Extended Secondary School (East Germany)

The Advanced High School ( officially: Advanced general polytechnical high school or 12klassige general polytechnical high school, abbreviation: EOS ) was the higher school in the school system in East Germany and led by the twelfth grade to university. Conceptually, it was a four-year community school without internal or external differentiation, so that the whole class was retained to maturity exam. The EOS solved with the law on the socialist development of education in the German Democratic Republic on December 2, 1959 from the former high school. The term grammar school was not common in the GDR.

  • 6.1 Admission Criteria
  • 6.2 Education discrimination as a means of repression

Structure and transitions

The Advanced High School as the Polytechnic High School (POS ) by Alfred Lemmnitz, Minister of Education from 1958 to 1963, designed after his departure from the system of secondary education. It comprised three branches, the A- branch as modern languages ​​depression for 3 modern foreign languages, the B- branch as mathematical and scientific deepening and the C- branch as classical language depression with classical Latin and Greek as foreign languages ​​. The first curriculum work was created in 1960 and became binding with the school year 1961/62 in force. The transition from the POS to the EOS was initially only after the 8th grade. By 1968, the students of the EOS no ten-year degree took off, in case of early departure the EOS of the students, therefore, only the testimony of the 8th grade received.

1963 began efforts to redesign the curriculum according to the guidelines of the scientific character of general education. Especially the then Deputy Minister of Education, Margot Honecker, was with the division into the three branches disagree and urged a modification in accordance with the principles of renunciation of the bourgeois school, construction of the ten-year school for all, unity of general education as well as ten-year degree after class 10

Since about 1962, the visit of the EOS was a few years coupled with vocational training. The pupils of the EOS occurred simultaneously in an apprenticeship, a, according to local circumstances in a business, a cooperative or an administration, and earned during the four years of schooling at the same time a high school and a skilled worker certificate. The time spent was distributed to three quarters at the school and at a quarter to vocational training (vocational school and practical training ). The vocational school could waive general education subjects. In 1965 the students of the EOS with training a low monthly apprentice money received, to reduce the financial distance to normal apprentices. It was in 9th grade 40 marks, in the 10th grade 50 marks, 60 marks in 11th grade and in 12th grade 70 marks. Apprentices who completed vocational training in enterprises with high school, however, received full apprentice money.

With the next reform of the school system in 1967, the dual career was put on the EOS from the program and continued only in special, final high school with vocational training classes of the training companies. In grades nine and ten now regular curriculum of a POS examination was taught and also after class 10 filed with the completion of the POS. These two grades were now called preparatory classes. This adjustment should take the ultimate character for a course of study and facilitate the subsequent change in both directions of the decision. From 1969, the transition to the EOS for able graduates of the polytechnic high school, even after the 10th grade was possible, from the mid-1970s rule sharply on only for graduates of sports schools ( KJS ), the schools with extended teaching of Russian and other special schools.

In 1981, the last class of students after completing the 8th grade to the EOS. As of 1984, the future graduates then changed until after the closing of the 10th class of the POS to the EOS and visited them only two years, exceptions were special schools and classes.

Grade 11 and 12 classes of EOS received since 1981 a monthly training allowance of 100 marks in the 11 and 150 marks in 12th class in order to align their financial situation of the apprentices. Prior to this training aid has been granted to a lesser degree and only at the request falls below a certain financial per capita features of the family.

Timetable for the EOS

The lessons took place from Monday to Saturday at lunch. Holiday dates were the same as those of the polytechnic high schools, where the holiday periods, inter alia, had to be used for production operations or for internships and project work. The GDR suffered until the end, under skilled workers and shortage of teachers so that bottlenecks in capacity and school network planning led to scheduled class frequencies in some places.

Transition timetable for the extended zwölfklassige general polytechnical high school in 1959

With the transition timetable for the extended zwölfklassige general polytechnical high school in 1959, the era of high school, in their place came the Advanced 12 -class general polytechnical high school ended. Although parallels between the institutions of higher education can be seen, for example, the identical school structure, but can the Advanced High School will be evaluated on the basis of measures such as the Polytechnisierung or a new curriculum work as a big change.

