Dial 999!

We visited the Gottlieb-Daimler Realschule in Germany last week. It’s located in the town of Ludwigsburg, which is situated in the suburb of Neckarraum, in the state of Baden-Württembergstate not far from Stuttgart.  There are fourteen elementary schools in Ludwigsburg, one Werkrealschule (secondary school, grades 8/9), two Realschulen (secondary grades 6-12), two community schools, one special education and counseling center, four high schools and one free Waldorf school. While the Otto Hahn Gymnasium (secondary school) is housed in the same building as the Gottlieb Daimler Realschule, the schools operate independently. The school grounds include several break areas, smaller and larger sports facilities, as well as the double sports and round sports hall. Two bus stops on the school grounds provide good access to the city districts and the surrounding communities.

We observed a sixth grade English class during the students last week of school before summer break. The teacher spoke fluent English and her students were highly engaged and very well behaved. All in all, it didn’t look much different than a similar class in the USA. Afterward we met with the principal, Mr. Meier and a couple of teachers. Although at first, the German school system appears to be quite rigid in the way the fate of its students is determined by the age of 10. After 5^th grade students either continue on a vocational track (learning a trade) or a more academic track (college prep.). However, after listening to Mr. Meier it appears that there are many different variations/tracks that students can take. For example, there is a sports track at this school, and unlike stereotypical athletes in the USA, these students are respected as some of the brightest who are often taking the highest-level classes. I left feeling that I had much more to learn about the complex German school system.

I envied the school’s teachers’ lounge – a large and well-resourced bustling space. It appeared that everyone had a workspace and it was clear that there was much collaboration and camaraderie among the faculty. One of the most interesting aspects of this school is its open concept. When we arrived several girls were outside unsupervised, line dancing to pop music. They hardly flinched when we arrived. Students strolled through the hallways during our visit and everything seemed very relaxed. Principal Meier told me that he wanted to create a sense of safety and security for his students by not putting up walls, fences and gates. When I asked if parents took advantage of this openness, Meier left me with some interesting advice saying, “if parents approach me with an unreasonable complaint, I tell them this is my school and if they don’t get out I will call the police!” Now those are words I hope I never have to utter.