Parting ways and thinking about what will come after the summer..

Summer is here, so pupils in Russia are saying goodbye to their high schools. For many of them, the period of college or university life is about to begin.

Sometimes I think about my former classmates and wonder whether they have successfully found their niche. I’m glad to know that one of my friends earned two university degrees in our native city and moved to a bigger one to take on a third course of study. Or another friend of mine, who is climbing up in the media sphere, calling people’s attention to different events in Russia and abroad. I remember also that a couple of boys decided not to enter a university but chose a vocational training program (VTA) – I wonder how they are doing now.
We were quite different at school, but since we all had to follow the same program, the differences weren’t so easy to notice. We were different in terms of our grades and (seldom) our behavior in school, but these things reflected only some surface peculiarities of our characters. However, peculiarities like these can have a bigger impact than one might expect.

Where to work - in an office, a factory or somewhere else entirely?

People who end up choosing a VTA or a college usually do so because they either find these courses easier to pass, and that’s enough for them, or they simply realize that their grades in school won’t meet university requirements to get a scholarship, and they can’t afford paying for 4-5 years in university. That can create serious challenges for their future. As I mentioned in my previous entry, the system of vocational schools has degraded since the early 1990s and has to be rebuilt, but it will take years to accomplish that. The choice for those who follow this path is difficult: If they want to achieve something in life, they must build up good skills, become a respected specialist and then either start their own small firm in their field or work as a freelancer.

But many guys go on to a VTA simply because they’re not motivated to try and reach more important goals. Therefore, they end up joining the number of low-qualified workers or ‘cogs in some office routine machines’ with practically no promising future. The salary is not enough to afford extra courses to obtain new skills. That’s why many males do not live to reach their retirement age (60 years old). They die earlier. I think the whole situation could be improved by offering them some psychological help, but, again, it will take time before programs for offering that are available.

In spite of the higher education fetish, a qualified ‘blue-collar worker’ can earn more than a ‘white collar’ worker – but many are misled by the stereotype that holds the opposite. The quicker the VTA crisis is overcome, the better for our economy as a whole – and the better it is for the job market and education.

The elementary school Simon attended until 4th grade

We’ve got warm weather and sunny skies right now in Germany. Most kids here are now going to open air pools, looking forward to six weeks of summer holidays. But some are also afraid of the end of the school year. Their grades aren’t good enough to go on to the next class level or to stay at their school. I talked with one of my mom’s friends, Gaby, about such worries.

Her son Simon is in ninth grade at a Gymnasium (German high school) in Rhineland-Palatinate. In Germany, there are different educational systems because every state’s parliament decides about educational politics (Jürgen commented on this here). In Rhineland-Palatinate, there are three options kids have after finishing fourth grade at a Grundschule (elementary school):

• Realschule Plus: 5th to 10th grade
• Gymnasium: 5th to 12.5th grade, ends with what’s called an Abitur (a certificate allowing students to go to university)
• Gesamtschule: combines the other two kinds of schools into one

After Simon had finished fourth grade, he went to a Gymnasium. His grades have become worse over the years, though.

“His Latin teacher said that he has to make up more than one year of lessons,” Gaby told us sadly.

In other subjects, Simon’s grades are also too bad to go on to grade 10 at his school after summer break. So, what to do? Simon’s mother doesn’t know where to turn in this situation. She would prefer to send her son to a Gesamtschule which has a very good reputation. But Gesamtschulen don’t have to take all pupils who apply.

“Last year I registered Simon already. He was put on a waiting list. But in the end, there were no free spots,” Gaby said. She had already bought all of the school books.

A German Gymnasium (high school)

Should she now register him for a Realschule Plus? Or should he repeat his class level on the Gymnasium he’s attending now? Gaby doesn’t consider the second option workable because Simon would still struggle with Latin. And he wouldn’t be able to make up the missing lessons during summer break.

If Gaby and her husband decide for a Realschule Plus, they can register their son for ninth grade. Here, Simon wouldn’t need to take a second foreign language besides English. So his problems with Latin would be solved. But will this enable Simon to concentrate on the other subjects and to balance his other weaknesses so that he will have a good diploma after tenth grade?

Situations like this are very difficult for children and their parents. It is especially hard for kids to separate from their classmates they’ve known for years. In a new class at a new school, they will have to integrate into an existing class community. And besides these kinds of social difficulties, they have to study hard to be more successful at school. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Simon will find a good place and will master the challenges awaiting him.