School administration is delegated to the individual Laender but there are regular meetings between ministers to establish common policies to ensure their uniformity. Children embark on school at the age of 3 with kindergarten, which has the specific task of promoting linguistic, musical development, creativity and socialization. Grundschule (elementary school) begins at the age of 6; in most regions it lasts 4 years, in others up to 6. The next stage makes provision for three different options: Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium. This involves a precocious division of students, and this division is rather restrictive of their future career options. The Hauptschule (5 years) gives a type of general education, adapted to vocational training. The final exam permits access to the professions that require an apprenticeship. The Realschule (lower secondary school of technical type) (6 years) ends with a diploma, which provides access to schools of specialization and higher schools of specialization or, alternatively, allows pupils to transfer to the higher level of the three final years of the Gymnasium. The Gymnasium (lycéè or grammar schools) lasts a total of 9 years and ends with the Abitur (school leaving certificate), the necessary prerequisite for university entrance. Another type of school is the Gesamtschule (comprehensive school), which may be chosen after the Grundschule and consists of common courses for most subjects, and some specific courses for subjects chosen for specialization. P.C.
