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School of Modern Languages

Dissertations & Projects - Proposal Example

(please note that this proposal is in English – but your own proposals must be in the target language)

Crisis? The Three-tier School System in Germany

Aim

The three-tier system has existed in Germany since the 19th century and consists of 3 different school forms – the Gymnasium (grammar school) the Realschule and the Hauptschule.

Before Germany became economically successful this system worked very positively – but today as the unemployment rate in Germany is approx. 15%, one must ask whether the three-tier system now stands in a crisis. I would like to discuss this system and the problems that go with it.

Chapter headings

  1. Introduction (200 words)
  2. Explanation/history of the three-tier school system in Germany (400 words)
  3. Further detail on the three types of school and any associated problems:
    • Gymnasium (200 words)
    • Hauptschule (200 words)
    • Realschule (200 words)
  4. The Gymnasium – Fulfilling parents’ wishes? (300 words)
  5. The Consequences: (100 words)
    • Pressure (300 words)
    • Discipline Problems (300 words)
    • Alienation (200 words)
  6. Analysis of public opinion (via school newspapers, readers' letters, blogs, online forums) (600 words)
  7. The Cure? (500 words)
  8. Conclusion – The Future (500 words)
  9. Bibliography

Timetable

  • All research finished: 31st January
  • Finish 1st draft of sections 1-3: 1st March
  • Finish 1st draft of sections 4-6: 1st April
  • Finish 1st draft of sections 7-8: 1st May
  • Finish draft of entire project (including formatting) and print out: 1st July
  • Finish all notes/corrections/rewording on print out: 1st August
  • Reread project and make final corrections: 1st September
  • Print out final copy of project/get bound: 20th September
  • DUE IN: 12th October

Sources

  • Newspaper archive in local library
  • Newsletters and student newspapers from local schools
  • Education resources from the Landeszentrale für politische Bildung
  • Secondary literature including:
    • Ernst Rösner and Wolfgang Böttcher, Das Schulsystem in Deutschland, Hamburg: Bergmann und Helbig, 1999
    • Carlo Schulz, Aller guten Dinge ist eins...: Plädoyer für ein besseres Schulsystem, Rottenburg am Neckar: Mauer, 2007
    • Armin Himmelrath, Abschied vom Gymnasium? Zur Zukunft unseres Schulsystems, Freiburg: Herder, 2005