In the German school system, fate reaches out for children at around the age of 10. Kids start their secondary education at institutions ranging from an academic Gymnasium, with a high probability of ultimate university entry, to a more vocationally focused Realschule, where the education is famously excellent but unlikely to provide access to the most sought after and high-paying careers. Many German parents would like the Gymnasium for their children. They try hard to get them in.
在德國教育體系中,孩子們大約在10歲左右就必須做出決定命運的選擇。開始初中學習時,他們就必須在注重學業的文理中學(Gymnasium)與更注重職業技能的實科中學(Realschule)之間做出選擇。前者的大學升學率很高,后者的教育以高質量著稱,卻不太可能讓年輕人進入最搶手的高薪職業。德國的許多家長希望孩子能進入文理中學,并為此費盡心血。