kato

  There are only two such institutions in Germany - the Arbeitnehmerkammer in Bremen and the Arbeitskammer in Saarland. They're based on state law. Non-members, i.e. anyone who is not employed in these two states, can not use their services.   All employees in these respective states are members of these chambers, and pay a mandatory contribution fee of 0.15% of their gross salary. In Bremen (only there) former employees, i.e. unemployed with last contract in the state, also remain members.      

  Entry-level salaries for an employed academic in this kinda field (sic) are probably in the region of probably broadly 35,000 +- a couple thousand.

VBL is a separate employer-based pension insurance, and has nothing to do with regular pension insurance.   You also should have gotten a stack of advertising material from them by mail when your employer signed you up for it...

  In case you need further reasons in favor of that decision:   A marriage of an uncle or other non-directly-related person does not constitute sufficient reason to remove a kid from school. Examples for valid reasons are given in §4 (3) 9. There is no examption for "foreign background families" in any regard as the child is under 14.   Fines for absentism in Baden-Württemberg are capped at 1000 Euro in Baden-Württemberg. However, absentism on this scale and with such intention would require the school to also inform the Jugendamt due to Kindeswohlgefährdung, which may take the necessary step in order to ensure the child is not deprived of its rights (such as temporary removal of the child from the family, enforcing school attendance using police, additional fines and jail possibilities for the responsible parent).   You cannot "settle this in a court" - for about 230 Euro a lawyer might tell you that.   I assume the wedding is planned to be in Pakistan? With regard to the pandemic: You're aware that holding indoor wedding parties is currently banned in Pakistan? You do know that you'll have to prove you're negative with PCR tests both before departing Germany and before departing Pakistan in your travel, followed by mandatory quarantine in Germany after arriving back? You do know that breaking this quarantine may result in fines of up to 25,000 Euro or up to three years prison? And just in general: You realize that there is an active travel warning that includes that flights from and to Pakistan may be cancelled without notice at any time?