One of the advantages of driving a car with a manual transmission is, generally, the person who is learning has to at least superficially understand the relationship between the car's engine and the transmission.
This complete and utter failure of what passes for driver's education here in the States to actually teach students how a f'n motor vehicle mechanically functions is one of the great headscratchers.
Germany's programs go into a lot of detail and the student comes out of the training having actually learned something besides how to stick the key in the ignition, turn it on, put the thing in Drive, and drive to the mall.