Understanding School in Germany

16.5
There are many options for secondary school
graduates both in Germany and abroad.
Here are some ideas:
German federal volunteer service
(Bundesfreiwilligendienst)
A year of voluntary social service
(Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr – FSJ)
A year of voluntary environmental protection service
(Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr – FÖJ)
These voluntary services allow young people to become active in
the community. Volunteers work in a number of areas, for example
with children and adolescents, in health and geriatric care, with
disabled individuals, in environmental protection, nature conservation,
sports, culture, monument and heritage preservation, politics
and integration, or in schools. Volunteer work can also be
done abroad.
What can you do?
1. Two school years before your child graduates from school, consider
together with your child which path is most suited and realistic for him
or her. The more specific the plan is, the better. Together you should
also consider a plan B (and even better still, a plan C) if things don’t quite
work out with career and vocational training at the dream company or
acceptance at the first choice university.
2. Be familiar with the options available to your child after finishing secondary
school and talk to your child about them periodically.
3. Don’t make a fuss if your child is not accepted into a career and vocational
education and training programme or university directly after
finishing school. Instead consider with your child how to reasonably
bridge this year.
4. Make sure that this year does not appear as a gap in your child’s curriculum
vitae. What was accomplished in this year needs to be specified. Remember,
your child will have learned and experienced much in this year.
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