Having lived in Germany and Visited many areas of Western Europe I
soon realized that the American Media Greatly Exaggerated Europe's
Problems and understated the many things they do for their Citizens.

Europe has a Social Welfare Model that was adopted after World War 2
to prevent another War and Economic Disasters that led to the Rise of
Fascism and over 60 million people dead, many more injured and scores
of European Citizens in absolute poverty with no hope of a better life
while the Elites played more of their games. IN Europe this came to an
end in the early 1950's while they were reconstructing the Continent from
the War and Reconstructing their Government to a more Democratic/Egalitarian
form of Governance.

While Staying in Germany I began to study the country and Society, Traveling,
Speaking with the people and just looking at everyday situations that
Germans would go through and so forth.

Education Wise Germany has a little different format then the USA, in primary
School Germany tries to keep the classmates together as much as possible so during the day the teachers come to the students classrooms instead of the students changing classroom after each subject. Also K-10 Germany keeps the students in
the same groups as much as possible to build Community and a sense of working together instead of breaking them apart, the desks are basically tables facing each other and so the students sit side by side and do not have their own desks, it builds a Social bond between the students and also increases their confidence since not only the teacher but the pupils themselves will help a fellow classmate if needed.

The German School System focuses on Foreign Language Skills, Mathematics, Science and History of Germany and World History.
They discuss things openly with no rules about going to far about this and that like in that states, a teacher here would be fired if they discussed things that the elites do not want taught such as Social Politics, War Discussions, the students rights under the German System along with their duties as a German Citizens to keep their Freedoms and High standard of living.

When they reach 10th Grade or so they decide to either follow a Vocational/Technical Trade Path or University and the students are allowed to change their minds if they want, it is not forced in Germany to be either Vocational or College Education.
They Prepare the students for their Future, training them in Skills that they need in their chosen Career/life Paths and then After they Graduate the skills taught are transferred to the University or Dual-Training System.

Those that attend the University have a Freedom seldom Experienced in the USA, the student can attend multiple Universities at the same time or they can transfer from one University to another if they choose. They are not pushed to attend classes that they do not think are important to their own interests but they must past the test at the end to get their Diploma and the test are difficult to see if the students learned the necessary skills for their Career.
The Students are not marked late or absent in many cases while attending the University it is up to the student to do the right thing and when test time comes it will be known if they did or did not.

In many cases the Tuition is Free in about 10 Landers of Germany and the other Landers Charge a small Tuition Fee Usually less then $1000 Euros Yearly.
The Government Helps Students with Money while the Student attends College they can Usually Receive up to $600 Euros Monthly for Living Expenses from the Government(Welfare) which his about $840.00 U.S. Dollars a Month.
Also they have 1 Euro Meals in the University Cafeterias and local Pubs/Restaurants which the student receives as long as they are attending the University.
They also have student apartment which cost less then $200 Euros monthly including heat, electricity and internet services. These apartments would be like an Efficiency Apartment in the states.

Transportation is Covered with a Student Pass which allows the student to Ride the buses,Subways and Trams at a very cheap price, usually around $250.00 Euros a Year while their Healthcare is usually Covered or for a very small fee the Student receives Health care-no one is without Healthcare Coverage!

Vocational/Technical Dual Education means the Students Graduated from High Schools and then starts to attend the Vocational/Technical School several times a week and the other days they actually work at a Business learning their Choosen Profession.
Say they Student wants to be a Welder, they go to Classes part of the time and then that same student goes to the Factory to learn his/her trade part of the time or the office or whatever that student has chosen for his/her Career.
They are Paid differing rates as they learn-Yes paid to learn! The pay Rates are Usually $10-12 Euros an hour for an apprentice or $14-16 U.S. Dollars an hour.
No Tuition Fees are Charged the Government and Corporations pay for the training.
Once they Master their Vocation the student Receives their Diploma and usually lands a very well-paying job with European Benefits.

I will give an Example of Someone that Graduated from this Dual-Training System, her name is Melonie and she works in Hamburg.
She Graduated after 2 years of training and her starting pay with the 13th month included(Vacation money,etc) is about $39,000 Euros or $54,600 U.S. yearly plus another $23000 US.Dollar in Benefits(Vacation Time, Sick Days, S.S.,Health Insurance,Bonuses,etc)
Her After Tax Take-home is 24,000 Euros or $33,000 U.S. plus the 23,000 in benefits so total Compensation after tax is $56,000.
She works 1500 hours yearly so divide that into the $56,000 and the hourly wage/benefits are $37.33 (after-tax).

I know of a School Teacher who started at $45,000 Euros plus another $23,000 Euros in Benefits. $56,750 Euro-after tax Wage/benefit package or $79450 After Tax Wage/Benfit Package in US Dollars.
School Teachers are taxed at a lower rate because they are Civil Servants.
We have School Teacher in Florida starting at 10/Hour and they are the lucky ones many are being cut.

The Educational System helps Germany have a very powerful Economy and WElfare Safety Net with the Second highest wages after Switzerland in the world.
They are the world's largest Exporter and the Second largest Creditor Nation after Japan on earth.

Many of the Unemployed are actually working part-time and Part-time work in Germany is considered Unemployed(Under 20 hours) and many others are drawing Welfare Checks and working underneath the table.
In Germany the lowest Welfare Check is about $750 Euros monthly plus Free Health Insurance.

This is the Unemployment that some folks want to harp on, these folks are working for $6-8 Euros an hour in th black market on average and drawing their WElfare.

