Göttingen International

Schools

Children writing

In Germany, enrolment in schools is mandatory for all children between the ages of 6 and 16. Home-schooling is not allowed.

The majority of all schools are public schools without school or tuition fees. However, there are costs for books, additional teaching materials, excursions, and school trips. There are also privately run schools, but their quality of education and facilities are not necessarily superior to those of public schools.

Göttingen offers a wide range of schools. You can find detailed information about the schools in and around Göttingen on the city's website. There, you can also find out more about the specialised subjects, extracurricular activities and bilingual programmes.

The German school year begins in August or early September and ends in June or July. The exact period varies from year to year and from state to state. There are roughly 12 weeks of school holidays per year, divided over 6 weeks in summer and other holidays (Easter, autumn, Christmas, winter). 

Classes at primary and secondary schools start between 7:30 and 8:30 am. Most primary schools are half-day schools with classes only in the morning. However, more and more primary schools also offer after-school care (Hort). Some secondary schools are all-day schools.