The German Bundestag on Thursday, November 12, approved a bill that provides for mandatory assessment of language skills and general development of preschool children. Checks are to be carried out no later than four years of age, in order to timely identify the need for additional support before starting school.
This is reported on the official website of the Bundestag. The bill was supported by 457 deputies, 132 voted against, one abstained.
The document titled "Law on Improving Children's Starting Opportunities and the Quality of Preschool Education" (Startchancen- und Qualitätsentwicklungsgesetz) provides for checking not only knowledge of the German language, but also socio-emotional development, motor skills and initial mathematical abilities.
If the check reveals difficulties in the child's development, targeted support should be provided before school entry. Special attention will be paid to language preparation, since insufficient command of German can complicate further learning.
The new requirements will also apply to children who do not attend kindergartens. The procedure for conducting checks and providing assistance to such children will be determined by the federal states of Germany.
To implement the program, kindergartens are planned to be given additional personnel resources. Up to two hours of staff work is provided for assessing each child's development, and at least 30 minutes per week for planning and accompanying further support.
Additional funding and personnel will be provided primarily to institutions working with children from socially vulnerable families, in particular where German is not spoken at home. In each federal state, such support should cover at least 10% of kindergartens.
At the same time, as Tagesschau notes, the bill caused controversy due to financing. The opposition and representatives of the federal states criticize the reduction of federal support for preschool education in the coming years. In particular, the funding volume is to decrease from 2 billion euros per year to 1.5 billion euros in 2027 and approximately 1 billion euros from 2030.
For Ukrainian families residing in Germany and raising preschool children, the innovation will mean participation in the general system of assessing children's development. The document does not establish separate requirements specifically for Ukrainians.
The law still has to receive approval from the Bundesrat – the chamber representing the federal states. Its representatives have already warned of their intention to appeal to the conciliation committee due to disagreements over financing. If finally adopted, the law is to come into force at the beginning of 2027, and the main provisions will be implemented gradually.
According to materials from: Deutscher Bundestag, Tagesschau
