But if you need to convert the Kenyan Cert to a German equivalent, (what you do at the Anerkennungstelle) then your grade will decide which you get, the worst is usually the equivalent to a Hauptschulabschluss (you can’t do an Ausbildung with this).
When 2 people with the same grade send in their certificates to the Anerkennungstelle, they will get different German equivalents depending on the person who works on your certs, the State you live in, the weather etc If you’re lucky, they work out for your good.
You do not need to send your cert to the Anerkennungstelle if you are applying to a University, as they might convert to a level that won’t allow you to join Uni; ofcourse that’s if you have a grade higher than C+.
I’ve heard of people that joined Uni with a grade lower than C+, so before you send it to the Anerkennungstelle, try your luck, just might get you into a Uni
The Grundschule is the equivalent of primary school in Kenya, though the German one only goes till class 4.
After that the every best move on to the Gymnasium, average (undecided) students to Realschule and those below average to Hauptschule. Some parents in some states opt for Gesamtschule which allows all students to learn together and buy time before they can make a final decision on which way to take.
After Gymnasium, you get the Abitur which qualifies you to join Uni.
At the Gesamtschule depending on your grades, you can proceed to get an Abitur or Fachhochschulreife which will both take you to Uni or get you an Abiturausbildung or you get the Realschulabschluss or Mittlerereife that gets you a good Ausbildung.
At Realschule you get the Realschulabschluss or Mittlerereife which are both prerequisites to most Ausbildungen. A student who has chosen this route, would have to go through the Ausbildung before joining Uni. In some cases they might have to go through Abendgymnasium after the Ausbildung to qualify to join Uni. Some may also opt to proceed to a Gymnasium to get the Abitur, this will depend on the grade and the State.
At Hauptschule, you get the Hauptschulabschluss, this might get you an Ausbildung but it’s the bottom of the bunch. According to statistics, very few employers will take up an Azubi (apprentice) with a Hauptschulabschluss. Depending on the grade, some are allowed to proceed further and get a Realschulabschluss which increases their chances at getting an Ausbildung.
Pupils are allowed to change schools in between depending on their grades. In some areas, you have inspectors who will come regularly to schools to check on the progress of students and also to check on whether the pupils are in the correct school. After such inspections, most pupils may find themselves being transferred to better or worse schools depending on their progress.
For those on the other hand that find themselves with their KCSE Certificate converted to a less than appealing Abschluss, some employers are more forgiving of a converted “hauptschulabschluss” than the same from a German school.
