Upvote:2
Historically, German education had been hobbled (by contemporary standards) by several issues. Among them were the fact that German schools had their origins in the 18th century as religious schools (with separate schools for Catholics, Protestants and Jews), and that women were not allowed to attend the Gymnasium (post middle school) until 1908, and the university until 1920.
These issues were (mostly) resolved by the 1920s, leading to broader (less religious) training for a wider segment of the population. Also, education was made compulsory until the age of 18, also allowing for a more varied curriculum, particularly for "optional" courses. Finally, teacher training was improved.
Also, the post (First World) war era was one of social, political, and artistic experimentation (e.g. more rights for women, the Weimar Republic and the Bauhaus art style) that found their way into the schools. Although these trends were interrupted by the Nazi regime, they most likely impacted their students decades later, post the Second World War.