The German School System

In this article I will try to explain the German school system.
I will explain how the average school life looks like and how mine looked like.

First my story:
I started with Kindergarten when I was 3 years old. There I stayed till I was 7 years old. I got into primary school with that age and not with 6 (what was average), because I was not ready with 6. I think my parents decided well at that point :)
After 6 years of primary school I went to a Comprehensive school, because I thought I wouldn't be good enough for Grammar school. I also went to that school because I liked the system (what I will talk about later). On this middle school I had 4 years time to grow through my puberty.
After that I knew I would continue with school, but I during the last two years of middle school I started to think about an exchange year. So in the 11th grade I went to America to improve my english and to get to know the American culture.
After that exchange year I managed to continue with school and not being forced to retake 11th grade, what I was really happy about. So after two more years I was finally ready with school for the rest of my life. :)
My school life (just shorter):

1. Kindergarten (3-7 years)
2. Primary school (7-13 years)
3. Middle school (13-17 years)
4. High school (17-20 years)

How My school live would have looked like, if I would have been "normal" :D

1. Kindergarten (3-6 years)
2. Primary school (6-12 years)
3. Middle school (12-16 years)
4. High school (16-19 years)

I would have been out of school one year earlier!!!
19 is average, I would say. Though it has changed a lot in the past years.
Now a lot of kids get in school with 5.
And the whole school system has been changed, so I guess I have to make another threat about the new system. It changed a little bit. :)

Beneath is the standard German school system which I was the last age group in. It basically describes possible ways, how a school life could look like.

Advanced vocational training University Technical or Trade school Grade 13 Vocational qualification University qualification exam (Abitur) 13th grade and Abitur prep 12 11 Training and education at companies and part time vocational schools (Berufschule) Full-time vocational school (Berufsfacherschule) Vocational uppper secondary school (Fachober-schule) Continuation with Gymnasium or Gesamtschule 10 9 8 7 6 5 Secondary general school(Hauptschule) Intermediate school(Realschule) Grammer school(Gymnasium) Comprehensive school(Gesamt schule) 4 3 2 1 Primary School (Grundschule) Kindergarten

Graphic copied from library.thinkquest.org, but I have modified it a little bit.