German Curriculum

Public education in Germany is a state responsibility, with each state responsible to develop their own curricula and assessments. The German school in Abu Dhabi follows the Thuringian curriculum, with German as the language of instruction.

During the kindergarten years, the focus is on play-based learning. In primary school, subjects like German, Science, and Mathematics receive more dedicated time compared to other subjects. In the German education system, an important aspect is that in post-primary school (Grundschule), students are placed in different streams or tracks to prepare them for different college and career paths.

Progression

Kindergarten starts at age 3 and lasts 3 years.
Primary school (Grundschule) is from Grades 1-4.
At the German school in Abu Dhabi, students are placed in one of four tracks at the end of Grade 5:
Hauptschule - prepares students for vocational education
Realschule - an intermediate level of education with a broad range of educational options
Gymnasium - for studying at higher education institutions
Gesamtschule - a combination of the Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium.
The German school in Abu Dhabi offers all four tracks, with the majority of students opting for the Gymnasium track to attend university.
Students have the option of transitioning from one track to another until Grade 8.
Students following the Realschule track have the option of leaving school and transferring into vocational training at the end of Grade 10. Alternatively, they can transfer to Gymnasium with sufficiently good grades to complete the Abitur (university entrance exam) in Grade 12.

The table below shows the academic journey that a student studying an American curriculum is expected to take

Age	Grade
3-4	KG
4-5	KG
5-6	KG
6-7	Grade 1
7-8	Grade 2
8-9	Grade 3
9-10	Grade 4
10-11	Grade 5
11-12	Grade 6
12-13	Grade 7
13-14	Grade 8
14-15	Grade 9
15-16	Grade 10
16-17	Grade 11
17-18	Grade 12

Assessments

Kindergarten students are assessed based on teacher’s observations and evaluations of their emotional and cognitive development, language skills, social behavior, and artistic, gross, and fine motor skills.
In primary grades, teachers assess students according to the standards set by the respective curriculum framework.
Students in the Abu Dhabi German school take competency tests in German, English, and Mathematics at the end of Grades 3, 6, and 8.
At the end of Grade 6, students take an exam to obtain the German Language certificate.
Students in the Realschule track can take the Realschulabschluss exam at the end of Grade 10. The exam consists of written and oral assessments. With this qualification, students may enroll in a vocational training institute or transfer to a Gymnasium, provided they have good grades.
The German International Abitur Examination (Deutsches Internationales Abitur/DIA) is the more prestigious version of the German Abitur (school leaving exam) at the end of Grade 12. In Abu Dhabi, parts of this diploma's written and oral exams are taken in English.

The German Schools Abroad program ensures that international schools maintain an education standard equivalent to that offered by local schools in Germany. Schools undergo external inspections by the German government authorities once every three years for quality assurance.
The German school in Abu Dhabi is sponsored by the German Embassy and officially recognized as a “German School Abroad”. This means that all report cards and certificates issued by the school are equivalent to those in Germany.

Further Details

More details on the Thuringia Education system. Click Here
More details on the Central Office for Schools abroad. Click Here

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