At the secondary school level throughout the world nowadays, there are important issues being considered such as how and when to impose the learning of required science subjects, and when to handle selected learning of separate science subjects. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), all upper grade students at the secondary school level are bound to take all required science subjects and select some other additional optional subjects in science. This pattern might be given prime attention worldwide. In this research, the author attempted to consider the selection of science subjects at the secondary school level in the GDR. In this study, a survey of the historical circumstances on the subject selection in science in the GDR was firstly made. The existing educational laws, the science subjects studied at the secondary school level, and the issues on studying science subjects were clarified in this study. These results are shown as follows: In the GDR, the present compulsory learning of subjects occupies the greater part of the number of subjects in the "Ten-Year General Polytechnical Secondary School." The "Extended Secondary School," which can be considered to be as good as the "Ten-Year General Polytechnical Secondary School," offers many compulsory learning areas of various subjects as well as compulsory learning areas of science subjects, specifically physics, chemistry and biology. To encourage learning according to the ability, aptitude and occupational interest among the learners, the setting up of "Arbeitsgemeinschaften" was introduced in the upper grades of the "Ten-Year General Polytechnical Secondary School." The inclusion of the optional subject areas, and optional compulsory subject areas was made in addition to the compulsory subjects offered in the "Extended Secondary School." In the GDR, the assumption for finding out the ability and aptitude of students can guarantee the acquisition of common general education of the people. The people could therefore have the option of selecting the pattern of learning according to the ability and aptitude they possess.
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