Germany had a Balanced budget for 2007 and most of 2008 but the Global Crisis has effected them also, but much less then the USA.

They will run a 4% Deficit this year.

This is off the subject but I know what some of the responses will be but the reality is Germany is a very powerful/Rich Country.

Education is one of the Keys to this.

The USA is not even in the Top 20 Countries When It comes to Skilled/Educated Citizens nor in Wages/Benefits(Mercer Report)

And we are the largest Debtor Nation in History not a very Good Combination!

When will America Wake up and start doing the right things to Compete and become a real Democratic country instead of an elite Dictatorship?

and welcome to PI.

I noticed the same things during my travels and had the grueling but rewarding experience of studying under the European system for a few years. My sister was a lot luckier because I took her to Berlin with me when she was 17 and threw her into the Freie Universitet after she studied German at the Goethe Institute and met the University's fluency requirement. Today she's one of the top actuaries in the US. Needless to say she had to study her little butt off at the university but was able to concentrate on the subjects she wanted to learn like you pointed out. I think the only thing I ever had to pay for were a few books.

The Dual-Training System is sadly, sorely lacking in this country. My ex got his degree in Industrial Engineering that way, getting on-the-job-training some days at the factory as a lowly apprentice and studying at the university the rest of the time. I knew tons of kids in Germany who went that less-cushy route and now have solid careers.

With a little good-will, I don't see why we can't have a similar system in the US. It's worked wonders all over Europe. What's wrong with us that we can't offer young people a similar deal?

I'm with you. I think education is the key but our system here is set up more to gatekeep for the right families they want running the country than to teach.

I hope America wakes up soon. Obama had a great chance with his stimulus hoopla but we missed it of course.

Where were you in Germany?

I believe it is somewhat similar in the UK in regards to educational system. I have a penpal in England I've been writing to since I was 10 yrs old. We had similar rural backgrounds but she was actually better off economically. I ended up going to university here, she went to office trade classes. At about 10 yrs out, when I last visited London, we were both making about 50K both doing office management work (this was about 10 years ago). She did not make O/T, I did - but that basically paid my undergrad student loans so we were pretty even. Of course back then we were still getting cheap health insurance & that most certainly isn't the case in today's offices.

Thanks for the interesting post.

My Friend lives in Essen, Germany and works with an Exporting Company.
I have traveled Hamburg,Cologne,Frankfurt,Duesseldorf and around many Smaller Towns and Cities. Also Have been to Spain-Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and the Canary Islands, United Kingdom, France-Paris and other smaller Towns, Belgium, Luxemburg,Switzerland, Austria,Italy-Rome and Florence,The Netherlands-Amsterdam and others.

I was very lucky to have a Friend that was European and so stayed at her Place and since she had so much time off-50 days a year plus the Weekends there was plenty of time to Travel and Experience things around Europe.
I'm not Rich nor even Middle Class but I was just an Anamoly of sorts.

I met her in the Park one days in late 1999 while she was playing tennis on the courts there and after a few days she offered me a chance to see Europe, it went from there and years later I had seen a large portion of Western Europe, Experienced the Cultures, Learned about the Government and Economic Setups, there Strengths and Weaknesses,etc.

There is no Doubt they have a much higher Quality of Life, stronger Economy, Cleaner Environment,Healthier Foods and it Sad that I'm sitting here with over 6 years of College and technical Training with little Prospects.
The WHole thing is unacceptable actually on many counts but the Earth Keeps on Turning, The Majority of the people here put up with what really is a Dictatorship.
These are not my Fathers or GrandFathers people, they had some knowledge of right and wrong, Defending their Rights and making it a better Country.
This seems to be long Gone now.

Now I am trying to find a new Career to Sustain Myself, I have College and Technical Training but the Economy is Trashed. Even before last years Meltdown I never made wages and benefits that were true Middle Class, I live in Florida so yes it is a Right to Work State but I'm originally From Upstate New York, the Situation there is not much better.

I'm interested in Renewable Energy/sustainable living Career but everyone here is playing lip service with little Results.

My Family Business is Failing and so I must find something quickly before I'm one of the stats you see in the Paper or on the TV-Homeless.

Any Suggestions?

The UK does have Trade/Technical Schools but they are starting to go down the same path as the US in Education, not as extreme-yet but they still are charging more for their University Tuition then they did in prior years and not everyone that applies for Trade/Techical Education receives a placement in England.

Germany is a Creditor Nation along with the Eurozone being a Creditor Area.
They are the largest Exporters in the World both Merchandise and Services.

Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Swiss are also Creditors in Europe with powerful Export Economies and also a very highly skilled professional Workforce which gives them an edge in Knowledge based Industries.

The point I make is the UK's Economy is in the same boat as the USA, we are both debtors who no longer Export enough to support ourselves and even in the Knowledge based industries we are falling behind because of Education.

The USA and Britain are economically weak and are having trouble funding Education at a high level like in Germany.
Even if the UK/USA had a Dual System or Free Tuition where would Graduated find Employment?

And many College Graduates now in the USA are unemployed or if employed working in jobs that have nothing to do with their degree for low wages and benefits.

Here in Florida we have College Grads making 8-10/hour with 4 and 5 year degrees or they are working as Contract Labor-they work for low wages/no benefits or just on Commission sometimes.
Some are Unemployed.

This has been going on since the late 1980's, early 1990's and now is becoming worse with no jobs available, only Healthcare.