Computer Talk in Germany for Schools

In general, German states (the 16 of them) run their own school 'business'.  So you can go from state to state....finding slight variations on how things are run....how teachers are hired....how certain books are used here but not in another state.  Up until the 1930s....this was standard practice, then the Nazis got into the act, and made it a nationally-run program.  After the war, the Bundestag leadership decided that they were revert back to a state-by-state program.

This past month or two....an issue has come up where the Bundestag is on a 'mission' to write itself back into some form of management over the state's school system.  The particular 'slant'?  Digitalization, basically the introduction of computers, rights for students to have computers, etc.

I'll reference part of this story back to the ARD (public German TV, Channel One) from this morning.

The big push?  Well....to make this mandatory....the Bundestag wants to write this as a Constitutional Right.  The first part of the plan has gone through....the Bundestag packaged this up and it passed there.  But to be part of the Constitution....you have to go to the state chamber itself.....where the states have representatives and rights.  Here, the Bundesrat....there's this little rule.  If five of the sixteen state members stand up....saying 'no'....it can't be pass.

Well....five states stood up (Hessen and Bavaria are in the mix).

Their fear is that the Berlin crowd would have a strong hand over money/funding, and that would cripple any worries by individual states to monitor or lead their own education program.

In simple terms....they don't want Berlin-directed orders.

What kind of funding is the federal government offering?  Five billion Euro.  Is it enough?  No one says.  You can sit and imagine all the schools in Germany, the LAN system required, the TABs, the educational programs, etc. 

My guess is that some of the negativity goes to the funding issue and the fact that everyone wants a funnel that isn't limited to three to five years....they want an eternal amount of money flowing each and every year....without having to go back and beg the Bundestag every couple of years for more cash flow.  They have a point, but getting an eternal path of funding?