Kindergarten

The Kindergarten is an institution of public or private early child care / day care, education of the child.

• 4.1 Germany 4.1.1 Fees for parents
• 4.1.2 costs

• 5.1 United Kingdom
• 5.2 Sweden
• 5.3 Finland
• 5.4 Hungary
• 5.5 United States 5.5.1 Kindergarten
• 5.5.2 Child Day Care
• 5.5.3 Early Intervention Programs

Overview

The nursery is a facility for children, the third and completed their fourth year of life in Switzerland in Germany and in Austria must be at least two and a half years old, but not yet go to school. Having said that, it usually speaks at devices / groups for younger children of the nursery and the nursery at devices / groups for children of primary school age. In the spirit of Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel, the founder ( founders actually ) of the first kindergarten, the term is now used more frequently as a collective term for all the facilities of day care for children.

The kindergarten is associated with the social sector in Germany and Austria, in Germany it is part of the Children and Youth Services, in Austria he ressortiert in the area of ​​"social security ". This is associated with socio-educational orientation with a education, training and support contract. The nursery supplements the family education; it provides children with advanced and comprehensive experience and training opportunities on the family environment also. In contrast to education, the state has in the child day care no independent, independent of parental rights order. This order of the kindergarten is derived from the parental rights and transmit it through the ( care ) contract. As part of the education debate, which has been reinforced, the average performance in the international PISA studies in Germany, the attention shifted to the educational mission of the kindergarten (see also preschool).

In Switzerland, the kindergarten is part of the school system. Outside of school hours, the children are at home or be cared for in the crèche. The kindergarten is regulated on a cantonal or municipal depending on the canton.

There, the term kindergarten students is also used sometimes. Otherwise kindergarten children in Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Vorarlberg are often referred to as Kindergärtler.

In terms of opening times can roughly distinguish three forms:

• Part-time care, morning and / or afternoon
• Extended morning offer, from morning until after lunch
• Full day care from morning until late afternoon. These facilities are called in Germany often daycare (short Kita ), day care or day nursery. Lately carriers offer in terms of the compatibility of family and career are increasingly extended care hours, which start very early in the morning ( 5:30 clock ), to include in the late evening rich (20 clock ) and Saturdays and places to stay.

In most German kindergartens operate different educational professionals, such as educators, childhood educators, social workers, nursery nurses and social workers. In Austria, trained kindergarten teachers, child minders and support forces are employed in kindergartens. In Switzerland, teaching at colleges of education trained kindergarten teachers.

Be entertained in Germany kindergartens - regionally in very different proportions - by free carriers or by local authorities. Free carriers are especially church organizations, institutions of independent welfare, clubs and parent associations or private sector support.

In addition to or in addition to the regular nurseries there are special education and special education kindergartens, which are usually operated as an integrative kindergartens, child care ie with and without disabilities or special needs together. At times kindergartens are characterized by a special offer or educational profile, such as forest kindergartens, farm nursery schools, Montessori nurseries or kindergartens. There are also kindergartens, which are conducted in the language and according to the educational foundations of other countries (for example, French, Italian or Spanish kindergartens ).

Increasingly, the devices are no longer operated by age groups ( nursery, kindergarten, nursery ) or by target groups separately ( children with special educational needs ), but in an integrated or at least a combined form.

History

Historical Background

By having the Industrial Revolution associated rural exodus and the replacement of the extended family, the family and social circumstances in which children were growing up changed dramatically. Women were increasingly involved in the industrial production process. Especially in the rapidly growing cities with mass accommodation inadequate housing and living conditions neglected the children.

From the Child care to kindergarten as an educational concept

The first type of kindergarten was founded in Germany in 1780 in Straubing in life. For the overall development of pre-primary education was inter alia the forgotten Terez Countess of Brunszvik important. Named founded on June 1, 1828, the first child care facility under the name "Angel Garden " in Buda. In her early years she lived among others in Switzerland, where she met Pestalozzi. This meeting was crucial for their future. She was a pioneer of women's education in Hungary. She herself founded eleven kindergartens, vocational school, a girls' high educational institution (in collaboration with her niece, Countess Blanka Teleki ) and a home economics school. 1836 she called a club for the opening of kindergartens in life. Your educational experience, she gave up her travels to Germany ( Munich and Augsburg ), England, Italy, etc. further. Until her death in 1861, the number of kindergartens in Hungary grew up on 80th Countess called on the government to control the education of kindergarten teachers and wrote several books about the importance of early childhood education. Since 1837, the kindergarten teachers training runs continuously in Hungary, since September 1, 1959 as a university degree.

