A Study of Educational Administration System in the Federal Republic of Germany

Author: Wen-Chyuan Hsieh

Abstract：

The purpose of this study is to examine the organization and function of educational admini-stration at each governmental level in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany).
According to the West German Constitution (Basic Law), the Federal Ministry of Education and Science has the responsibility jointly with the land (or state), for the building and extension of universities, and for educational planning. The ministry also has the authority to formulate a general framework for higher education, for the advancement of scientific research, for student aid, for non-academic professional training and vocational guidance.
Under the Constitution, the laender are for the most part responsible for educational matters. At the land level, the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs is the supreme authority for schools, higher and adult education, general artistic and cultural affairs, protection of monuments and historical sites and libraries. The ministry elaborates the guidelines of educational policy, issues legal and administrative provisions, maintains contacts with the supreme Federal and Land authorities, and has a supervisory function in relation to subordinate bodies, institutions and foundations. It is headed by the Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, who is responsible to the parliament.
Bellow the level of the land ministry, there is the district Council in the middle and then the local educational authority. The Laender operate this 3-tier system in different ways. Whereas in most Lander state educational administration takes the form of general public authorities below the level of the ministry of education (such as the county presidents' department) and the district Council, some have independent education authorities at the middle and lower level.
In the West Germany, the primary and secondary schools are usually state or communal institutions, the teachers being civil servants of the Laender. The universities and other institutions of higher education are under the direct authority of the Landers' Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs.

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