Ayako and her family live in the city of Freudenstadt in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, about 80 km from the state capital, Stuttgart. Although it is a small town with a population of about 30,000, it is one of the areas in Germany with the highest number of COVID-19 cases, and the city has been under a complete lockdown since late March.Only one person per household is allowed to go shopping. Inside the supermarket, people must maintain a distance of 1.8 meters. Because enforcement is strict, residents are carefully following the rules.
  　
Ayako moved to this town in 2006. She now has three children—Lisa (first grade), Kent (second grade), and Masato (sixth grade)—who attend local public schools.Since elementary school in Germany lasts four years, Masato is currently enrolled in secondary school there. Because the curriculum varies by state in Germany, this is just one example, but we asked Ayako about the school her children attend.

　The first confirmed case in the state was reported on January 28. However, at that time, it still felt like a problem far away. There was no explosive increase in cases afterward, and the state entered the Fasching break. Fasching is a festival celebrating the arrival of spring, and this period is considered winter break.Although the dates vary each year, this year’s winter break ran from February 22 to early March. This winter break marked the beginning of the rise in infection numbers, as many families spent their vacations in Italy and Austria. First, a two-week voluntary self-quarantine was mandated for travelers returning from Italy. One week later, the same requirement was extended to travelers returning from the Tyrol region of Austria.
　Then, after winter break ended, attendance at elementary, middle, and high schools was left to the discretion of each family.This meant that students would not be marked absent even if they did not attend school. Then, shortly after noon on Friday, March 13, an announcement was made stating, “Schools will be closed starting Tuesday, the 17th.” However, just a few hours later, the announcement was corrected, and it was decided that schools would be closed starting Monday, the 16th.

　Although the school closure was decided on short notice, I’ve heard the school responded very quickly that weekend. At the elementary school, thick envelopes containing assignments for the following week—covering the three core subjects: German, English, and a combined social studies and science course—had already arrived in families’ mailboxes by Sunday.

　In middle school, for the first week after the school closure, teachers sent assignments (German, English, and math) via email every day. Initially, the school closure was scheduled to last until April 4—Easter—meaning about three weeks—but the number of confirmed cases surged starting in late March. Around that time, the middle school began using a platform called Moodle.By entering a password on the school’s website and accessing the Moodle page for my class, I could find assignments for all subjects posted there. At first, the assignments mainly involved watching instructional videos on YouTube and solving problems, but after Easter, online classes began. That said, they started out simply as a way to check in on how everyone was doing; there were no actual lessons at first.Later, at the end of April, it was decided to extend the school closure until May 25, and as a result, real-time, interactive online lectures began. Furthermore, the management of assignments for all subjects began to be handled on Moodle.

[Moodle
] https://moodle.de/

　At the elementary school, assignments were initially submitted via mail, but the school began using Moodle after Easter. For families without internet access, the school continued to accept submissions by mail. I’m told this applied to two or three students. At first, there was no interaction among the entire class; instead, opportunities were arranged for students to communicate individually with their teachers. The methods used were Zoom, Skype, and phone calls.
  　
However, following a further extension of the school closures, all subjects in elementary schools are now managed through Moodle, and the method for submitting assignments has switched to email.Currently, in addition to German and math, assignments are being given in science, social studies, art, music, and physical education. While there are no real-time online classes, students are completing their assignments by watching videos posted by their teachers. However, since this is left to the teachers’ discretion, the approach seems to vary depending on the homeroom teacher.

  "Since Germany didn't really use digital tools much in elementary school classes either, it seems the teachers are currently going through a process of trial and error."

　Right after the lockdown began, we received an educational video about COVID-19 for children produced by the state government. Because the children understood the situation thanks to that video, they reportedly never once said they wanted to go out. “Thanks to this video, many children were able to clearly understand what COVID-19 is, why they can’t go to school, and how they should spend their time.I think it was very good that this step was taken right at the beginning.”
It seems that the children’s emotional well-being is also being well taken care of.
[Educational Materials on the Novel Coronavirus]
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=643304833068509

　Assignments are set every day, but students are free to choose how they approach their studies. When assignments are submitted via Moodle, they are graded and returned the next day. There are art assignments where students draw pictures and send them to the teacher, as well as music assignments where they listen to songs sent to them and dance or sing along.The other day, there was a project assignment to “create a picture of a rainbow and a short message to post on the window.” Most of the children wrote messages such as “Bleibt gesund (Stay healthy),” “Wir bleiben zu Hause (Stay Home),” and “Wir lieben euch alle (We love you).”

