For a long time, Germany drove its education model of the Weimar Republic, like an excellent Benz car. And in 2001, it suddenly turned out that the car was slightly outdated. The surprise was called a PISA shock. Then the educational machine was given a kick, without changing anything in the construction. The kick didn’t have an effect long.
Expat’s life
20 German Christmas desserts
It’s Christmas markets time and you can see a lot of unknown sweets there. Let’s study German Christmas desserts. Nowadays you can see most of them in a mass assortment of stores, but originally they were a special dish of a city or region that could only be tasted there, so they are often named after a particular city.
We have already descrive typical German Christmas cookies: Christmas cookies in Germany.
This post is about Christmas German cake, “fruit bread”, German gingerbread and other regional specialities.
School system in Saxony
Secondary school system in Saxony are one of the most conservative school systems in Germany and are similar in this sense to Bavaria, which is supported by good results at the general German level. But in recent years they are still trying to make it more flexible and give children a way out of the rigid sorting system.
What is Riester pension
Riester pension (Riester-Rente) exists since 2002 and is named after the Minister of Labor Walter Riester. This is a voluntary additional pension insurance, which is supported by the state with bonuses. It is believed that Riester pension is beneficial for families with children, low-income earners and high-earning singles. However, due to the high cost of maintenance and low interest rates, this type of savings is not so popular, as the government would like.
Used items in Germany: where to sell or buy, how they cheat
It’s a pity to throw away good used things, slightly scratched toys, once played puzzles, etc. At the same time, there are people who would like to save money. At least in theory they exist. Lately, I have begun to strongly doubt this, because even giving something away for free is extremely difficult. But this topic is not about the strange behavior of buyers who are so tired of inflation that they don’t take things for free, but about where you can sell/buy, how to find markets and how to avoid cheating schemes.
New heating law in Germany
The new heating law in Germany (in the media Heizungsgesetz, also known in full as Gebäudeenergiegesetzes, or, according to the German habit of abbreviating, GEG) was adopted with great noise and bang. Now the dust has settled a little and we can see what was born as a result. I must say that the worst thing is for those who need to decide right now, next year. Everyone else can save money, watch how others accumulate experience in use, and hope for the German bureaucracy, which will repeatedly delay the deadline. However, there is a risk that while you wait, the government will cancel compensation for reinstalling the heating system. Energy experts are definitely benefiting from the situation: instead of a bakery, we have an energy office that has moved into the entire first floor, which has suddenly become cramped in the old premises.
Cycle rules in Germany
This year I have often seen cyclists breaking the rules. Meanwhile, getting a fine by riding a bicycle is not that uncommon. Let’s look at the cycle rules in Germany, road signs and fines in this topic.
Description of a person’s appearance in German. 3. How to avoid repetition in essay
German language, with its very fixed order, requires special attention to repeating of the beginning of a sentence. Here we will look, how to avoid repetition in essay in German. Also, in any essay in any language, it is very important not to repeat verbs. In describing appearance, the verb “to have” is too active. Therefore, let’s explore alternative verbs and constructions.
Freiberufler in Germany: how to fill in Anlage S and Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung
In the topic “Part-time work in Germany” it was told about different forms of work, including “free” professions, that is, Freiberufler in Germany. People with free professions can work both full-time and nebenberuflich (that is, no more than a third of a full-time job), be employees or self-employed.
Now let’s learn how to inform the Finanzamt about the “free” activity and how to fill in Anlage S and Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung.
Books for 3-4 grade (in German library)
What to take your child to the library (in German in our case) is a hot topic for parents. It is good if the child reads actively, but if you have a boy or, as in my case, a boy, a boy and one more boy, then the task of not only teaching reading, but getting reading has a new level.