Abstract
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, German reunification advanced faster than anyone had anticipated. On 3 October 1990, East Germany acceded to the West. In this article, we analyze the mechanics and implications of the process of German reunification in the field of education. For the sake of convenience, we classify three periods:
1. The period of the two countries
2. The period between the fall of the ‘Wall’ and reunification
3. The period after reunification
In the first period, we survey the features of the education systems of the two countries, making comparisons and summarizing their distinguishing characteristics and quoting from the researches of Professor Oskar Anweiler.
In the second period, we follow the processes of trends in educational matters in East Germany after the fall of the ‘Wall’ and give a detailed description of theimportant factors. It becomes clear that the reform of socialism ended in failure. Both countries reached an agreement that fundamentally the reconstruction of the East German educational system should be modelled on that of West Germany. We also refer to and compare, for example, the question of German language/literature school-leaving examinations before and after the fall of the ‘Wall’. We also introduce the results of a questionnaire given to pupils and teachers in June 1990.
In the third period, we analyze the development of education and research after reunification. In each federal state of what was East Germany, educational administration was structured and laws concerning education provided by taking the West German system as a model. Many laws are still tentative. When the primary and secondary education systems were being reorganized, many states wanted to introduce the West German, or multi-track system. However, many parents and teachers opposed this plan, so as a result three states decided to introduce institutions which integrated the Hauptschule (secondary general school) and the Realschule (intermediate school). With regard to teachers, there are many problems to be solved, for example, dismissal, training, certification, etc. In higher education, the reorganization of institutions and faculties is currently being planned and undertaken.
In conclusion, we express our thoughts on the implications of German reunification from the standpoint of the education system.
