This has been more like small talk for at least 700 pages.
I find it very interesting.
It’s not just about money, also the background. That surprised me when we last talked to the future neighbors; they are very concerned about whether their daughter should go to the Gymnasium or not. Quote roughly: "grade-wise she fits the Gymnasium but the demands are so high." Money for trips or tutoring is probably not a problem, he is self-employed in the IT sector. But he only went to the Hauptschule, she was, I believe, "only" at the Realschule. For them, the Gymnasium feels quite different compared to academics.
I think that’s good. There’s nothing like a relaxed school time.
Education is already predetermined. Even if a child is born with natural good intelligence, but the environment is difficult and there are no good role models, then the probability of making the leap simply diminishes immensely. And honestly... to those who are parents here: do your children have contact with kids from precarious backgrounds? So where should the role models come from?
As a child, I was once invited by a friend’s family to a week of riding holidays so she wouldn’t have to go alone. God, what luck that was for me. We could never have paid those 250 DM in our life.