Schools : Germany

In 1995, 12.3 million pupils received instruction from roughly 777,600 teachers at 52,446 schools in Germany. The Basic Law guarantees everyone the right to self-fulfillment and the right freely to choose his or her school or place of training as well as his or her occupation or profession. It thus follows that the goal of educational policy in the Federal Republic of Germany is to afford every individual the best possible opportunities to receive the kind of education that is commensurate with his or her abilities and interests. As an industrial country that is short of raw materials, Germany is largely dependent on a skilled labor force and therefore invests heavily in education. In 1995, gross public spending alone for schools and higher education
institutions (including financial assistance for school pupils and university students) totaled approximately DM 158.2 billion.