ABSTRACT
The new states were expected to establish their separate school laws in less than half a year. he school laws represented a remarkable achievement, but the time constraints inevitably led to the adoption of many provisions from the partner states of the old Federal Republic. Each school law defines the role of administrators in running schools, but it also makes clear the broader role of representative groups, including the so-called school conferences, teacher conferences, subject conferences, class conferences and parent representatives. The structural reform in East German education has probably been the most extensively discussed and debated. Brandenburg also stipulates that sex education must be a part of the general school curriculum and it must deal with biological, ethical, and cultural elements related to sex. Day-care is one of the few structural issues where a certain continuity of the old German Democratic Republic school can be seen. However, day-care is being accentuated to different degrees in the various new states.