School hours for the extended 12 -class general polytechnical high school in 1961

Instructed in

School hours for the extended 12 -class general polytechnical high school in 1971

School hours for the extended 12 -class general polytechnical high school in 1982

With the fall of the Wall in the autumn of 1989, there were also changes in the curriculum. Thus, the ordinary school geography, which was originally found in 11 students graduated, continued in the 12th grade in order to meet the knowledge requirements can now incurred. The subject of civics was replaced by philosophy. A rating was omitted.

Optional classes at the advanced high school

As in the polytechnic high school there were at the advanced high school since the late 1960s, approaches to voluntary work groups in tutorial form. With the conversion of the four-year EOS EOS for two years in 1981, the Ministry of Education decided to introduce the additional courses immediately as an optional lesson.

The curriculum work was in the cybernetic control loop so that significant changes in the curriculum prior to the entry into force of the methodological research (eg TH Karl- Marx-Stadt ) had to be justified and planned (sometimes only school attempts were made to testing performed), which together with the conferences of the curriculum Commission and the incorporation of the Pedagogical Councils usually took 3-5 years. Short-term redesign of the subject matter in this way were not possible ( and not included in the system-theoretical approach of the East German school system). The optional lessons could, however, respond faster because the issued by the Ministry of Education Incentives could be provided more quickly or adapted. The optional advanced classes so in the 80s in the focus of the development of the education system to emphasize different objectives of education policy, such as Vocational guidance, study preparation, deepening of the curriculum through special knowledge, systematic talent search, talent and inclination differentiation.

As an example, among others, the following courses were in the high school level are available:

  • Complex Numbers, Probability, Applied Mathematics, matrices and their application in economics and electrical engineering, fundamentals of computing and data processing, introduction to network analysis, solid state physics, basic circuits and components of electronics, Elektronenstrahloszillograph and its application, electrical measurement of non-electrical quantities, qualitative analysis, macromolecular chemical, chemical- physical tests, ecology, structure and function of plant and animal cells and tissues
  • English, French, Polish (1 September 1971), Czech ( 1 September 1971 ), Spanish, Latin
  • Selected works of world literature from the 19th and 20th century, the image of Lenin in the Soviet and German socialist literature, music, and arts
  • Current problems of the struggle of the communist and workers' parties in the present, fundamental questions of military policy and the armed protection of the German Democratic Republic, fundamental questions of political economy of socialism and its application in the German Democratic Republic

Computer science teaching

In the late 1970s found in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher and Specialised Secondary Education increasingly consultations held, as the emerging computer technology could be integrated into the education system. In 1980, the interim arrangement expired on construction of the two-year EOS and the revised curriculum work came into force from 1982, tried the Ministry of Education to create concrete plans for the integration of new teaching areas. 1985/86 was the new subject " computer science " decided with the classification as a polytechnic education, which should be closely related to mathematics and computer. The problem, which explains the defensive approach, was the insufficient number of computers. Consultations with the State Planning Commission and the ministries of economics branches showed that the attempt at a comprehensive introduction would have the computer science classes delayed until 1992. It was the decision to assign priority to the extended secondary schools, while computer science at the polytechnic secondary schools should be performed as part of course " Computing and Information Technology" in the subject "Introduction to the socialist mode of production ."

Focusing on the special schools and regular extended high schools created the conditions necessary to establish the 1990 computer science teaching DDR far can. The official timetable was therefore with effect from September 1, 1989 ( school year 1989/90 ) as amended in 1988:

The reorganization of the timetable 1989, such as the redesign of 1982, another change in the EOS represents the binding orientation on the mathematics and science teaching was continued, clearly reaffirms the polytechnic focus formation with the computer science classroom. The demands of many teachers, subjects such as To let geography run continuously throughout the high school level, rather than more evenly distribute only in the 11th grade, as well as the hours of load on the half-years, have been partially taken up by the Ministry of Education and broke with a number of traditions. The optional teaching was concentrated on the 12th grade, so that the foundations of the 11th grade could be used more. The difficulty of the scientific and practical work increased slightly because of the amount of time was slightly reduced without lowering the requirements for skilled work to be created. The much desired resumption of the subject astronomy at the EOS denied the Ministry with reference to the polytechnical school.