After the first approaches towards the end of the 18th century, including Johann Friedrich Oberlin, Louise Scheppler or 1802 Pauline of Lippe founded in 1840 in Thuringia Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel the first kindergarten in Germany in Blankenburg. Two years earlier, the Marlis houses pastor Johann Samuel Ferdinand Blumroder had founded a small Child care in the to black -Sonderhausen belonging to the village. Five years before the first Froebel kindergarten of the Erfurt-born composer Carl Reinthaler had ( 1794-1863 ) stimulated the formation of a so-called waiting and care facility for small children, which is also known as a waiting school association. Together with five "honorable men " of the city, was signed the Memorandum on May 23, 1835 Meeting room of the municipal arms Commission. As seen from the still completely preserved documents of that time can be seen standing on the opening day, July 20, 1835, a single mother with her child in front of the gate of the hospital in which the little ones should be initially protected and preserved (twelve had been expected). A specially a registered woman took care of the ever -increasing crowd of children, which grew quickly to 20 to 30 children.

Friedrich Froebel is the "father" of the kindergarten. The discovery of the name of the designated kindergarten teacher as a revelation that happened to him in the spring of 1840, a hike of Blankenburg to Keilhau. For him, the child in the children's garden should be cared for and nurtured like a plant. Originally the facility for children from approximately 2 to 7 years should be a place of contemplation for mothers, which Friedrich Froebel zusprach the critical importance in the education of children, to show them the handling of the products developed by the educators employment agents and game gifts. General should radiate into the family from kindergarten boost.

Until 1846 there were first "real" according to Froebel kindergartens thoughts in Anna Castle, Lünen, Dresden, Frankfurt am Main, Homburg, Gotha and Quetz.

In 1851 the kindergarten banned in Prussia "because of atheistic tendencies." Was in charge of the then Prussian Minister Karl Otto von Raumer. For the " Royal. Prussian Ministry of the clergy, teaching and medical affairs " were Friedrich Froebel's educational views as pernicious and completely baseless (quoted Nacke, 1853, p 358). On the initiative of Fröbelepigonin Bertha von Bülow Marenholtz and social politician Adolf Lette kindergarten prohibition was repealed in 1860. This paved the way for the establishment of kindergartens, in particular, women were active in succession Froebel. For example, Angelika Hartmann founded 1864 in Köthen (Anhalt) a kindergarten after Froebel and 1876 the "Leipziger Froebel club ".

An important man for the development of the kindergarten was the pedagogue August Köhler. He was in 1863 next to Eleanor Heerwart, Minna Schellhorn, Julie Traberth and Auguste Möder, initiator and co-founder of the "German Froebel Association", first for Thuringia, later, from the 1872 " General Froebel club " and one year, 1873, which emerged " German Froebel Association ". Köhler developed an independent " Köhler Kindergarten Pedagogy ". He was also co-founder and first editor of the first journal for the nursery, which first appeared in 1860 under the title Children's Garden and elementary class.

The proportion of children for whom there was a nursery available already reached in 1910 about 13%. This remained the case in the Weimar Republic that. From about 1920, widespread increases the Montessori education. Clara Grunwald founded in 1925 the " German Montessori Society " and Käthe Stern argued for the " Advanced Montessori system." This attempted a synthesis with the Froebel Education manufacture, keeping in consideration the latest insights of developmental psychology (among other things by Rosa Katz, Charlotte Bühler, Hildegard Hetzer and Martha Muchow ).

In the period from 1933 to 1945, the kindergarten in the focus of the National Socialist ideology. This was of particular importance to the education of typical German boys and girls:

During the Nazi dictatorship, the number of kindergarten places in Germany was more than doubled ( supply rate in 1941: 31%).

