Most people still associate primary school with learning reading, writing and arithmetic, i.e. the basic cultural techniques of a modern, literacy-oriented society. The current content expectations of children up to year 4 of elementary school are formulated in a more differentiated form, broken down by subject, in the educational standards and core curricula of the state of Hesse. What is relatively new here is the approach of describing the minimum competencies that should be achieved, instead of the previously prevalent description of "subject matter" to be covered in the form of curricula. The Hessian education and upbringing plan "Bildung von Anfang an" (BEP) has been in force in Hesse since 2007, not only for the pre-school sector but also for elementary school. It defines five "visions" that can be regarded as central to the education and upbringing of children up to the end of primary school; these are

• "strong children",
• "communicative and media-competent children",
• "creative, imaginative and artistic children",
• "children who learn, explore and discover" and
• "responsible and value-oriented children".

In Year 4, children, their parents and teachers have to make an important transitional decision about where to go from Year 5 in the still structured school system. The grades in the main subjects, the work and social behavior from the point of view of the teachers and, in Hesse, not least the will of the parents play a role here.

In this respect, elementary school plays a decisive role in the further course of education.