BONN, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 27: Fourth-grade children attend class in the elementary school at the Donatus elementary public school on November 27, 2012 in Bonn, Germany. The German education system is different in many ways from the ones in Anglo-Saxon countries. Although education is a function of the federal states, and there are differences from state to state, some generalizations are possible. From grades 1 through 4 children attend elementary school (Grundschule), where the subjects taught are the same for all. Then, after the 4th grade, they are separated according to their academic ability and the wishes of their families. (Photo by Ulrich Baumgarten via Getty Images)