The answer is that their education ends at age 17, they go into serve, and then come out into the reserves and can go to university or work or whatever after that term of service. If, for some reason, they do not pass out of their secondary education at 17, they can petition to go in a year later for service in order to finish up their primary education.

The principality has standardized primary schools, but after that, the kids take proficiency tests and so forth at age 12 to establish which sort of secondary education they receive. There are, of course, also private schools for upper class types...that is to say, rich failures.

Secondary education types include, broadly: 
[indent] - Gymnasium - Classical education, university track for arts and literature and languages. Those that pass are automatically admitted into University, though not necessarily on scholarship, after Service.
- Realschule - As above, but a focus on modern languages and mathematics and scientific education. Those that pass are automatically admitted into University, though not necessarily on scholarship, after Service.
- Hauptschule - Education for two years, with some passing into apprenticeships or work for two years before Service.
- Private Schools - Generally, they mirror the Gymnasium, but have a bit of stigma attached -- they're 'daddy's money' schools for those that didn't make the cut into a Gymnasium or a Realschule...[/indent]

After graduating secondary school, Augstbergers, by law, do their service, unless they are physically or mentally unfit.