Probehalbjahr

When students first arrive at a Gymnasium, they have one semester to prove that they're worthy of studying at this level: the Probehalbjahr (trial half year). If they pass their subjects, they can stay. If they fail, they leave and go to a Sekundarschule. (I don't know if students have the opportunity to switch to back to a Gymnasium after finishing Sekundarschule, or if 5th graders who fail the Probehalbjahr can return to a Gymnasium in 7th grade.)

This is a lot of pressure to put on 10-13-year-olds-- screwing up the Probehalbjahr and leaving their Gymnasium can mean that they'll never go to college.

In some ways, the arguments for the Probehalbjahr make sense: students who can't pass (5s and 6s are considered failing) won't have the skills for 8th grade, and then they won't have the skills for 9th grade, and so on. Germany also has a different (more academic) university system with a better developed vocational track. On the other hand, these kids are immature. They're young. Many of the kids at my Gymnasium learned German as their second or third language, and there are no language remediation programs that I'm aware of.

Two weeks ago, the class leader of the quieter 7th grade class announced today that Berlin decided to shorten the length of the Probehalbjahr by a week, effective immediately. Some of the kids were indignant (and rightfully so!), and all of them were obviously stressed out for the rest of the day. In the teachers' room, I asked how many kids were expected to leave after their Probehalfjahr, but I never got a general answer; my best guess is that 5-10% of the kids have to leave.

I work with this class once a week, and I've been at the Gymnasium for... I don't know... around 14 weeks. The kids aren't angels, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for them, even for the ones who regularly misbehave. I know that after the February break, some of the kids won't be there.

I suppose it would be nice not to have to deal with fireworks in the courtyard. It would be nice to be able to write on the board without students trying to snatch markers and play with the board. A quieter, less crowded classroom is always great.

But I want them all to stay. I hope they eked out those 4-s.