We didn't have to be up quite as early as yesterday, and the extra couple of hours of sleep were needed and appreciated. Today's first stop would be at a Gymnasium right in Munich. The unique aspect of this particular school is that it is an all girls school. All of the students were out of the building doing academic field trips to wrap up the year, but the principal and a couple of teachers were kind enough to stay back and discuss education with us.
Being a Gymnasium it was more academically rigorous. For example, in addition to learning English starting in 5th grade, they began to learn Latin or French in 6th grade. They also had a history class each year, in addition to various geography/government classes...plus their host of other math, science, music, art, phy ed, and IT classes. I was very impressed with the range of subjects required, especially with the level of history and social studies they were taught. We had the chance to learn about how World War II and the Holocaust are taught in the schools as well. They (not just this school, all of the schools in Germany) do not shy away from the subject. They spend a large majority of both 8th and 9th grade covering WWII and the Holocaust in great depth and detail. Most students will visit a concentration camp and/or have a Holocaust survivor speak to their classes. It's not uncommon for students to find out that their relatives played a role in the horror, and it appears that this too is something that they don't necessarily find shame in, but that they confront and address head on. Very interesting.
After our discussion we had a tour of the school. One of the distinct differences between the schools we visited and ours back home was a lack of some of the technology that we have. There were computer labs and a computer in each room...but very few, if any, had a SmartBoard or projector. Another big difference is that the teachers move from room-to-room, not the students. The idea is that the students will create a very strong bond by having a room all to themselves that they can call their own. It's interesting, but the teachers don't really seem to care for the setup.
When our visit concluded we went back to the hotel for lunch and then it was time for a meeting with a member from the Ministry of Education. The meeting was interesting at times...but, being a meeting held in a hot room right after lunch it was also a bit difficult to stay focused (awake) during the parts where we were told things we had aleady learned. Oh well... :) The most interesting part was a discussion about how Germany and the German school system is working to handle issues revolving around immigration. During the past 5-15 years they have seen an increase in immigrants coming to Germany, particularly from Turkey, and the German people are struggling with this issue. The issue isn't illegal immigration, as all of the immigrants are legal, but it's more about how do they deal with a changing racial demographic within their borders. Really, very similar to discussions about immigration in the US.
From that meeting we went back to the hotel for a meeting with a professor about Modern Germany. The speaker was great and it was really interesting to hear how a global economic power (Germany) with a fairly strong social safety net and high standard of living has been able to weather the current economic crisis while still providing a multitude of services to its people. Currently Germany's unemployment is just shy of 6%, which is pretty incredible. Again, I could go into more detail here...but I'll save that for another time.
For dinner we were taken to an Italian restaurant for a change from the very heavy and hearty pork laden meals of the previous days. Nothing like a pizza with mushrooms, onions, and salami to change up the diet! After that a few of us went to a bar to watch some of a soccer match (FC Bayern Munich VS AC Milan) on TV with "the locals", which was really enjoyable.
The trip continues to be an absolute blast, and incredibly educational...ser gut!
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