Germany

In Germany, rather than attending what we call “high school,” students go to “Gymnasium.” Typically, a student expects to have eight to nine years of schooling beginning at the age of ten. Gymnasium is thought of as an institution to be attended by only the smartest of students, and each school holds its attendees to very strict standards. Only about 27 percent of students who take the exit exam pass. Students are held to a standard that is equal to, if not higher than the standards of colleges in the U.S. The exit exam alone is equivalent of a college exam in the U.S. The governments within Europe believe that this rigor is necessary to ensure that the professional fields are comprised of the most capable and smart students.
Holderlin is located in the city of Nurtingen and was established in 1970. Currently, there are about 1,240 students in attendance and 95 teachers. In the ninth grade, students are given the choice to either focus on a “linguistics profile”, which requires three foreign languages to be taken, or the “scientific profile,” which requires classes involving biology, chemistry and physics. This school places a strong emphasis on programs that focus on art, writing, music and theatre. The programs include a preorchestra, a chamber choir, a parent-teacher choir and harmonists. Spongo, the student publication placed ninth out of 809 in an annual student newspaper competition.
By Features Editor Lindsay Croon