German Education

I like the stuff you like about kiga, too, muchado. Vertical grouping, great at that age.

Grundschule - I like the age it starts at, most children are ready to sit and learn, I like how they start carefully and get really focussed.
I like how they teach Maths with understanding built in right from the start. I like how they get to really play at playtime. I like it that they can still come home at lunch time in most places, so that we can still be a family and do cool stuff. I like the expectation that parents will be involved in their children's education. I like that my mate who works afternoons can have a bus pick her kid up to go and play/eat/do homework in a safe environment without this pattern being forced on me, too.

Oberschule (Niedersachsen - word means Hauptschule and Realschule in one) - I like how much like a continuation of Grundschule this is. It has small(ish) classes and a safe feeling for these kids who are not so school-friendly. I like how it engages with the world of work from very early, to take account of the fact that these kids are going to be out of school younger. I like how it allows opportunities for engagement in interesting activities for free in the afternoons.

Gymnasium - I like that grammar schools still exist here for academic type kids. I like the feeling of classical education really mattering and having worth. I love that you can still learn Latin here, seemingly so irrelevant and yet such a great foundation. I like the widening of opportunities with dedicated classes for strings or brass etc. I like the cooperation between schools at the higher levels to allow for wider breadth of subject availability.

Special needs - I have found flexibility and understanding within this system, a desire not to 'break' a child who should clearly not be in any school at all, and a willingness to work with me to do the best we can. That there is not a strong 'system' for special needs in place has been a massive advantage on an individual level.

Generally I have found that there is enormous freedom within the German system as it currently is here, there are choices about year group, length of school day and activities, that are excellent.

muchado - I have thought a bit about this, and I like your positive question, it has been a good exercise! If you did a 'grim things' thread, that would also get a long answer from me, but on the whole, I think for people who are willing to work with it, the German system is pretty good. Its major problem at the moment is that there are clearly many parents who do not have the skills to engage, and their children are seriously let down.
It is also not for parents who think schooling is purely done at school.