This page compares the education systems of Germany and Indonesia.
Education System Overview
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| System Type | Public-private mix; Governance model: Decentralized (federal). School education is primarily the responsibility of Germany’s 16 Länder, which coordinate cross-state matters through the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK). [KMK] | Mixed public/private system with decentralized school delivery. National ministries establish curriculum, standards and policy, while provincial and district governments manage much of public-school provision. Religious and private providers operate alongside the state sector. |
| Governing Body | Länder ministries of education hold primary responsibility for schools and coordinate through the KMK. At federal level, the education portfolio is held by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ). [BMBFSFJ] | Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) for general school education; Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) for the madrasah system; and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) for higher education. |
| Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP) | 5.2% of GDP in 2022, the latest value in the World Bank indicator sourced from UNESCO UIS. [World Bank] | 1.3% of GDP in 2023, the latest value in the World Bank/UNESCO UIS series. [World Bank] |
Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Age Range | Compulsory schooling normally begins in the year a child turns 6. The end point varies by Land and pathway because full-time compulsory schooling may be followed by part-time vocational schooling requirements. [KMK] | The established statutory basic-education requirement covers approximately ages 7–15. National policy is expanding access toward 13 years of education, including one preschool year and education through senior secondary level. [Kemendikdasmen] |
| Total Compulsory Duration (Years) | 9 years of full-time schooling in most Länder; 10 years in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Thuringia, while North Rhine-Westphalia uses nine or ten depending on the program. For young people not attending full-time upper secondary education, part-time vocational schooling typically lasts another 3 years. [KMK] | 9 years under the established statutory basic-education requirement. The government's 13-year education policy extends the policy target to one year of preschool, six years of primary, three years of junior secondary and three years of senior secondary education. [Kemendikdasmen] |
| Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access | Optional; the participation rate for children aged 3 to under 6 was 95.0% on 1 March 2025. [Destatis] | ECE remains outside the established nine-year statutory requirement, while the 13-year policy prioritizes one preschool year before primary school. Gross PAUD participation was approximately 36.2% in 2025; this indicator covers the broader PAUD population rather than only children aged 3–5. |
| Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years) | Typically 4 + 5–6 + 2–3: primary school normally covers grades 1–4, followed by differentiated lower secondary pathways and upper secondary education. Primary school covers grades 1–6 in Berlin and Brandenburg. [KMK] | 6 + 3 + 3: six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary education and three years of general or vocational senior secondary education. Some vocational programs operate for four years. |
| Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%) | — | Approximately 33.5% vocational / 66.5% general, based on 2024/25 upper-secondary enrollment across vocational and general/religious pathways. |
Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Year Start (Typical Month) | August/September, depending on the Land. | July, with exact dates set through provincial and local education calendars. |
| Academic Year End (Typical Month) | June/July, depending on the Land. | June, with regional variation. |
| Instruction Weeks per Year | Approximately 38 weeks, with calendars determined by the Länder. | Approximately 36 effective instructional weeks; the exact requirement varies by school level, regional calendar and program. |
| Instruction Days per Year | About 188 teaching days on average, with variation between Länder and school calendars. [Eurydice] | — |
Grading System
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Primary/Secondary Grading Scale | Commonly a 1–6 scale, where 1 is the highest grade and 6 is the lowest; practices can vary by Land and school level. | No single mandatory national A–F or fixed numerical passing scale. Schools use learning-achievement criteria, including KKTP, with numerical results, descriptors, rubrics and competency evidence used according to school and subject assessment arrangements. |
| Higher Education Grading Scale | Commonly 1.0–4.0 for passing grades, with 5.0 generally representing failure; institutions may use additional grading conventions. | Institution-specific. A 4.00 GPA scale with letter grades is widely used; individual universities determine grade boundaries and intermediate grades. |
Language of Instruction
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Instruction Languages (K–12) | German | Bahasa Indonesia is the principal national language of instruction. Regional languages may support instruction in early education where appropriate. |
| Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12) | Regional provision includes Danish, Sorbian and Frisian, with Low German also supported in relevant Länder. | Regional and local languages may be used as supporting instructional languages. English is primarily taught as a foreign language and is scheduled to become a compulsory primary-school subject from the 2027/28 academic year. [Kemendikdasmen] |
School Provision & Access (K–12)
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | About 91% of students in general education schools attended public schools in 2023/24. [Destatis] | Approximately 66.5% across primary through senior-secondary education in 2024/25, based on official enrollment totals by school status. Public-school shares differ considerably by education level. |
| Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency) | $0 tuition at public general education schools. | $0 tuition for compulsory basic education in government schools. Families may still face permitted ancillary costs or locally administered charges outside standard tuition. |
| Public Schools Nationwide Availability | Yes. Public school provision is available nationwide and organized by the Länder and local authorities. | Yes. Public primary and secondary schools operate across Indonesia's provinces and districts, complemented by the public religious-school network. |
| Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | 9% of students in general education schools attended private schools in 2023/24, totaling about 801,100 students. [Destatis] | Approximately 33.5% across primary through senior-secondary education in 2024/25, based on official student totals by school status. |
| Private Schools (Geographic Concentration) | — | Nationwide, with substantial private, foundation and religious-school provision in densely populated and urban areas. |
International Schools (K–12)
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Number of International Schools (Total) | — | — |
| Number of IB World Schools | 79 IB World Schools. [IB] | 81 IB World Schools currently offer at least one IB programme in Indonesia. [IB] |
| Main International Programmes Offered | International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, American, French and other national or bilingual curricula, depending on the school. | International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International, British, American, Australian, Singaporean and other school-specific international or bilingual curricula. |
Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools) | Typically university-level Lehramt training, commonly a Master of Education or equivalent state-examination route, followed by preparatory service and a further state examination. Requirements vary by Land. | A minimum academic qualification of S-1 bachelor's degree or D-IV applied bachelor's level is the national professional benchmark, alongside teacher-certification requirements for eligible professional teachers. |
| Average Class Size (Primary) | 21 students per primary class in the 2024/25 school year. [Destatis] | Approximately 21 students per class group in the latest nationally published comparable primary dataset. |
| Average Class Size (Lower Secondary) | About 19–26 students depending on school type in 2024/25: 19 at Hauptschulen, 21 at schools with two educational pathways, 25 at Realschulen, 26 at Gymnasien and 24 at schools with three pathways. [Destatis] | Approximately 28 students per class group in the latest nationally published junior-secondary dataset. |
| Average Class Size (Upper Secondary) | — | Approximately 30 students overall as an indicative upper-secondary figure; general senior-secondary classes average about 32 students while vocational classes are closer to 27. |
System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| PISA Participation Years | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. Indonesia's first assessment was conducted in 2001 through the PISA 2000 Plus administration. [OECD] |
| PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 500 / 498 / 503. [OECD] | 379 / 371 / 396. |
| PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 475 / 480 / 492. [OECD] | 366 / 359 / 383. [OECD] |
| PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 464 / 465 / 486. The corresponding OECD averages were 463 in mathematics, 461 in reading and 482 in science. [OECD] | 364 / 365 / 389. [Kemendikdasmen] |
| PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025 | Germany’s 2025 averages were the lowest recorded for the country across its PISA participation in mathematics, reading and science. Compared with 2022, mathematics fell by 11 points and reading by 15 points, while the 7-point change in science was statistically about the same. The longer-term data show lower performance than the levels recorded around the early-to-mid 2010s. [OECD] | Indonesia's raw scores changed from 366 / 359 / 383 in 2022 to 364 / 365 / 389 in 2025 for mathematics, reading and science respectively. OECD analysis finds the 2022–2025 changes statistically about the same in all three subjects. Results in 2025 remained below Indonesia's 2015 performance. [OECD] |
| Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025) | Science (Score: 486), followed by reading at 465 and mathematics at 464. [OECD] | Science — 389 points. [Kemendikdasmen] |
Higher Education System
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total) | 421 higher education institutions in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis] | 4,303 institutions in the 2025 national higher-education statistics. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| Number of Universities (Research Universities) | 112 universities in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis] | 981 institutions classified as Universitas. Indonesia does not publish a separate statutory category specifically named “research universities.” [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges | 206 universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), excluding a further 30 administrative universities of applied sciences, in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis] | The 2025 statistics record 2,885 college/applied institution types: 2,000 Sekolah Tinggi, 389 polytechnics, 465 academies and 31 community academies. Indonesia does not use a single “university of applied sciences” category. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| Main Institution Types | Universities; Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW/FH); pedagogical universities; theological universities; arts and music institutions; administrative universities of applied sciences. | Universities, institutes, Sekolah Tinggi, polytechnics, academies and community academies. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership | — | Public/government-managed: approximately 50.3% | private-managed: approximately 49.7% of registered students in 2025. The official breakdown is 40.99% PTN, 7.17% public religious institutions and 2.18% government-service institutions versus 44.95% PTS and 4.71% private religious institutions. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total) | Nearly 2,400 English-taught degree programs were offered by state-recognized higher education institutions in summer 2025, including about 420 bachelor’s and 1,930 master’s programs. [DAAD] | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%) | — | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%) | 4% of bachelor’s programs and more than 18% of master’s programs were English-taught in summer 2025. [DAAD] | — |
