Kindergartens : Germany

Kindergartens are not part of the state school system but instead fall under child and youth services. Most of them are run by churches, charitable organizations and municipalities, some by firms or associations. Kindergarten staff focus their efforts on creating a learning environment in a social setting that will further the development of children into responsible members of society. The kindergarten is intended to support and supplement the education and upbringing provided by the family and compensate developmental deficiencies in order to afford children a broad range of opportunities for education and development. Children largely learn through play. As a rule, children attend kindergarten only in the morning. Only some of the kindergartens offer all-day care.

Since January 1996, children have had a legal right to attend a kindergarten. New kindergartens and child care establishments are being constructed so that by the end of 1998, all children in Germany should be able to exercise this legal right to a place in a kindergarten. Attendance will still be voluntary, however. Parents pay contributions for kindergarten attendance which are graduated according to their income. In 1994, approximately 67 percent of all children in Germany between the ages of three and six attended kindergartens.