Introduction

Since the Second World War there has been a remarkable universality about some of the factors which compel the introduction of changes in the educational systems of developed countries. The educational systems of Europe, while they have influenced one another in a number of ways and mostly follow one of several dominant models, are none the less basically expressions of dissimilar national cultures. However in the case of the two German States, the Federal and Democratic Republics, the most daunting problems are obviated. Common in origin and culture until 1945, they have since undergone separate processes of development from opposed ideological points of departure. In the Federal Republic, West Germany, the desire remained strong throughout the period under review to retain the values that had traditionally impregnated the system, to preserve the traditional culture. In the Democratic Republic, the DDR, the purpose was systematically to transform it through radical change in the educational system.