The German government wants to strengthen early childhood education. On Wednesday, the cabinet approved a bill drafted by Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) on quality development in childcare. One focus lies on determining the language and developmental level of four-year-olds, on providing them with targeted support, and on further measures to ease the transition into primary school.
"Equal Start and Quality Development Act is the decisive education policy course-setting of this legislative period," said Education and Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU). "With this law we want to strengthen early education nationwide through targeted impulses, and we are pulling together with the federal states."
"The gap between children with low and high socio-economic status opens up even before they start school and can hardly be closed afterwards," Prien warned. "With individual support that considers every child with their strengths, needs and interests, daycare centres can counteract this." This, she said, is "an investment that will pay off twice and three times over for society as a whole."
The law stipulates that data on the developmental level of all children is to be collected in various areas by the age of four at the latest. One focus is to be on language education, alongside social-emotional and motor development as well as mathematical abilities. According to the Education Ministry, this should also contribute to a smooth transition to primary schools. The law is due to enter into force in 2027, though individual provisions are to take effect gradually.
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