| Main Global Ranking Used | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking) | 4 in the QS World University Rankings 2027: Technical University of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Heidelberg University and Freie Universität Berlin. [QS] | 0 Indonesian universities in the global top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking) | 28 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] | 7 Indonesian universities in the global top 500 of the QS World University Rankings 2027; Universitas Padjadjaran entered the top 500 at #496. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking) | — | 12 Indonesian universities in the global top 1000 of the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education) | German Accreditation Council (Akkreditierungsrat), the joint institution of the Länder responsible for accreditation decisions covering study programs and higher education quality systems. [Accreditation Council] | BAN-PT (National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education), complemented by discipline-specific Independent Accreditation Agencies (LAM). Accreditation processes continued their transition to the SAPTO 2.0 system during 2026. [BAN-PT] |
| International Students (Total) | Approximately 420,000 international students and doctoral candidates in winter semester 2025/26, based on the DAAD snapshot-survey projection. [DAAD] | 8,050 foreign students were studying in Indonesian higher education institutions at the end of 2025. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
| International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%) | 12.7% in 2023 under the OECD’s internationally comparable tertiary-student definition. [OECD] | Approximately 0.07%, based on 8,050 foreign students and 10,754,154 registered tertiary students in 2025. [Kemdiktisaintek] |
Education Costs (Indicative)
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency) | Typically $0 tuition for bachelor’s and most master’s programs at state higher education institutions; semester contributions still apply. [DAAD] | A representative 2026/27 regular undergraduate UKT range at Universitas Indonesia is approximately $57–$1,590 per year, converted from IDR 500,000–14,000,000 per semester. Fees vary by institution, program and assigned contribution tier, and some programs charge more. [Universitas Indonesia] |
| Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency) | Typically $0 tuition at many state institutions, but exceptions apply for some non-EU students in Baden-Württemberg and at selected institutions in Bavaria. [DAAD] | Indicative foreign-student bachelor's tuition at Universitas Gadjah Mada is approximately $2,840–$5,280 per year, converted from IDR 25–46.5 million per semester. One-time institutional development fees are additional and vary by program. [UGM] |
| Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency) | — | Indicative public-university international or English-medium programs are approximately $1,760–$5,280 per year in current ITB postgraduate and UGM international undergraduate examples, excluding one-time charges and partner-university costs. [ITB] |
| Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency) | — | Approximately $200–$225 per month equivalent for UGM's 2026 INCULS regular Indonesian-language program, based on IDR 13,692,300 for a 15–17 week semester. [UGM] |
Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms |
General Overview (Narrative)
| Category | Germany | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Germany operates a federal, decentralized education system in which the 16 Länder hold primary responsibility for school organization, curricula and examinations, while the KMK coordinates cross-state standards and recognition. Compulsory full-time schooling begins around age 6 and normally lasts nine years, or ten in several Länder, with part-time vocational schooling requirements applying afterward to some pathways. General education is predominantly public, with about 91% of students in public schools in 2023/24. Germany also maintains a large vocational sector centered on the dual system of workplace and school-based training. In PISA 2025, Germany scored 464 in mathematics, 465 in reading and 486 in science; science was the highest-scoring domain. Higher education comprised 421 institutions in winter semester 2025/26, while state-recognized institutions offered nearly 2,400 English-taught degree programs in summer 2025. Current changes include the phased legal entitlement to all-day primary-school care from August 2026 and DigitalPakt 2.0 from September 2026. | Indonesia has a large public/private education system in which national ministries set curriculum and standards while provincial and district authorities manage much of school delivery. The standard structure consists of six years of primary, three years of junior secondary and three years of senior secondary education, with both general and vocational pathways. The statutory basic-education requirement remains nine years, while national policy is expanding access toward a 13-year model that includes one preschool year and education through senior secondary level. Public schools educate about two-thirds of primary and secondary students, alongside a large private and religious-school sector. Bahasa Indonesia is the main language of instruction. In PISA 2025, Indonesia scored 364 in mathematics, 365 in reading and 389 in science; OECD found no statistically clear change from 2022 in the three subjects. Higher education included 4,303 institutions and 10.75 million registered students in 2025. Current changes include deeper-learning approaches, optional Coding and AI subjects, TKA implementation and continued expansion of the 13-year education policy. |