NIEDERSACHSEN - Education, health and culture
Children in Niedersachsen, as in the rest of Germany, begin their compulsory education at the age of six, and continue it for a minimum of nine years. Many children, however, attend kindergarten first, as preparation for school life. Niedersachsen's school system is divided up into cycles and includes various types of school. The primary cycle, which covers years 1 to 4, is followed by the secondary cycle, which extends from year 5 to year 12 or 13. The predominant type of school is the "allgemein bildende Schule" (general school), which can take one of three forms: the Hauptschule, the Realschule and the Gymnasium. There are also many schools of the Gesamtschule type. The highest school leaver's certificate, the Abitur, which entitles the holder to go on to higher education, can in future be taken at a Gymnasium after 12 years of schooling, and at a Gesamtschule after 13 years. Lower-level certificates, such as the Realschule and Hauptschule leaver's certificates, can be obtained after 9 or 10 years of education. In the 2001/2002 school year, 22.6% of Niedersachsen's school leavers from general schools obtained the Abitur, 45.7% the Realschule leaver's certificate and 25.7% the Hauptschule leaver's certificate; while 6.2% left school without any qualification.
The Abitur can also be obtained at some vocational schools, e.g. the Fachgymnasien. In 2001, 265 000 children and young adults were receiving their education at vocational schools, and 984 000 at general schools.
Many aspects of Niedersachsen's school system are currently undergoing a process of reform which will last several years. In future, for example, written examination papers for the Abitur and school leavers' examinations at Hauptschulen and Realschulen will be uniform throughout Germany, and compulsory educational standards and performance tests will be introduced.
Niedersachsen has a very wide and varied range of higher education establishments. Its 26 such establishments, which educate some 154 000 students, include some prestigious, long-established universities, church- and state-run Fachhochschulen, colleges of art and private Fachhochschulen. Examples include the University of Göttingen, which was founded in 1737, and the University of Hanover, which, with some 25 000 students, is Niedersachsen's biggest. The 13 Fachhochschulen are noted for their applied research and practical teaching.
Niedersachsen's Hochschulen and research institutes continue to grow together. For example, the University of Göttingen and two Max Planck Institutes cooperate in the Göttingen Centre for Molecular Biosciences. In Braunschweig, the Technical University and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) have pooled their activities in that city's new research airport and have created an infrastructure for mobility research which is unique in Europe.
Niedersachsen boasts more than 1 000 public libraries, containing more than 10 million books and other items. The municipalities, which as a rule are responsible for running these libraries, provide an enormous range of material, which is used by about 800 000 readers. More than 24 million items are borrowed every year. Niedersachsen's academic libraries have their roots in former Royal Libraries, old university libraries and modern Hochschulen. They have joined forces with public libraries in Niedersachsen and with the libraries of seven other Länder in a highly effective network which gives Niedersachsen a leading position in Germany's library scene. In addition to restoration and conservation activities, Niedersachsen is engaged in the special task of digitalising its historical and cultural heritage, such as the Göttingen copy of the Gutenberg Bible or the Sachsenspiegel (the most important compilation of Saxon customary law) in Wolfenbüttel, with a view to making these treasures more widely accessible.
Niedersachsen's museums and art galleries are many and varied, and of high quality. Niedersachsen boasts more than 600 recognised museums, plus numerous private collections. Special mention should be made of Hanover's Sprengel Museum, one of the most important museums of 20th-century art, the Niedersachsen Landesmuseum, Niedersachsen's biggest and most visited museum, the Niedersachsen Open Air Museum in Cloppenburg, and the Rammelsberg Mine, which is more than 1 000 years old and which, like Goslar Old Town, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Beginning in 2005, a further highlight will be the Erlebniswelt Renaissance (the Renaissance Experience), into which very considerable effort and investment have been poured. Niedersachsen also boasts numerous castles and residencies, especially those built by the Welfs, but also castles like the Renaissance Fürstenberg Castle, where visitors can admire the work of one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious porcelain makers.
Niedersachsen has a vibrant, colourful theatre life. Of special importance are the three State Theatres in Braunschweig, Hanover and Oldenburg, whose productions are noted well beyond Niedersachsen's borders. The repertoire is broadened by the two Landesbühnen, which put on guest performances in rural areas, municipal, non-state and independent theatres, amateur and open air theatres and theatres which perform works in the Low German dialect.
Hospitals are a major cornerstone of the health care system. Niedersachsen can boast a total of 216 hospitals, with 47 885 beds (annual average, 2001). A key factor in the success of any health care system is of course the people who work in it: in 2001, the people of Niedersachsen were served by 24 724 doctors (including 10 636 who were self-employed), which means that there was one doctor to every 322 persons. There were also 45 012 nursing staff in 2001. There are 158 social welfare and rehabilitation centres, with an average total of 19 481 beds (2001).
Thanks to the efforts of Niedersachsen's health care professionals, its inhabitants generally enjoy good health. The most recent official survey in this field (April 1999) revealed that just 9.3% of Niedersachsen's population regarded themselves as ill, a significantly lower number than the 10.7% in Germany as a whole.
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