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I wrote a few posts on this blog about the school system and our experiences with it and how they translate to entrepreneurial ambitions.
For example:
How Do We Learn Best – Math Lessons In Primary School
Think And Grow Rich – Specialized Knowledge – Lessons From Chapter 5
We are in the middle of all those experiences at the moment because our oldest daughter Muriel is leaving primary school after the 4th grade and will attend some type of secondary school from September 2011 on.
Primary school in Germany comprises four years (from the age of 6/7 to the age of 10/11), depending on the federal state you live in.
In the middle of fourth grade – that means 3 1/2 years of primary school – kids get a recommendation from primary school for one of three possible school careers.
These three careers are:
–> “Gymnasium” – which compares to High School in English-speaking countries or “lycée” in France
–> “Realschule” – formerly known as “middle school”
–> “Hauptschule” – directly translated “main school” which is an euphemsism because nobody wants their kids to be sent there
The kids (or youth) only can pass their “Abitur” (or high school exam or baccalauréat) in “Gymnasium” – which enables them to attend university (college) and offers them the best career options, at least in a tradtional sense.
The recommendation for one of these three school careers is more or less binding for both kids and parents and is based on the grades in two subjects, German and Math.
In Germany, grades range from 1 to 6 – 1 being the best grade and 6 the worst.
If the average of grades in German and Math is worse than 2.5, kids don’t get a recommendation for “Gymnasium”, High School or “Lycée” – all the other subjects such as English as foreign language don’t count here.
Our daughter Muriel is a good pupil – however she has had problems in math. She was good in German – dictations, essays and reading – and in English which doesn’t count however in primary school but becomes very important in “Gymnasium”. But she got bad grades in math despite good or even very good performance in other subjects.
So with a 2 in German and a 4 in math she wouldn’t get a recommendation for “Gymnasium” because the average is 3 and thus worse than 2.5, right ?
At the beginning of the fourth grade we found out that all types of traditional support in math didn’t help her. On the contrary it increased her resistance, especially when we – my wife and I – tried to explain it to her.
So her teacher wanted to recommended her for “Realschule” (middle school). That alone wouldn’t have been a problem for us because we are getting rid of traditional perceptions of the school system and career opportunities. You can become an entrepreneur no matter what school you attend, even if you’re a drop-out.
Our problem was that the school system wasn’t able to deal with her math weaknesses properly.
That issue would have been no different on other school types like “Realschule” (middle school).
As all kinds of traditional support didn’t work and her primary school had no clue how to help an intelligent child who is only weak in math, we kept searching.
And we found an institute in our home town that deals with all kinds of more or less severe math weaknesses, up to severe dyscalulia.
The interesting thing is that dyscalculia compares to dyslexia.
However, at least in Germany, dyscalculia isn’t recognized officially by the educational establishment, other than dyslexia.
A lot of famous persons such as Mark Twain, Hans-Olaf Henkel – former boss of IBM Germany – and the entire Swedish royal family were and are dyslectic.
That means, schools in Germany are officially allowed to improve the grades of kids who suffer from dyslexia both in primary school and in secondary schools such as “Gymnasium” and “Realschule”.
If kids suffer from dyscalculia, however, primary schools are officially allowed to improve the grades of kids but not so secondary schools such as “Gymnasium” and “Realschule”.
When writing this, I realize that it is a very complicated topic.
I can tell you that my wife and I found a solution how to solve several problems.
We live in a traditional university town that prides itself for its scholastic education. We have 5 different Gymnasiums (High Schools/Lycées) on 85,000 inhabitants (not only kids).
We knew that we needed to find a school that is able to deal with her dyscalculia – no matter if it was a Gymnasium or a Realschule (middle school).
Our daughter attends now courses at the institute we found. They call it therapy, we simply say courses and this therapy or these courses take two years and these lessons don’t compare at all to traditional math support and learning of math.
I’m going to share in an upcoming post with you how we convinced her primary school teacher to recommend Muriel for Gymnasium which gave us free choice of the right school and not a certain school system and how we dealt with these proud educational strongholds in our hometown.
