Schools serve to impart knowledge and skills. They help us to find a place in our society. The school-leaving certificate lays the foundation for professional life.

A professional career is always preceded by school or vocational training. Schools and educational institutions differ here in the length of time they spend at school, the qualifications they can obtain, any specialisation they have and the way in which knowledge is taught.

Compulsory schooling begins at the age of six. The duration of compulsory schooling is nine or ten years, depending on the federal state. Especially in Saxony, it is currently nine years. The school landscape is varied, depending on the federal state there are differences. Children in Saxony attend primary school for four years.

After that, there is a change to either the Gymnasium, Realschule or Hauptschule on the basis of a performance assessment by the teachers. In some federal states there are alternative comprehensive schools where children are taught together regardless of their performance.
It doesn't matter which way you go, at the end you get a school-leaving certificate according to the school you attended.

Possible school-leaving qualifications are:

• School-leaving qualifications in the funding priority Learning
• School-leaving certificate in the field of intellectual development
• Lower secondary school leaving certificate / qualifying lower secondary school leaving certificate
• Secondary school leaving certificate
•   General qualification for university entrance (Abitur)
•   Advanced technical college certificate
•   Study qualification and degree in a recognised dual training occupation
•   Recognition of foreign qualifications

In vocational schools or colleges, the same school-leaving qualifications can be achieved as in general schools. Here, however, additional technical specialisation is taught in areas such as technology, commerce, graphics, etc. At some of these vocational schools it is even possible to complete part or all of the training leading to a vocational qualification.