In the German educational system, there exist a huge variety of pathways to the acquisition of school leaving certificates or admission qualifications. Firstly, these pathways and their quantitative significance are described in detail. Based on the fact that the achievement of students with the same school leaving certificates is heavily influenced by the school type by which the certificate has been awarded, the question is raised whether school type-specific learning and teaching conditions exist which might explain those differences. To answer this question, access conditions to school pathways, awarding conditions of certificates, opportunities to learn, the professional qualification of teachers, and the composition of students are considered. The findings show that the most favorable conditions exist at school types, which traditionally lead to the general certificate of secondary education (level I) or to the general certificate of access to higher education.

Keywords
permeability, comparability, transitions, mobility, school career, general education, vocational education