I can tell you already today that we were forced to correct some prejudices.
What is your opinion ?
I always love your reaction, so please leave me a comment down below with questions, thoughts, or feedback.
And (yes, here’s my call to action) please share this post with your Twitter and Facebook friends by clicking on the share buttons.
I appreciate you telling others.
To a prosperous life,
Oliver Tausend
+1 201 984 5664 office North America (anytime)
+49 1512 9125216 office Germany & other countries (anytime)
Skype ID: guernsey2016 (anytime)
wordpress@olivertausend.com
Get free generic training for your success in MLM, even if you were dyslectic or have dyscalculia
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Hi Oliver,
Education should never be a “One size fits all” approach. We all have different ways of learning, and we all have strengths and weaknesses. Even Einstein was told he was slow and stupid at one time. He was actually dyslexic.
I’m glad you found an institute that supports Muriel’s style. She sounds like a bright young lady. Keep us posted.
Gregory
Gregory McGuire recently posted..Your Network Marketing Strategy
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 18th, 2011 at 16:06
Hi Gregory,
you are right that it shouldn’t be a “One size fits all approach.” All too often it is, especially if parents don’t educate themselves, for example about learning disorders – which probably aren’t disorders at all but only different ways of learning. We educated ourselves and were able to talk to Muriel’s teachers correctly. If you talk to teachers correctly, a lot is possible. Nothing is set in stone even if it seems so.
Thanks for your beautiful comment, yes, she’s a bright young lady
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Oliver, that sounds like a very challenging situation to go through, both for your daughter and for you and her mother! Sounds like the educational system is broken.
Hey, Oliver, when I mentioned you to Darlene, she wanted me to be sure I told you I was connected to her! We’ve talked a few times now and I am (slowly) reading the book
.
Jeanine
Jeanine recently posted..What Energy Profile Type is Charlie Sheen
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 19:23
Hi Jeanine,
thanks for your comment. It’s challenging, but with a bit of education absolutely doable.
Hope you enjoy the e-book.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Hi Oliver!
This is a revelation for me as well! I didn’t know about dyscalculia until I read this post of yours. Explains a lot of things about someone close to me in the past.
Anyway, I can feel your resolve as a father to only give what is best for your daughter’s needs and I am glad that despite all the obstacles that came your way you ended up giving the best option for your daughter at this point.
I admire your commitment. We need more fathers like you in this world!
Elmar Sandyck recently posted..Knowing Yourself Through The Temperaments
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 19:16
Hi Elmar,
4 -6 % of the world population have dyscalculia, it often remains unnoticed. At a young age, kids have normally good grades in the other subjects and the problems in math are isolated. Later on, if parents and teacher don’t deal with the problem correctly, it can end up in complete failure in school. I’d rather say it’s failure of school.
Thanks for your comment and encouragement.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Great post, Oliver! I remember learning a little bit about the German school system when I took German classes as an undergraduate. One of the things that I can’t help but think about in the German school system is what happens to late bloomers. I know plenty of people who were average students at best when they were younger, but they found their passion, and now they are great students at higher levels. It seems like ten is awfully early to try to decide someone’s future.
That being said, I agree with you that those who seek out education will find whether it is formal or not.
Steve Nicholas recently posted..Think and Grow Rich “Imagination”
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:31
Hi Steve,
that’s exactly it. But this early sorting process at the age of ten (for some even 9) is defended by the conservative educational establishment like the Holy Grail.
There are some alternatives, also in hour town, such as a Rudolf-Steiner-school, but their concept is insulting for kids who want to learn. Most kids want to learn. For many kids, it’s way too slow and some of them aren’t even able to write and read correctly at the age of ten.
What we realized is that it doesn’t decide our daughter’s future. It would of course if we amplified the pressure of the school system.
