Saxony with a high proportion of skilled workers in daycare centers

Saxony ranks second in a nationwide comparison of the proportion of pedagogically qualified specialists in daycare centers. According to the Bertelsmann Stiftung's "State Monitor of Early Childhood Education Systems", an average of 92.4 percent of all educational staff per daycare center in Saxony were specialists as of March 1, 2024. The frontrunner is Thuringia, with an average of 94.3% of specialist staff per daycare team.

East German states with significantly higher ratios

With the exception of Berlin (74.6%), the eastern states also perform better overall than the rest of Germany: in the east, the ratio of specialists is 87%, in the west 69%. The average across Germany is 72%. Bavaria is by far the worst performer nationwide with 54.5 percent.

Many daycare centers with a high ratio of skilled staff

Saxony also came in second place after Thuringia and Saxony in terms of the proportion of daycare centers with a high ratio of skilled staff. Almost 86 percent of facilities had this ratio.

A high ratio of specialist staff is given if at least 82.5 percent of the educational staff in a daycare center have at least a relevant technical college degree. This figure is based on a recommendation by the Early Education Working Group of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs.

Leipzig brings up the rear in Saxony

There are differences between the districts and independent cities in Saxony. The highest proportion of daycare centers with a high ratio of specialists was in Chemnitz (93.3 percent) and the Vogtland district (92.6 percent), the lowest in Leipzig (73.7 percent) and the district of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains (79.4 percent).

Who is considered a specialist with formal pedagogical qualifications?

A relevant university or technical college degree and therefore the formal pedagogical qualification is held by social pedagogues, social workers, educators, educationalists, childhood educators or curative educators, for example, according to the foundation. The connection between the ratio of qualified staff and the quality of daycare centers has been scientifically proven. The regulations on who is allowed to work in a daycare center without formal educational qualifications vary greatly depending on the federal state.