{"id":12027,"date":"2020-09-16T23:00:35","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T23:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=12027"},"modified":"2020-09-21T14:19:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T14:19:14","slug":"german-school-childcare-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/german-school-childcare-names\/","title":{"rendered":"German School & Childcare Names"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guten Tag! As schools are starting up again, I thought it\u2019d be good to give you a run-down of words used in the German school and childcare system. I hope you find this list useful, and that it will clear up any confusion you may have around some of the names (for example: what’s the difference between a Krippe, a Kindergarten, and a Kita? And why are there four different kinds of secondary schools in Germany?). Enjoy!<\/p>\n

German School & Childcare Names<\/h1>\n
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Photo by Gautam Arora on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

Die Kinderkrippe \u2013 Creche<\/h3>\n

The Kinderkrippe is often simply called \u2018die Krippe\u2019, and is for babies and children up to 3 Jahre alt (3 years old). The word Krippe is also the German word for crib.<\/p>\n

Der Kindergarten \u2013 Kindergarten\/playgroup<\/h3>\n

The Kindergarten is a pre-school for children 3-6 Jahre alt (3-6 years old). But the word Kindergarten needs no explanation really, as it is familiar already- it is a loanword that has been used in English for a long time. See this post<\/a> to read more about loanwords!<\/p>\n

Die Kita \u2013 Daycare centre<\/h3>\n

The Kita is for children up to 12 Jahre alt (12 years old). The word is short for die Kindertagesst\u00e4tte \u2013 \u2018children\u2019s day place\u2019. It is a portmanteau word that uses the KI from Kinder and the TA from Tages to create a shortened version of itself. Read more about portmanteau words here!<\/a><\/p>\n

Der Schulhort \u2013 After-school activity centre<\/h3>\n

Sometimes known as \u2018der Hort\u2019, this is an after-school club for children.<\/p>\n

Das Au-Pair \u2013 Au pair<\/h3>\n

Again, pretty self-explanatory! One thing to note is that the gender of the Au pair is often specified in the name: das Au-Pair-M\u00e4dchen for a female, and der Au-Pair-Junge for a male.<\/p>\n

Die Tagesmutter \u2013 Childminder<\/h3>\n

Literally \u2018the day mother\u2019, this is the word for a childminder, someone who looks after children in their own homes. You can also say der Tagesvater (\u2018the day father\u2019 \u2013 male childminder) for a man.<\/p>\n

*<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

Die Grundschule<\/strong> \u2013 Primary school<\/h3>\n

Secondary schools<\/strong> \u2013 There are several types of secondary education centres in Germany! See below:<\/em><\/p>\n

1. Die Hauptschule<\/h3>\n

Literally \u2018the main school\u2019, students enrol here for 5 years of education. This type of school is designed to prepare them directly for the world of work when they leave.<\/p>\n

2. Die Realschule<\/h3>\n

Students spend 6 years at a Realschule. It is designed to provide a broader, more general education than the Hauptschule.<\/p>\n

3. Das Gymnasium<\/h3>\n

The German equivalent to an English grammar school, students will spend 8-9 years at a Gymnasium. When they finish, they are eligible to apply for university. Note: Many people get confused by this word and think it\u2019s a gym! Although the word Gymnasium does have its origins in sport, nowadays das<\/em> Gymnasium<\/em> is a school in German, whereas a gym is called a Fitnesstudio, <\/em>Fitnesszentrum,<\/em> or Sportzentrum.<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Die Gesamtschule<\/h3>\n

The German equivalent to an English comprehensive school, die Gesamtschule is a mixture of the Hauptschule, Realschule, and Gymnasium (as suggested by its name \u2013 the word gesamt<\/em> means total\/overall<\/em>). Students will spend 6-9 years here.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

And a few more to finish!<\/p>\n

Die Berufsschule<\/strong> \u2013 Vocational school\/technical college<\/p>\n

Die F\u00f6rderschule<\/strong> \u2013 School for children with special needs and disabilities (also known as die Sonderschule)<\/p>\n

Die Universit\u00e4t<\/strong> – University (college).<\/p>\n

Die Volkshochschule<\/strong> \u2013 Adult education centres that run courses, either for the purpose of obtaining qualifications, or to do for leisure\/learning a new skill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Guten Tag! As schools are starting up again, I thought it\u2019d be good to give you a run-down of words used in the German school and childcare system. I hope you find this list useful, and that it will clear up any confusion you may have around some of the names (for example: what’s the…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":12030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,8],"tags":[533795,2005,62,95166,238391,95131,457016,376023,95336,7928,13],"class_list":["post-12027","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-language","tag-childcare","tag-children","tag-education","tag-first-day-at-school","tag-german-education","tag-german-language","tag-german-vocabulary","tag-language","tag-school-life","tag-school-system","tag-vocabulary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t