After the collapse of the Nazi dictatorship, the educational guiding principles for the nursery in East and West have changed differently. In both German states, the pre- institution developed from a predominantly Aufbewahranstalt an important educational institution, a place for tires and learning. While the education into a " free personality " was important in Germany, stood for the kindergartens in the GDR, the "socialist morality" in the foreground:

The kindergarten of the GDR was part of the general education system, who stood with other social institutions such as family, school, Young Pioneers, the People's Police, etc. in close connection. His task was by Netti Christensen, a leading East German scientist of the kindergarten teachers, the fact " that results from the construction of our anti -fascist democratic order: to educate our children to progressive Democrats to conscious and active builders of a brighter and happier future for our people ".

The end of 1971 were in Germany for 100 children at kindergarten places available:

• 72.2 Places in Stuttgart
• 59.6 Places in Wurzburg
• 59.3 Places in Saarbruecken
• 58.4 Places in Mainz
• 57.1 Places in Frankfurt
• 48.0 Places in Augsburg
• 43.9 Places in Nuremberg
• 43.1 courses in Munich
• 40.4 Places in Regensburg
• 39.1 Places in Dortmund
• 33.9 Places in Cologne
• 31.8 Courses in Bremen
• 30.7 places in West Berlin
• 23.4 courses in Hamburg
• 17.5 Places in Kiel

In the GDR there were in 1972 about 11,359 kindergartens in which 659,000 children were cared for. In the pre-school education were available for 100 children of preschool age 69.2 spaces available. 1989 could be found a place in a kindergarten available when needed virtually every child.

A special form of the kindergarten is the school kindergarten.

The kindergarten as an educational institution

The pedagogy of early childhood and kindergarten as a classic place accompanying education are currently the focus of public discussion. The kindergarten as an important institution in the educational structure has attracted the interest of professionals, politicians and large segments of the population. Currently, the transition from kindergarten takes place as an educational institution with a strong support contract back to kindergarten as an educational institution. The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has this (often abbreviated NQI ) launched in 1999 the far-reaching National Quality Initiative in the system of day facilities for children to life. In parallel, several states have designed programs to improve the quality of education. Initiatives such as PIK ( professionals in kindergartens ) of the Robert Bosch Foundation striving for a professionalization of the work. In the federal system of Germany, the federal states have developed their own educational plans, the formation split up into different areas, but always taken a holistic view of education. The child should be encouraged holistic individually in its plants and stages of development. Here are the resources and not the deficits of the individual child in the foreground. The orientation plan in Baden- Württemberg, for example, stressed that education is not to be understood as schooling and learning contents are moved from primary school to the daycare. The goal of the orientation plan is that child care centers expand understood on the basis of the latest findings in cognitive science as the primary educational institutions in terms of a holistic promotion. The children are encouraged her individual talents accordingly and deficits are detected early. Focus is on the so-called education and development fields. These include the areas of body, speech, thought, feeling and compassion, as well as the meaning, values ​​and religion.

A study on the cost-benefit ratio of the Institute of the German Economy in Cologne from 2006, commissioned by the Initiative for a New Social Market Economy, came to the conclusion that an area-wide provision of free half -day places in Germany cost, although initially around 3.6 billion euros in addition would this issue, however, would soon than compensated by better early childhood education, especially for children from so-called educated classes, more. Kindergarten places are not free in Germany and there is no obligation for parents to allow their children to attend a kindergarten or a comparable institution.

Legal right

Germany

Since 1996, in Germany there is a legal right under the Child and Youth Welfare Act ( KJHG ) to a ( half-day ) kindergarten (Federal Constitutional Court in its judgment in the § 218 of the Criminal Code, see § 24 SGB VIII ) for children from the age of three until they start school. For younger and older children should be provided as required courses. Some states have state law determines a further legal claim. This is sometimes conditioned: The children have a claim if their parents are working or otherwise prevented from carrying on their education as required. Again, this claim is not necessarily linked to residence nearby, but ensure only within the municipality.

