ans have regained their unity. Since 3 October 1990, the Basic Law is binding upon the whole German nation.
The Responsibility for the Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany
The development in the different Länder of Germany is diverse. Each Land has its own responsibility, including individual legislation according to the basis of the Basic Law. There is cultural sovereignty between the 16 Länder. Educational legislation and administration of the education system are primarily the responsibility of the Länder. That means, here exist 16 school laws in Germany and 16 ministries of education and all together 16 different school landscapes. The 16 ministers of education established a Standing Conference to co-ordinate education policies and give recommendations for the further developments. This Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) has established a framework agreement to preserve the independence of each Land (Sovereignty of Culture "Kulturhoheit").
The Basic Law (Grundgesetz) is the framework for the education system. The responsibilities are determined by the federal structure of government. The exercise of governmental powers and the fulfilment of governmental responsibility is incumbent upon the individual Länder as far as the Basic Law does not provide for or allow for any other arrangement. Educational legislation and administration of the education system are primarily the responsibility of the Länder. This particular applies to the school system, higher education and the continuing education sector. Under the Basic Law and the constitutions of the Länder the entire school system is under the supervision of the state. Schools are, as a rule, institutions of the local authorities or the Länder, and higher education institutions are institutions of the Länder. In addition, there are church-run or privately-run schools and institutions of higher education.
The right of disabled children to education and training appropriate to their needs is enshrined in the Länder constitutions and more detailed provisions are set out in the educational legislation of the Länder.
The Ministries of Education, Cultural Affairs and Science in the Länder are the highest authorities responsible for education, science and culture. Their scope of responsibilities generally includes schools, higher education, libraries, adult education, arts and culture in general, relations between the state and religious or ideological communities, local history and the preservation of monuments and sites and in some Länder also sport and youth welfare.
The Ministries of Education, Cultural Affairs and Science develop policy guidelines in the fields of education, science and the arts, adopt legal provisions and administrative regulations, co-operate with the highest authorities at national and Land level and supervise the work of authorities under their purview and of subordinated bodies, institutions and foundations. to assist the ministries in their work the Länder have established their own research institutes for school education, higher and continuous education.
The Ministries of Education and Cultural Affairs are headed by a Minister (in Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg: Senator) who is answerable to parliament. The Minister is usually represented by a State Secretary (Staatssekretär/-sekretärin) or Director-General. In ten of sixteen Länder separate Ministries responsible for science and research have been established.
The instrument for co-operation among the Land governments in education is the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK). The KMK is based on an agreement between the Länder and deals with cultural policy matters of supra-regional importance, with the aim of forming a common viewpoint and a common will as well as representing common interests. Resolutions of the KMK have the status of recommendations. It is the political commitment of the competent Ministers 