Need for Action on Early Childhood Education – New Plan for Saxony

Parents Set a Poor Example for Children When It Comes to Media Consumption

“We need to think about overall personality development. In the age of digital media, this is urgently needed,” said Clemens. He sometimes feels that parents set a poor example for their children when it comes to media consumption. “In many families today, there is less conversation and fewer activities at home. Parents are stressed after a long day at work.” Against this backdrop, daycare centers must devote more attention to the children.

According to Clemens, there is plenty of time to implement the plan

According to the minister, the Early Childhood Education and Care Plan provides a scientific foundation and is intended to serve as a compass and a kind of curriculum for early childhood educators. It goes into effect on January 1. Clemens does not see any risk that the deadline for implementation is too tight. “The facilities will receive concrete guidance on how to implement the plan on their own.”

There should be no compromises in its implementation

“Implementing the Education and Upbringing Plan requires supporting materials, which we are currently developing,” said Clemens. Despite pressure to cut costs, there will be no compromises in its implementation. He also does not believe the training will place an additional burden on staff. This was a concern raised by the Education and Science Union (GEW), for example, which believes daycare centers are already operating at their limit.

Clemens compares the Education and Development Plan to a curriculum

“We offer training; we provide materials. The Education and Development Plan itself is a tool that educators—all pedagogical staff in daycare centers—are supposed to use. When a new curriculum is introduced, that isn’t linked to an improvement in the staff-to-child ratio either. The implementation of the education and learning plan can take place during preparation and follow-up time.”

Daycare centers should decide for themselves how to use their funds

“We have significantly increased a portion of daycare funding; we now provide municipalities with 367 euros per child per year and have agreed to index-link the daycare flat rate,” said the Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs. Municipalities can decide for themselves whether to spend more money on staff. “If a municipality wants to keep its daycare center open despite declining enrollment or improve its staff-to-child ratio, it can decide that for itself.”

Clemens Supports Social Index for Daycare Funding

Clemens welcomes the agreement reached in the federal coalition agreement to identify language and developmental deficits at an early stage through a nationwide standardized assessment of four-year-olds and subsequently offer needs-based support in the facilities. However, the federal government must also provide the necessary funding for this. The federal government’s planned Quality Development Act—a central element of daycare quality—must now be enacted swiftly and must also incorporate a social index. Support is needed above all for facilities located in neighborhoods with social challenges.

Clemens does not consider a federal education plan for all children in Germany to be necessary. Education is a matter for the states, and there is also a need for a “competition of ideas.” “Every state has its own history, its own ambitions, and its own social structure. Daycare centers, in particular, have a distinct East German character. “In the east, nine-hour care is the norm. We have highly qualified staff for this.”

Nevertheless, Clemens considers common guidelines and Germany-wide standards to be a logical consequence of the mandatory screening of four-year-olds. “The goal is to provide more targeted support and make effective use of the two years leading up to school enrollment. I am convinced that much more can be achieved in early childhood education.”

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