The federal states should no longer have to finance the digital pact in the same amount as the federal government. This is an important step in the dispute over the billions of dollars. This compromise is evident in the $ 5 billion digital technology and learning content pact for schools.
There was a dispute over the share of federal states in the financing. Initially, it was planned that the federal government should take over 90 percent of the costs in the digital pact. For later projects a 50:50 financing between federal and state was provided.
But the countries locked themselves against it, because they feared a "uniform school policy from Berlin". Now the federal government no longer insists on this demand.
"The federal funds are provided in addition to their own resources of the countries," says the compromise proposal. A fixed rate of co-financing of the countries thus falls away. Earlier, "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and "Stuttgarter Nachrichten" had reported on the proposal.
Above all, federal funds should be used to improve the municipal education infrastructure. That was not clearly regulated so far.
More about digital school
Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) said in Stuttgart: "There must be a button by Easter, so much is clear." It could also be possible to reach an agreement very quickly. The federal states did not put themselves under pressure.
Originally, the first digital pact money should flow already in January. But after the federal states refused to approve in mid-December, the project was on hold.