than university work in Canada.