Basic Law, Article 7, para. 1

The entire school system shall be under the supervision of the state.

NRW State Constitution, Art. 10, para. 1

The foundation of the school system of North Rhine-Westphalia is a primary school that all children are obligated to attend... The talents and aptitude of the child shall be the deciding factors for enrolment, not the financial situation or social status of the parents.

The Basic Law places legal responsibility for education and schooling in the hands of the state. By providing public schools and overseeing private schools, the state strives to ensure the competitiveness of education in Germany and sufficiently equal opportunities for children and young adults.

The photograph depicts a primary school in Neuss, founded in 1959 and currently attended by around 370 pupils.

The school is organised according to a central timetable, the Stundentafel, which has not yet been digitalised at this particular school. A teacher on the school administration team assigns teaching personnel to the school's classes of pupils.