The German school system

I have now decided on my final seminar program at the Katholische Fachhochschule for the winter semester:

Monday:
11.30-13.00 Didactic / Pedagogy
(a seminar of the 3rd semester or 2nd school year of the specialisation social work)
13.30-15.00 Klinische (clinical) Psychology
(the 5th semester or 3rd school year of the specialisation social work)
19.00-20.30 English for social work professionals
(open to all classes)
Tuesday:
09.45-11.15 Anthropology
(the 3rd semester or 2nd school year of the specialisation social work)
11.30-13.00 Fundamental “heilpedagogiek*” theories.
(the 1st semester or 1st school year of the specialisation Heilpedagogiek*)

A school year is divided in a winter and a summer semester in Germany. Unlike the Netherlands where we have 4 semesters in one school year. The winter semester started at the 8th of October and ends the 25th of January after that they will have exams. The summer semester starts at 31st of March until the 18th of July and than again exams. The holidays are then different off course. The schools start later but have therefore now autumn or spring break. Because of this seminar difference people say; “I am in the 3rd semester” in stead of being a second grader. At the beginning it was very hard for me to figure out what these semesters where all about. They have also have specialisations that are completely different to the education in the Netherlands. There is Soziale arbeit, Heilpedagogiek and Pflege pedagogiek. Untill today I am trying to find out that the differentiations mean exactly. I asked some students but they just comment that you can choose seminars from all the differentiations so you can make your own program.

Stunents have on average 20 school hours per week. But the school is open in evenings and in weekends!. Each student has to follow a foreign language course and follow a program where you learn about the social work in a different country. The school has close contacts with many schools in Europe (also in the Netherlands - Groningen) and students exchange know-how. It sounds very promising to me. Hopefully we get something like this at the The Hague uni. There is one more big difference. Students don’t pay a school fee at this school and they don’t have to buy school books. Yes you have read it correctly. They have a supposedly good functioning internet system at the school where the professors gives you a list of books that you could read about one subject and provides you with all the details before the lessons begin. And still the students complain???
The school system in Germany as far as I can see is not bad at all.

Greatings jose

*Heilpedagogiek is a specialisation in Germany that focuses on working with disabled or sick people and how to help them at best.

From now on the Dutch version will only appear on my Hyves account http://josekroezen.hyves.nl/