Information about school attendance
My child doesn't speak German, can they go to school anyway?
Please note: measles vaccination
How do I enrol my child at a school?Which schools are there in Flensburg?
Does my child have to attend school?
In Germany, all children between the ages of 6 and 16 have to attend school. Children older than 16 may also continue to attend school.
Primary School
Children start primary school at age 6. Attendance is compulsory. Children attend primary school until they are 10 years old (years 1 to 4).
Secondary School
The secondary school starts with year 5 and attendance is compulsory until year 9.
- At the end of year 9 pupils take the “ESA” (first school leaving qualification)
- At the end of year 10 pupils take the “MSA” (middle school leaving qualification)
- At the end of year 13 pupils take the “Abitur” (final school leaving qualification and general entry requirement for universities)
My child doesn’t speak German, can they go to school anyway?
Most schools have a “DAZ” (German as foreign language) class. When a child speaks no or little German, they start off in a DAZ class. As the child’s German improves, they are integrated more and more into normal lessons.
After School Care
Children can attend after school care in the afternoons when lessons have finished. In the after school care they are supervised and can eat lunch, get help with homework, take part in sport, music, art and craft activities and play games. Parents have to enrol their children for the after school care. Parents with a low income pay a reduced subscription. All the primary schools provide after school care. The secondary schools provide a similar service.
Please note: measles vaccination
All children attending school should be vaccinated against measles. In order to attend kindergarten or after school care, children must be vaccinated against measles. The vaccination is available at doctors’ surgeries and protects your child and other children.
How do I enrol my child at a school?
The parents decide which school their child attends. You could, for instance, visit the school that is nearest to you and talk with the head teacher to see if the school is right for your child, or if another school would suit your child better.
Which schools are there in Flensburg?
There are several primary and secondary schools in Flensburg. You can find a list here: https://www.flensburg.de/Leben-Soziales/Kinderbetreuung-Schulen/