German Education Structure

In the Image above is the German Education Structure, Unlike in the U.S.A where most of us attend Pre-school, 
Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, High School, and then University or College. In Germany a child's 
future is decided in 4th grade. All German children start out in the Grundshule, which is like our Elementary
School, and in 4th grade the teacher decides which school the child goes to next, based on how smart the teacher 
thinks the child is. The Secondary 1 part of the diagram shows the the highest to lowest schools a child can 
be placed into. The Gymnasium is the most elite school, it is where the smartest children go and they are on the 
track to University. The Abitur is a test that a German needs to take and do well at in order to get into University.
it is like our ACT/SAT and AP tests combined, but more important and harder. The Hauptchule is the lowest 
school and children that attend this school have almost no chance in going to university and most end up working 
at factories. The Arrows in the diagram show different possibilities of where a child can go after finishing one 
school type.