　Homework assignments for academic subjects also seem to differ somewhat from those in Japan. “In German class, for example, on the day we learn the letter ‘Z,’ there’s often homework that connects learning to daily life—such as walking around the house to find words that start with ‘Z,’” she explains. Since discussion is emphasized in school, classes tend to be more participatory rather than consisting of one-way lectures from the teacher.“Even in math class, instead of solving problems individually, students work in teams to discuss and arrive at the answer.They present on things like how many different methods they found to solve the problem.”
Unfortunately, these kinds of discussion-based lessons with friends have become very rare. Perhaps because of this situation, children seem to be lamenting, “I want to see my friends, and studying together is more fun, so I want to go to school.”

　As school closures continue for an extended period, the German government announced that it will provide 150 euros per child to families without computers or other devices, in order to ensure that all students have the necessary environment to participate in online education. The funds will be distributed to each school in cash.
“We must not allow a situation to arise where children from low-income families are deprived of educational opportunities. The use of digital technology is central to 21st-century education and should continue to be promoted. Based on this philosophy, it appears a total of more than 500 million euros has been allocated.”

　They also said that the network was upgraded a few weeks before the lockdown began to ensure WiFi connectivity in all areas of the city. They reportedly learned of this from the mayor’s social media post on April 3.
“Since there are no communication costs, I think online learning would be possible if we were given 150 euros.”
When asked about the typical use of devices, I was told that while elementary schools do not use them, at middle schools—which are attended by children aged 11 and older—each student routinely uses a tablet or computer for classes. Assignments are often completed using software like Word and submitted via email.

　Now, Ayako says that when she moved to Germany, she was initially taken aback because there were so few classes compared to Japanese elementary schools. Germany is a country that places great importance on family time. All stores are closed on Sundays, and in some families, it’s customary to have lunch together even on weekdays. Work hours are short, and school ends by noon.Restrictions on after-school care are also strict; applications are not approved unless both parents have a valid reason for having to work until the afternoon.

Therefore, when her child started school, she was introduced to recommended paid software (such as Sofatutor and Anton) to supplement the curriculum, and she uses it every day.“I suppose we’ve been using them more frequently since the lockdown,” says Ayako. “One of the good things about Japan is that everything is handled at school. In Germany, the approach is that about 70 percent is taught at school, and the rest is up to you.”

[Sofatutor
] https://www.sofatutor.com/

　When schools closed due to the coronavirus, many private companies began offering digital learning materials for free, but the software we use on a daily basis is so well-designed that we never use any other materials.Since school ends in the morning, my child usually has a lot of homework and has developed the habit of studying at home. Because of this, they say studying at home during the school closures wasn’t particularly difficult. Of course, it’s not just about academics—since they’re used to spending time at home and with family, it hasn’t been stressful for either parent or child. “We’ve been saying, ‘It’s been nice to have more time to spend together as a family,’” they say.

As an aside, I’ve heard that in Germany, there’s a high degree of flexibility in how people work, and many women reportedly work only while their children are at school. Since standard working hours are short and there’s a perception that working overtime is a sign of incompetence, few people actually work overtime.“I feel that families with children—regardless of gender—have a very flexible approach to work.”
Since school ends in the morning, extracurricular activities are very popular. And those, too, quickly shifted online: guitar, piano, singing, and volleyball. All of them are done via Skype.

  Since the Japanese supplementary school—which Lisa, Masato, and Kent had been attending, a 100-kilometer one-way trip—has moved online, their burden has been reduced, and they seem to be reaping the benefits of online learning.

　Given that German children prioritize family time and spend very little time at school, what paths do they follow after graduating from elementary school? In Germany, educational paths begin to diverge significantly starting in the fourth grade of elementary school.For secondary education, students choose from three types of schools: the Hauptschule (comprehensive school: through 9th or 10th grade), the Realschule (vocational school: through 10th grade), and the Gymnasium (academic high school: through 12th or 13th grade).Unlike in the past, when paths were clearly divided between university and vocational training, students can now skip grades or change tracks depending on their grades and preferences. Furthermore, since the path to university remains open even after graduating from a Hauptschule or Realschule, flexibility in changing educational paths is ensured—though this remains the first major turning point.
However, it is said that there is no hierarchy among these secondary education options. The choice should be made strictly based on the child’s aptitude. German education values individuality; it’s about doing what you want to do in a way that suits your abilities. That is why even in elementary school, there are cases of students skipping a grade or failing a grade. Furthermore, children with exceptional abilities are granted the right to attend a special school in the afternoons.Kent also attends a special school, though it is currently closed.
“From a Japanese perspective, I wondered if he should go to a Gymnasium, but here they say that the child should decide his own path, and that forcing him to do something is just parental ego and isn’t good for him. In Germany, it’s taken for granted that everyone is different, so it’s easy for parents to live without feeling pressure.”

In Germany, they nurture students who excel and provide support to those who are falling behind. The German approach to education is all about providing instruction tailored to each individual student.
ICT is a powerful tool for delivering personalized learning. I look forward to continuing to follow how Germany implements online education as it gets into full swing.