High School with vocational training

Under Alfred Lemmnitz the GDR school was shaped by the technological guideline from the compound of general education and vocational education, so that a rapid improvement of vocational training was aimed at. The extended secondary school was given a particularly high level of attention, since its predecessor institution, the high school, to its end in 1958 was a more classic institution of higher learning, and contained the largest remaining bourgeois culture and traditions, so that the direct route to the High School, the largest deviation from the technological world view of the GDR showed. Coinciding with the creation of the polytechnic secondary school and the extended secondary school in 1959, therefore, a new educational program was invented that is still unique today: with vocational training diploma ( BMA). Plans stipulated that the mid-1960s 20 % and more of a year group should include a BMA. First, it was spoken by high school classes in vocational training.

To keep the EOS for this educational program competitive and also to implement the technological guidelines for the school system in the EOS, so stopped at the EOS a similar concept catchment: a high school with vocational training. Parallel to the previous four-year high school after the 12th grade, the EOS- students learned a profession with full skilled worker qualification. Essential elements for a high school with vocational training were issued already with adjusting the classification of occupations in December 1959, at first as the BMA classes were effective September 1, 1960. After experience has been gained in the following years, a high school with vocational training in addition to training with school as a path to higher education was permanently confirmed. Therefore, decided in 1963, the Ministry of Education, in consultation with the State Planning Commission and after consultation of the Economic Council, a list of occupations for EOS - students. The apprenticeship was generally four years from 1 September 1963. For the list were in the foreground such rules as:

  • Jobs from the leading branches of the GDR economy (which stood in the tradition of the old high school, because their graduates received special access to specific professions, not for the completion of primary school and the high school of the ten -year school was sufficient );
  • Occupations that were meaningful to the then present and in the perspective of the national economy;
  • Occupations that placed high demands on the learners;
  • Professions, which offered favorable opportunities for long -term development;
  • Professions that were particularly relevant in relation to a mathematical- scientific- technical studies;
  • Occupations in which a larger amount of students of structural policy could be trained at all;
  • Adjust the power for the offices of labor and vocational guidance, the list of the Ministry of Education to regional conditions and expand the economic priorities accordingly in moderation or be allowed to restrict.

The following professions could take the EOS- students:

The arrangement of the Ministry of Education also leads endorsements, which were of the said professions not suitable for girls or should be reversed preferably occupied with girls. Discoverable the claim, the High School of the higher school was to be coupled to a vocational training meant very seriously, because no compromise for the high school students were received regarding the job descriptions and job requirements and many professions of heavy industry with correspondingly heavy physical activity were listed. It was also held no special treatment of the A - branch or C- branch, so that a high school student with pursuit of the classical languages ​​( classical Latin or Greek) certainly could end up in the steel mill, if his wishes not met the needs of posts steering.

With the replacement of Alfred Lemmnitz by Margot Honecker agreed, comprehensive orientation of the EOS underwent an incision, because instead of high occupation rates and high school graduates with Facharbeiterbrief the EOS turned back on to the course an emphasis on higher education and the introduction to the study. The polytechnic core of the school should be maintained, however, would cast in university -based teaching methods. The specialist scientific and practical work (WPA) and a specification of the complete EOS- curricular work in terms of the study were the results of this new approach the mid- 1960s and can be found later in the new EOS 1970 /71. Immediately after the First EOS instruction by June 10, 1966 was followed by a regulation of the MfV and StAfBA which abolished with respect to the law on the unitary socialist education system in 1965, a high school with vocational training de facto. Students who came on 1 September 1966 in the class 9 of the EOS, went through the last time the training course. For subsequent cohorts were sent detailed transitional rules, which included a significant reduction and streamlining of vocational training and ultimately resulted in the phasing out of the baccalaureate with vocational training, for the second EOS instruction from September 13, 1968 broke the four -year Extended high school in a two-year Advanced high school with preparatory classes. The polytechnical school thus won from the beginning of the educational reform planned emphatically character of a ten-year, all-round, high high-school education for all children, after which the classes 11 and 12 of the EOS would put in the new form from 1970 /71.

