Summary of the different school and education systems
Summary of the different school and education systemsThe description and analysis of six international school and education systems have shown that, due to the Bologna process, several countries participating in this project are experiencing a restructuring and change of thinking concerning their teacher training processes. In Some countries this has already taken place, but others are either in the process of change and restructure or are contemplating this step for the coming years. This applies less to the school systems.
While Poland has undergone a process of restructuring its school system over the last eight years, thus moving away from the mainly selective school system towards a standardized integrative school program right up to 9th grade, the other participating countries have shown little change in spite of the recent Pisa results. The Finnish school system has been strongly integrative up to 9th grade for a relatively long period of time.
However the school systems in Germany, here in NRW (=North Rhine Westphalia), and Austria present the extreme opposite case, where selection still takes place directly after 4th grade, as has been the tradition over the last decades.
Primary school in both the Czech. Republic and Lithuania lasts 6 years.
Teacher training in the countries participating in this project is based on these very different structures.
The Polish teacher training system is structured in steps, that is to say every teacher trainee has the opportunity to continue his/her training right up to that of “Lyceum teacher” during his/her professional career, as this is not predefined by an individual training structure.
Similar tendencies can be found in the Finnish teacher training system, whereas the training system for teachers in the Czech Republic and Lithuania has a more clearly defined hierarchical structure.
Trainee teachers in Germany, here NRW, and Austria have different durations of training: in NRW 7 semesters plus two years’ “Referendarsdienst” (= practical training) for primary and secondary schools, termed P and SEK 1. (The latter includes the so-called Hauptschule and Relaschule.) The Sek 11 teachers (grammar schools, comprehensives and vocational colleges) have to study one year longer. This system is not due to change in NRW before the year 2015.
What initially meets the eye is the differing workloads linked to the numbers of pupils. German teachers are clearly in the forefront here, teaching as a rule the largest numbers of pupils with the highest numbers of lessons, but also the largest classes.
A remarkable fact in the German school system is that the teachers with the best, i.e. the longest training teach the fewest lessons (25,5), however get the highest salary in comparison with other German teachers who have a workload of up to 29.5 lessons weekly. Nevertheless the number of lessons effectively taught in Germany is for the most part far higher than in any other country.
As a result we can conclude that it is hard to find a common denominator for an international comparison of workloads for teachers in schools.
However according to data collected from all participating institutes, all teachers have an extremely high subjective sense of having too high a workload. This can be deduced from random samples taken from the adopted questionnaires, although these cannot necessarily be regarded as representative. (see results table 1).
By describing and analysing the school and teacher training systems it becomes clear that the aims of the project will continue to meet the needs of all participating partners.
We must consider all possibilities of workload relief for trainee and young teachers.
Heterogeneous classes seem to be a worthwhile subject for development in all teacher training systems, just as focussing on caring for the individual needs of the pupils as well as developing diagnostic competences. These aspects should play a more significant part in teacher training programs for the participating partners. Methods for learning to work with portfolios, videography and compiling log-books or diaries need also to be developed further. As well as these aspects it appears expedient to focus more directly on the area of self and meta-reflection. This is a field most worthy of development in the eastern European countries.
