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Study and research in Germany

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Study and research in Germany

Home « Study and research in Germany « Germany « Hands-on Advise « Studying with children

Studying with children

Notepad: Pay attention:

Early registration recommended
The availability of crèche and kindergarten places does not always manage to meet demand. This can result in long waiting times. So you are recommended to register your children as early as possible: for a crèche place, as soon as you, your wife, or your partner becomes pregnant would be best, for kindergartens, at least one year before you wish to send your child.

Mai really admires her friend Anke. "Anke is a brilliant organiser. Although she has a 5-year-old son, she still always hands in her course assignments on time," says Mai, who's always plagued by time difficulties and is astonished at how her friend manages.

Universities run day nurseries: So what's the secret behind Anke, who always manages to study and simultaneously bring up her son Kasimir? Perfect time management is the answer and a good range of childcare services at her university. In fact, Anke is a single mother and so even more dependent on outside help. "Our uni day nursery offers all-day childcare from 7:30 in the morning to 17:00 in the afternoon. That's when I can concentrate fully on my studies. I know that Kasimir is in good hands."
All-day childcare until its time to start school: Since he was four months old, Kasimir has been going to day nursery (Kindertagesstätte or in short: Kita). If everything goes as planned, he will continue to go there until he starts school in a good year's time. "Perfect timing," says Anke. "Because I will have completed my studies by then."
Anke shares this experience with some 118,000 of the 1.98 million students studying in Germany. They want to combine a career and children – rather than, as is usual – doing without the one or the other. A look at the statistics shows that the proportion of childless German women academics amounts to a very high 40% and more. And if they do decide to have children, then only from their mid-30s onwards. Yet, studying with children can even be seen as a good career strategy – instead of doing first the one and then the other. This is what the director of the Nuremberg Institute for Labour Market and Career Research, Professor Dr. Jutta Allmendinger, can confirm: "Students who have children and graduate with good grades after a relatively short period of time prove that they are able to work under pressure" – and that, says the careers expert, is welcomed by personnel directors.

Ask the Women's Affairs Officer and Equal Opportunities Officer about special arrangements for student parents: To reduce the burden on student mothers and fathers, many universities and student services organisations offer their own day nurseries and accommodation options at favourable prices. Various universities are running pilot projects to test out new structures and services for child-friendly studies. Student parents can additionally apply for a semester's leave, known in German as a Freisemester or Urlaubssemester. Sometimes, special arrangements even exist that enable parents to gain credits or pass examinations, despite taking leave for the semester.

The best way to find out is to ask the Women's Affairs and/or Equal Opportunity Officers as well as student services about what opportunities exist at your university. These officers have a lot of information material for you, and often some of it can be downloaded from the Internet.

All about children

Student parents are not alone when it comes to looking after and bringing up their children in Germany. The following provides a short overview of the services and key contacts.

Child Benefit: If you bring your children with you or if they were born in Germany, then you can receive child benefit (Kindergeld). However, this is subject to the condition that you have a valid residence permit. You will generally get a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) if you come from an EU or EEA country or if you are married to a German.
At present, the following monthly child benefit rates are: 154 euros for each child from the first to third, 179 euros for each additional child. You submit the application for child benefit to the child benefit office at the local employment agency (Arbeitsagentur) – as soon after the child's birth as possible is best. Because child benefit cannot be backdated more than six months.
You will be able to find more information on this on the website of the Federal Family Affairs Ministry (Bundesfamilienministerium) at: www.bmfsfj.de. Or you can call the nationwide child benefit hotline operated by the Federal Employment Agency: 01801 – 546337 (0.12 € per minute).

Childcare facilities

Student services: Special childcare facilities are offered at many universities, in most cases run by the student services organisations (Studentenwerk). If you want to find out whether your university offers such facilities, check the homepage of the Association of German Student Services Organisations (Deutsches Studentenwerk) at: www.studentenwerke.de.

Social services and church facilities: Whether places in crèches (for infants from 0 to 3 years old) or in kindergartens, pregnancy counselling services or support with bringing up children: church and social services organisations are ready to help young parents with a wide range of support, counselling and advice. Just ask in your university town and check out the following websites:

Who to contact at universities

The following facilities at your university generally know about assistance and special arrangements for student parents:

  • Academic/Student Advice Centres (Akademische Beratungszentren) / Social Counselling Office (Sozialberatung).
  • Student Representations/Student Union (AStA, StuRa),
  • Equal Opportunities Offices (Gleichstellungsbüros) / Women's Affairs Officers (Frauenbeauftragte),
  • Parent Support Service for Students with Children (Elternservicebüro),
  • Student Services (www.studentenwerke.de).

Some good links

Links about children and the German school system

The following homepages offer useful information all about children:

For detailed information on the German school system, check out the following websites:

Click here for a diagram of the Basic Structure of the German Education System.

From my personal experience

Lala from Azerbaijan, studying graphic design in her 9th semester

Well looked after at the kindergarten
"When my son David was born four years ago, I took leave for a semester. It's really good that you can do that. Because I was busy with David all around the clock in those first few months. I wouldn't have had any time for studying. So I was first able to concentrate fully on my son, without having to worry about missing something for my studies. David has been going to kindergarten at my university of applied sciences for two years now. Before I go to my courses, I take him to kindergarten and pick him up again in the afternoon. That saves me a lot of time. In addition, David feels really at home in the kindergarten. He's got loads of friends there and the carers really look after the kids very well. That's a great help for me, especially since I'm bringing David up on my own, without a father or grandparents. Luckily, some of my friends also help me out with David and even their parents do sometimes. I'm happy with all the help I can get. Because besides looking after David and studying, I also have to go out in-between and earn some money in order to have enough for the two of us to live on."

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DAAD Glossary

Einschreibung

"Einschreibung" and "Immatrikulation" mean registration or matriculation at a university. To register, students have to go to the registrar's office or the student registration office, often known in German as "Studierendensekretariat". They generally have to present their Admissions or Acceptance Letter (Zulassungsbescheid) and their Higher Education Entrance Qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung), generally a school-leaving certificate, like the Abitur or Fachhochschulreife. They also have to pay a registration fee.

Institut

Large faculties are generally divided into departments that may be called Institut or Seminar or Fachbereich. An "Institut" often covers a single area of teaching (e.g. English Studies, Sociology, Computer Science) and has several professorships (chairs). The "Institut" is headed by a Director chosen from among the university teachers at that department.

Semester

The academic year in Germany is generally divided into two semesters rather than three terms, such as is generally the case in the UK and other countries. German universities generally have a winter semester that runs from October to March and a summer semester that runs from April to September. A semester includes both the period when courses and lectures are held (Vorlesungszeit) and the time without lectures (recess) in which students can revise and prepare (Vorlesungsfreiezeit).

Universität

"Universität" means university and is used for research universities (wissenschaftliche Hochschulen) that offer a broad range of subjects (like arts and humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, economics and business administration, law, medicine). These institutions confer doctorates. The strong research focus benefits students in their training. Please note, however, that English texts often use the term "university" generically, i.e. to cover all kinds of higher education institutions, for example, universities of the arts, universities of applied sciences, universities of education, etc.

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© 2008 Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst e.V. (DAAD), Kennedyallee 50, D-53175 Bonn
Source: http://www.daad.de/deutschland/deutschland/leben-in-deutschland/06204.en.html
Date: 2008-12-04