High School with specialist education

After the strong orientation of the polytechnical school and expand high school on technology-oriented guidelines of democratic unity school like Polytechnic, combination of general education and vocational education, combining school and life, and linking teaching and productive work the MfV opened with addition of vocational training with high school and high school vocational training - in collaboration with the MfHF - for high school seniors again a new education. As of September 1, 1961 were high school seniors in an educational program for both skilled workers and also early to start studying for professional engineering education. For the aspect of vocational education special arrangements have been made: If possible, separate classes should be made ​​for these ambitious high school students during the professional theoretical and practical vocational training. As usual, to date, the training period was shortened in vocational training to the general education due to the desired higher education, so that the occupations with 2 or 2 ½ years of teaching time to 1 ½ years and professions with 3 years of teaching time could be compressed to 2 years.

The high school students began their long distance or evening courses in the first year of study only with some subjects. In any case, however, had to be granted the professional society science and strictly necessary for the Department of subjects in the foundation degree. It was the transfer, that the higher education of high school graduates was to use for the study. Subject areas treated Already on the extended high school had to be fully recognized, so that the specialist German language and general educational material of maths and science subjects could be considered complete. The graduates were thus freed from the respective lectures, these decisions were solely with the directors of the schools. The typical weekly study time of high school graduates for vocational training and technical education should not exceed 16 hours. 6 hours of which were reserved for the completion of homework, 10 hours were the pure study. In addition, we asked the young people special consultation days at our disposal, which had to be in the holiday season of professional theoretical instruction in vocational training. The 11 days should be useful as follows: 2 days during the Christmas holidays, 2 days during the Easter holiday, 1 day during the Whitsun holidays, 6 days during the summer holidays. The schools were obliged, in cooperation with the companies to create special curricula for the period of formation. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, the young people were employed as skilled workers in the factories and then were able to continue the professional education after regular flow and exit.

The following fields of study for specialist engineering school ( grad Ing (FS )) were particularly recommended:

  • Mining: Mining technology, coal conversion
  • Electrical: Electrical power systems, Electrical systems and equipment
  • Precision Engineering: precision mechanical and optical instruments
  • Engineering: General Engineering, Technology of mechanical engineering, machine tools, engines and mechanical engineering
  • Construction: Building construction, industrial construction
  • Light Industry: Apparel Technology, spinning, weaving, hosiery and socks, textile cleaning, textile processing, shoemaking
  • Chemistry: Technology of Plastics, rubber technology, engineering economics
  • Agriculture: crop production, animal husbandry, horticulture, financial industry

The high school with vocational training and technical education distance or technical college evening classes disappeared late 60s again.

The Graduate

Towards the end of 12th grade, the central matriculation examination was laid off from the high school students during the months of May and June. For the written exam four works were written under exam, namely:

  • German (5 hrs )
  • Mathematics (5 hrs )
  • Russian (1 ½ hours)
  • Science ( physics or chemistry or biology, 5 hours).

The oral examination included at least two, maximum five tests that were set on the number and trade all by the subject teacher collective. Preference is given to students quoted in the oral examination that are not safe stood in the censorship and therefore had to prove their inputs.

The physical test was also mandatory for all.

Censorship and censorship testing had a weight of 50 % for the Endzensur, so that due to the number of subjects to be tested and the demands on the candidates approached the matriculation examination in comparison to today's high school increased importance. The theme of defensible technical work in the scientific and practical work appeared generally also on the school leaving certificate.

Students who passed the Abitur with distinction, could be proposed for the Lessing Medal. For Lessing Gold Medal had in all subjects of the certificate to be "very good" achieved the grade for which Lessing Silver Medal was allowed in two subjects, a "good " position.

Admission to the EOS

Admission Criteria

Admission to the EOS was numerically very limited, an average of two to four students per class POS managed the change to the EOS. So was from the beginning instead of a strict power elite, where there was not a numerus clausus as such. For this, a censorship point average of 1.7 served as orientation, which should not be exceeded wherever possible. Furthermore, there were quotas for girls and especially in the 1960s, a special promotion for workers' children. They should be preferably performed for high school and were therefore at a somewhat weaker performance compared to children of the "intelligence" favors. However, was the proviso that due to this quota approvals meritocracy could be lost under any circumstances.

