Kids, Exams and Vacations

Americans are used to fifty different state examination and graduation requirements.  Germans are used to the same type of situation, except now....some German experts are pushing for a one-nation exam and requirement list.  Presently, it's not moving ahead much.

Presently, you have sixteen German states who regulate and determine exams and schedules.  The schedule are the most critical part of German society today....which determines leave schedules at massive factories and how the German tourist system really works.

You see, when the state of Hessen lays out their school schedule for the next year.....it might correspond with  a couple of states, but it's not likely to match up with more than three or four.  So a major factory within Hessen will say that liberal leave is likely during this four-week period.  If you produce nuts and bolts.....it's very likely that you might ramp up the month before and produce 150 percent of your normal monthly amount, then the production cents goes on a limited operation schedule, and then ramps back up for a big production for a week or two.....to catch up with orders.  It's the German way.

Same way for Christmas.....spring break, etc.

Vacation packages?  Well....if you own a number of vacation cottages up in Denmark.....you have this eight week period when the German states will be in a revolving schedule....so you might pump up the pricing scheme for the entire eight weeks.  If there were only four weeks of vacation for all sixteen German states, then the vacation rental strategy gets pretty screwed up, and your profits get cut.

This vacation dilemma, is what drives a huge amount of opposition to fixing the exam business.  You want a single basic exam that can be readily produced and sent out the week prior to the exams.....so that no one can cheat.  And you'd like for the exam to all occur on the same day so that you have no kids walking around with prior knowledge of the answers.

This German mentality of no-cheating and no-knowledge of the test....drives the bulk of opposition.  Toss in the concern of German political figures over hectic autobahn traffic situations and a tremendous change to vacation pricing if this goes through.....it all means that it likely won't happen.