Thanks for your comment.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Hi Oliver, I agree with other commenters – education should never be a “one size fits all” sort of project. It occurred to me that you might enjoy these two videos:
Salman Khan on TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html
Ken Robinson by RSA Animate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Danny recently posted..Warning- Your Elevator Speech Makes People Want To Strangle You
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 19:22
Hi Danny,
thanks for the comment and the two links. I will check them out.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Twitter: janetcallaway
says:
Oliver, aloha. Thx for the education and perspective. The good news is that as entrepreneurs we know how many enormously successful people had either dyscalulia or dyslexia as well as little to no formal education.
To me what is key is how Muriel feels about the situation. She needs to appreciate her worth and the endless possibilities that exist for her. How is she feeling about all of this?
Sounds like you and your wife are doing a terrific job. Look forward to reading updates.
Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us. Enjoy a wonderful weekend. Aloha. Janet
Janet recently posted..Network Marketing—A to Z 9 In a Series of Fun Facts- Figures & Tips by Janet Callaway The Natural Networker
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:26
Hi Janet,
thanks for your kind comment. I also appreciate your compliment.
When she kept getting bad grades despite additional support, traditional support, she was frustrated and said that she doesn’t want to get bad grades in math anymore.
So we kept searching for a solution and found that institute. We tried not to amplify the hype that was created by the school.
The support she gets now is called “therapy” but we’re simply talking about “courses” because we want to make her feel normal.
She’s very motivated now although it doesn’t show in the grades yet, but that’s OK. She knows that it will take two years.
Our job is to keep the teachers happy and patient
For new, we’re all happy that she got this recommendation for “Gymnasium” which gives us free choice among all schools in our home town – and there are plenty.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Oliver, I think you and your wife did a great job of finding Muriel the help she needs. I agree with Gregory that we all learn in different ways. I wish that the school systems would do a better job of addressing those different learning styles in the way that they present information, and also in the way they assess learning. I also wish that the regular school system was more equipped to effectively handle differences like dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Leanne Chesser recently posted..How to Maximize Twitter
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:20
Hi Leanne,
they offer a whole bunch of choices. You can start with English or French as foreign language, both at the same time and one of them even bilingual, you can choose Latin. We have five Gymnasiums, each of them has different profiles and you can even choose different profiles on every single school.
Despite these choices there’s no denying the fact that kids still need to fit into their schedule and their perception of how kids “work”.
At the end of the day, every child has to pass pretty much the same exam – including the core subject math.
Thanks for your comment.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Hmmmm, I am scratching my head right now trying to understand what I just read.
All I am going to say is I think in america the school system is run backwards.
Schools base everything off of how long a teacher taught at that school. So if a new teacher came in and improved students on every category possible and an older teacher that hates their job and doesn’t know how to teach where in a room with a state budget cut on the table the new teacher would get let go.
This is starting to change. I think New York city no longer ranks teachers by sonority
eric recently posted..Things all New Bloggers Should Do!
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:15
Hi Eric,
lol, so true. Teachers are a very conservative folks and protected by government. They can’t get fired (unless they steal or something like that), so you can’t force them to anything they don’t want to do.
Thanks for your comment.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Allie Reply:
March 25th, 2011 at 20:03
Eric, Our school district (locally) doesn’t seem to have sonority issues, because it is even more backwards, they decide by who is favored most. Screw the kids, which teacher can kiss the most ass. I hate the school system. I live in CA and it could be the best in the world but politicians need money for jets and “conferences” instead. Argh! Don’t get me started! My kids are almost a year behind kids back east in the same grade. It saddens me.
Sorry for the tangent.
~Allie
Allie recently posted..7 Posts I Wish I Never Wrote
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 25th, 2011 at 21:31
Hi Allie,
thanks for your comment. There are also huge differences between different federal states here in Germany. The states that make it the most difficult for kids claim that they have the “best” school system. I couldn’t disagree more here.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Oliver, it amazes me how the school system would categorize things the way they do. Its shameful that all the kids would be painted with the same brush and slotted into A, B, or C without analyzing their specific needs and dealing with those issues.
they may be making things easier for themselves (the school system) but certainly are doing no good the the children or the parents.
