Reply #3: In Germany there are private schools also, but the standard of

[Cal33]

the private schools are lower than that of the public ones.

As far as pursuing an academic course is concerned, when a student fails,
s/he can repeat that year. If s/he fails that same year a second time,
s/he has to drop out. They can continue in a trade school if they wish.
If the parents can afford it, the student can continue an academic course
in private school. But they still have to take and pass the public school
final exams, if they wish to go on to university. There are some who
are in their 20s when they graduate from HS.

Education is free all the way up to a Ph.D. But one has to be pretty
good. The elimination rate is high. Of course, one's living expenses
must be considered, and they are not free. So, money still plays a role,
but a smaller one than here in the U.S.

I think we inherited our system from the British. Oxford and Cambridge
used to be only for the titled and the wealthy. Today there are
scholarships.