It could also be split between middle and high school in a way that actually makes sense. There's no reason not to treat it as 8 years instead of some random 4 there and some again. They have way too much choice. Teachers can't even pick the material for our finals in math, but no one cares about education off paper.
Wait, my bad. No one cares until the Chinese test for it, at which point the Americans get in, and we have to do it because big sister Germany is not allowed to be better at anything. That's better.