I am pleased you and your wife have taken control to meet the needs of Muriel. That is good parenting.
Thanks Oliver for your educational post!
Jayne
Jayne Kopp recently posted..Do You Need an Attitude Adjustment
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:14
Hi Jayne,
thanks for appreciative comment and your compliment about our parenting
It took us some arguments with our daughter and discussions with her primary school teacher. The most important thing was that we educated ourselves on the topic. Otherwise, you have to believe what they’re telling you.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Twitter: MavisNong
says:
Hey Oliver,
It’s the first time I hear of dyscalculia. Although this sounds challenging for you, your wife and Muriel, it’s great to hear that you have found a solution and are able to move forward.
I learned something new today. Thanks for sharing.
Much success to you and yours,
Mavis
Mavis Nong recently posted..Attraction Marketing – How I Promote My Blog and Command Attention on Facebook!
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:12
Hi Mavis,
it is said that 4-6 % of the world’s population has dyscalculia, that means they’re normally intelligent (or even above average), yet the world of numbers is not theirs. If they get proper education (not traditional support), they can even become mathematicians, at least they can pass the exams and then forget about math
In my opinion, it’s the most over-hyped unimportant subject in school.
Thanks for your comment.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Hi Oliver,
You have taught me something new today. I also learned that the educational system in Germany may be just as screwed up as it is in the U.S.
Children shouldn’t be judged just on grades. I am glad that you found a solution that is right for your family and I hope that your daughter is getting everything that she needs to succeed.
Golda
Golda Smith recently posted..List Building Made Easy For Network Marketing Mompreneurs
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:07
Hi Golda,
well, I’m going to expand on this in an upcoming post. They can be surprisingly flexible if you educate yourself, like we did with our daughter’s condition.
She will get anything she needs for her future.
Thanks for your comment.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
All I can say is that school sucks!
I agree with the audio my friend. In my experience its impossible to learn business in school even you are majoring in business. All they teach is theories and the person that is teaching the subject is not an entrepreneur and the professor has no Idea about being an entrepreneur.
Nice audio my friend. Have a great day and God bless
- Ian Valeza
Ian Valeza recently posted..Why picking up women and MLM prospecting are the same
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:06
Hi Ian,
thanks for your comment. You nailed it pretty much perfectly. Business that is taught officialy doesn’t deal with true entrepreneurship in most cases.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
I’m happy that you were able to find a place that can help your daughter.
My son has a mild case of Autism. He is in a special program in within a regular education school. I wish all schools would develop classes for student with different learning styles.
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 18:03
Hi Tisha,
thanks for your comment. I am also glad to hear that you found a good solution to help your son.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Twitter: marcus_baker
says:
Hi Oliver,
Having been a school teacher and taught in a variety of school systems I can say from experience that they all “suck” in varying degrees.
What makes the difference are ‘stand out teachers’ and parents who are prepared to take a joint responsibility for their children’s education and future.
Muriel is certainly fortunate to have the parents she does.
Well done to you and your wife.
As a teacher who cared I was often heartbroken by how the system and parents let their kids down.
I did what I could whenever I could but I am sure there were far too many who slipped between the cracks.
On the positive side, the three kids in my own high school class who were pegged as most likely to become a drain on society are all three the highest earning entrepreneurs of us all.
It just goes to show that we are here to learn and succeed and it’s possible regardless of the circumstances we cannot control.
~Marcus
Marcus Baker recently posted..Why you Want Your Facebook Friends to Come to Your Funeral
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 25th, 2011 at 17:30
Hi Marcus,
thanks for sharing your invaluable personal experiences as a school teacher. What I realized already two years ago is that parents shouldn’t amplify the crap that’s coming from the school system or certain teachers. The school system is as it is at the moment – the key how kids process it is held by the parents.