To visit the Advanced Upper School performed two ways: delegation of the POS and the direct application to the desired EOS. Decisive for the delegation to an EOS were next to the above criteria, the political attitude and commitment in the Pioneer organization and the FDJ, and participation in the youth initiation. In addition, students were preferentially taken up with career aspirations as an officer or teacher, for in the GDR strongly applicants were sought. Similarly, a commitment improved to a three-year military service instead of regular eighteen months the chance to win a EOS- place, which in the phase of rising communist orientation of the educational system under Margot Honecker since the early 70s, the Power Elite for the EOS was at least partly relaxed. The education historian Heinz- Elmar Tenorth compares only 14% of a year group visited EOS with today's high school in Germany, which was currently being attended by thirty to forty percent of a vintage, and calls it a separate provision ' for the privileged. "

Educational discrimination as a means of repression

The non-admission to the EOS (or relegation from the EOS ) was an important part of the instrument repression of the regime against the opposition, church volunteers or " unreliable " citizens.

The legal basis for this form of discrimination was the order of recording to the EOS.

"Students are for the Advanced high school and vocational training with high school select, which are characterized by good classroom performance, high efficiency and readiness as well as political and moral and maturity of character and loyalty to the German Democratic Republic by their attitude and social activity have proven "

Reasons which were not explicitly mentioned in the rejection of the request for admission, were after a member of parliament considers:

  • The victims were not members of the FDJ or other mass organizations
  • Stakeholders participated in church activities such as religious instruction or boy municipality or the Confirmation
  • The victims came from families with very pronounced bourgeois tradition, such as doctors, priests, artisans
  • Had the families of those affected relatives in close kinship in the West, particularly in the Federal Republic of Germany
  • The victims refused to be Jugendweihe
  • Stakeholders were involved in the school in disputes and discussions with directors, civics teachers, pioneer leaders and other educational personnel

In view of the performance principle had the admissions committee, which had to decide on the principle of the unity of good professional performance and good social adjustment, counterbalance a certain amount of leeway, professional services against alleged deficits in social settings. In this case particularly outstanding academic performance could cause a EOS Square.

After the turn affected could claim damages in accordance with § 3 (" Followed students ") of the BerRehaG assert. However, no compensation were students whose parents had not applied for inclusion in the EOS based on its own assessment of the chances of success ( " anticipated application rejection "). Also was "Rise damage" not eligible for compensation.

Special shapes

In addition to the general EOS, which had a fixed catchment area, there was EOS with special training ( in general alignment or special classes), so-called special schools for

  • Mathematics and science ( eg in Berlin, Halle, Leipzig, Dresden, Kleinmachnow, Ilmenau ( Ilmenau Goetheschule ) or Riesa )
  • Languages ​​( for example, in Potsdam, Berlin, convent school Roßleben, Schulpforta )
  • Music education (for example, in Potsdam, Wernigerode, Schulpforta ) and
  • The preparation for the course as a graduate teacher of Russian ( for example in the meadow and castle in Wickersdorf )

Partially different entry grades had. Special promotion in the sport there was to the children's and youth sports schools.

In Halle ( Saale ), there was also the special ABF II and establishment of the Martin Luther University. The Institute to prepare for study abroad ( IVA ) existed from 1954 to 1991 for delegated students from across the GDR. They were linguistically, professionally, and ideologically patrimonial prepared for university studies in other socialist countries (especially in the Soviet Union) in one-or two -year courses.

A special feature presented the special classes that were attached to the Universities and colleges in Berlin, Halle, Rostock, Magdeburg, Merseburg and Karl- Marx-Stadt, dar. Here gifted students were similar in the USA during the high school education in the higher education and research involved. These special classes are not subordinate to the Ministry of Education, but the Ministry of Higher and Technical Education.

As an alternative to two-year high school education at the EOS, there was the three year course of vocational training with high school graduation. This training was distinguished by the fact that they not only led to the High School, but was at the same time through a complete training of skilled workers. This education was mainly in the hands-on preparation of technical studies, beneficial.

In addition, there was the possibility of obtaining the matriculation examination at the community colleges in evening classes, but may only represented a restricted higher education entrance qualification. In some schools, for example, biology was an elective course that had to be mandatory occupied for a subsequent medical studies.

Swell

Education in East Germany Natural science Georg-Cantor-Gymnasium Chemnitz
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