Driving Skills | Health | Education | English Language Skills | Child CareAu Pairs in General | Religion | Telephone | Diet | Miscellaneous

For basic information and a statistical overview of United Nations member countries and links to local newspapers, visit:http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/index.asp

To review the on-line version of the World Factbook with information about this country as compiled by the CIA, please visit: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

This site designed to promote tourism to Germany offers hundreds of photographs of different cities and regions of Germany as well as cultural heritage information broken down by region: http://www.germany-tourism.de

Explore the web page maintained by the German Embassy in Washington D.C. for information about culture, education, business, government and more: http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/index.html

The following information is generalized and compiled from questions posed to the agents and interviewers in Germany. Although au pairs from Germany may or may not have had these experiences/beliefs, Au Pair in America wishes to share this general information with our families.

Driving Skills

1. Cost and difficulty to obtain a driver's license
   The cost for a driving license is about $1000 - $1200. It is not too difficult to obtain the license. After failing the test for the 3rd time, a psychological test is required. 14 theoretical lessons have to be taken and at least 14 practical lessons. Most driving pupils need 20-30 lessons in order to pass the test.
2. Obtaining a driver's license e.g. driving lessons, practical and theoretical test?
   After passing the a theoretical test, there is a practical test (1 hour).
3. Availability and cost of obtaining an International Driving license
   Yes, it is available for about $10 - $12.
4. Obtaining a driving license
   The minimum age for obtaining a driving license is 18.
5. How common is it for 18-26 year olds to own their own car or use the family car
   It is not that common for young people to have their own car, but most parents allow their children to use the family car.
6. Cars - manual or automatic
   Mostly manual.

Health

1. Most common inoculations
   Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Rubella.
2. Innoculation for TB (Tuberculosis)
   No
3. Free health service
   Everyone must have a health insurance, which pays most health services. The contribution towards the insurance is deducted from the monthly salary (about 13%).
4. Cost and regularity of visits to the dentist
   To get a contribution from the insurance for a set of dentures in later years, it is advised to visit the dentist at least once a year. The cost is covered by the health insurance.

Education

1. Percentage of young women that go on to university
   30% of all school leavers go on to University. 45% of all students are women.
2. Alternatives chosen if not attending university
   Apprenticeship
3. Importance of educational opportunities of the Au Pair in America program to the au pair
   It is important but not the most important reason to choose a years as an Au Pair.
4. Start and finish of the academic year
   
September/October - June/July

English Language Skills

1. Is English a compulsory subject in the schools in your country?
   Yes.
2. Description of the study of English in schools e.g. from what age English is taught, how many years is English compulsory, courses focused on written or oral skills
   German pupils start studying English in 5th grade (11-12 years old). 5 years of English is compulsory, but many students have 9 years of English when they leave school. The courses are focused on written as well as on oral skills. In general students who leave school with a high school diploma have a high standard of English language skills.

Childcare

1. Common attitudes to and types of discipline for children
   Talking to the children, they may not be given sweets or are not allowed to watch television for a while, children may be sent to their room. There is no physical discipline.
2. Physical discipline of children
   No!!! This would be prosecuted.
3. How child care is obtained if formal qualification not held
   Many babysit within their own family. Others babysit for friends or neighbors.
4. Sharing child care responsibilities by both parents
   Parents share the responsibility.
5. Both working parents
   If the father earns enough, it is common that the mother stays with the children at home, at least until they are old enough to go to a kindergarten. But there are more and more families in Germany who decide that the father stays with the children at home. But it is also common that both parents work if one doesn't earn enough.

Au Pairs in General

1. The concept of being an 'au pair'
   The concept is very familiar in Germany, as there are many German families who have an Au Pair from abroad.
2. The motivation of young people to want to be an au pair
   To become more independent. To get to know a foreign country and its culture. To improve their English skills and their child care experience.
3. Improving job potential upon returning home after a year in the USA
   Yes. Most employers look out for experience that has been made abroad, plus the fluency in English.

Religion

1. Most common religions
   Catholic, Protestant
2. Practice of religion by young people
   No
3. Would a young person choose to practice a religion that is different than her family's religion
   No
4. Common religious practices e.g. special practices or dietary restrictions
   None

Telephone

1. Telephones in the home
   Yes
2. Would most parents/family speak English well enough to take a message from an American Host Family?
   It depends, but in general English is very common in Germany.
3. Computer or e-mail access
   Yes, most young people have a computer.

Diet

1. Attitudes to eating meat
   Most young people eat meat.
2. Vegetarianism
   Vegetarianism is becoming more popular, especially among women.
3. Other common dietary traditions
   No

Miscellaneous

1. Freedom of their family to socialize and date
   Yes. In general German families are very open-minded.
2. Curfews at home
   Yes, under the age of 18 there might be a curfew, perhaps after midnight.
3. Sharing household chores
   Yes, because there are many families where both parents work.
4. Diversity of population
   There is a great Turkish and Southern European community in Germany. Most immigrated in the 60's.
   If so, would this be represented in the young people you would recruit?
   
5. Three main characteristics of the people
   Open-minded, ambitious, polite.
6. Attitudes to nudity both in and out of the home e.g. sunbathing in the nude?
   German families are very open-minded towards nudity. Sunbathing in the nude is very common.

Additional useful information

• Young people grow up with a lot of freedom in what they do. Generally, Germans go out to pubs etc. from the age of 16. Socializing with friends is very important to young people.
• Children in Germany may take care of themselves starting as young as eight years of age. This leads to greater independence as the children get older. Although independence is both encouraged and expected, individualism is not encouraged in the same way that it is encouraged in the US. German parents tend to be more authoritarian than their American counterparts. Class sizes are bigger in Germany so children receive less individualized attention at school as well. Any particular sport is played year-round, so the system in the U.S. of three seasons of sports would be unfamiliar to German au pairs.
  
  Au Pair in America®, 2004