Ironically, the official brochure about the educational system in our federal state contains a quote from Henry Ford. I wonder if they are aware that Mr. Ford was a dropout
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Hi Oliver
I want to be flippant and say buy Muriel a copy of Robert Kiyosaki’s first book “If you want to be Rich and Happy Don’t Go to School”. Having now said that it is of course a very difficult situation.
Thanks for the education on the German schools system. We have different systems in each state of Australia and I am not sure any of them are terrific.
I remember being a parent at this stage of my daughter’s life very well. I was then Kiyosaki trained, I was an entrepreneur but I myself have degrees and formal education, even though I say they are not necessary.
I think there is enormous pressure put on young people to do well at school and it is easy for them to beat themselves up if they do not shine at a particular subject (maths is common). I was more concerned about protecting my daughter and step kids self esteem through this period than the grades they obtained. Having said that my daughter did very well.
Thanks for your thought provoking post. I am now going to read the sequel which is where I started
Sue
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[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 29th, 2011 at 16:26
Hi Sue,
the school systems differ from state to state as well. Some states like Baden-Wuerttemberg, where we live, and Bavaria are priding themselves for having the “best” ones because they make it the most difficult. How insane is that ?
However, bottom line for all states is, that kids pass their exam at Gymnasium (Abitur, formerly known as matura) and this exam allows them to study any subject. It’s a general matura. That means, even if you want to study music or arts at university, you have to pass an exam in math.
What you describe reminds me of the French baccalauréat – it isn’t a general matura as well.
It’s a challenge for us not to fall into our roles as pupils when we talk to teachers, as weird as it sounds.
We’re also following Robert’s advice that you can’t change the system – you have to make the best within the system. Alternative schools, like Rudolf Steiner, aren’t a real alternative for us because they’re completely out of reality, at least in our home town.
Thanks for valuable comment.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
Sue Price Reply:
March 30th, 2011 at 04:51
Oliver I had to jump back in here as I so agree with you about jumping into our roles as pupils with teachers. I know when Shannon (my daughter) was at school I kept doing that. She ended up Head Prefect of her High School and a few years later I was asked to go and speak to year 12 girls about working in the Events Business. (it was when we were promoting Robert etc).
There were girls and teachers and the principal there. I was more nervous in front of the teachers than I was in front of 2000 people. So I do it too
Sue Price recently posted..What is MLM – Part 6
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 30th, 2011 at 15:09
Hi Sue,
teachers seem to have somethings that makes people fear them, lol. Isn’t that interesting.
Thanks for sharing your personal story.
Take care
Oliver
Well you had me scurrying to the dictionary with that one – Dyscalculia. My take on this is that we all have weaknesses that we have to compensate for and the correct strategy is to go with your strengths and manage your weaknesses. As an example many kids in America that have been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome doing amazingly well in a Silicon Valley type of environment. Of course you want to find a school that doesn’t shame or unnecessarily diminish her self esteem. Wish you and your daughter the best.
Riley
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
March 31st, 2011 at 23:25
Hi Riley,
thanks for your comment and your wished. That’s the truth: You need to find and environment that caters to people’s strengths.
Kids with learning disorders such as dyslexia and dyscalculia can be helped easily if they are educated properly and patiently and not squeezed into a one size fits all scheme.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]
It is challenging to raise a child with dyslexia, but today is the best of times to do it. There are so many resources and help, and the new advances being made are outstanding. We are a school that strongly endorses Orton-Gillingham tutoring, one of the oldest approaches to teaching. A diligent and creative combination of old and new is often the right mix. The main component, however, to helping the child reach their full academic and social potential is something that we have always all had – love, understanding, encouragement & patience. Everyone should have the awareness that just one person can make a difference in someone’s life – and it is a wonderful treasured feeling to be that person.
[Reply]
Oliver Reply:
June 29th, 2011 at 13:41
Thanks for your comment. These children definitely love and understanding. Any type of fear-creating stuff is definitely inappropriate.
[Reply]
Hi Brenda,
thanks for your your question. Yes, there is. Our daughter does a two year therapy.
Take care
Oliver
[Reply]