Due to a new regulation in KJHG lie since before 2006 data on occupied seats in the child care centers and family day care, the attendance rates, number and training of professionals and childminders etc.. These data are collected annually as of 15 March and now allow differentiated statements about the usage behavior and the structure of supply for Germany as a whole, the individual states to the district level. In particular, the service rates / enrollment rates (proportion of looked after children in the total population of the relevant age group) will find a lively and public interest, for the years 2006 and 2012 are shown in the table.

Fees for parents

The height of the kindergarten fee is set by the individual municipalities in Germany and varies considerably in Germany. In some municipalities, and in some states there is free care at least for certain age groups. Usually in differentiation of the costs on the number and age of children, household size, length of service time and the parents' income.

According to one study were in kindergarten the year 2009/2010 in 100 surveyed municipalities the cost of caring for a four year old child in the second year of kindergarten for the daily minimum visit time (minimum 4 hours) for one year between € 0 and € 1,752 ( for a family of models with € 45,000 gross annual income ) or € 2,520 ( for a family of models with € 80,000 gross annual income ). The cost for the simultaneous care of a three and a half year old child in the first year of kindergarten and a five and a half year old child together amounted to € 2,672 ( € 45,000 income ) or € 3,696 ( € 80,000 income ). 85 % of families with children have one or two children.

Costs

The total cost of a nursery / crèche / nursery - space consist of the required labor costs, material costs and operating costs. A church in Saxony quantified these costs in 2009 for a 6 -hour care on a monthly € 1,020 for a nursery place, € 471 for a nursery place, 413 € for a day nursery place.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the per capita expenditure for a child in the age group from 3 years amounted to school age in a facility in public ownership to 6100 euros in 2009 and 5900 euros in a nursery in free sponsorship.

Austria

In Austria there is no such legal right. In practice there may be in some areas, waiting times from the date of filing to record up to one year. However, since the birth rate is declining, more places are available at least in the urban areas. The kindergartens are a matter for the federal states. Accordingly, cost contributions by parents are different. In some states, is only paying for the food, in others the costs are staggered socially. Often cover private nursery, but they are more expensive, off-peak times from that are not covered by public institutions due to lack of greater demand.

From the autumn of 2009, the kindergarten was but, at least for five to six year old children, mandatory. All five year old children must therefore go to the extent of 16 to 20 hours at least four days a week in the nursery. To ensure that such children have a legal right to a place and take precedence over younger children. The cost of the morning care of these Kinden be taken over by countries. This kindergarten year, although usually the last, but since the law is formulated precisely in this age group, it affects children do not, for example, be enrolled in school for health reasons or immigration later and are in their last year of kindergarten already six years old.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, in most cantons a legal right to a kindergarten attendance of one or two years. A draft of the Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education ( EDK) of 16 February 2006 also stipulates that children occur from the age of four years mandatory in a nursery or a so-called input stage. In certain cantons such as Basel-Stadt the kindergarten requirement already exists. Go present in most of the cantons of Switzerland, the children of 5 and 6 in the nursery, so before starting school. Typical is a stint of about 60% or 6 half days. Administratively, the kindergartens in most cantons are schulnah positioned. However, significant changes currently underway. In the context of the changing social and family structures block times are introduced in many communities, and the number of so-called day nurseries, where children can stay over lunch to eat, increases. Where as a result of work of parents nevertheless care gaps, they are often covered by lunchtime clubs, nurseries, childminders or grandparents. This development in kindergartens runs parallel to that in the schools ( block times, day schools ) and has a similar political dynamic.

International comparison

United Kingdom

The first school year is called in England and Wales "Reception" or the " year zero ". Nurseries, which are not integrated in the school system are called " Nursery School ". The term Nursery School is also often replaced by the term kindergarten, but only for advertising purposes. In Scotland the term Kindergarten is not the name for Nursery School in general. The first year of education is referred to in Scotland as "Primary 1".

Sweden

In Sweden, for example, is seen as a teacher educator. The staff has high school, and most have a teaching degree with an emphasis on kindergarten / preschool. The kindergarten is already at an earlier age of the children, from about 1 year. Entitled to a paid full-time nursery place have until the last year before school starts but only children whose parents are working, when two parents both must be in employment. If this is not the case, there is only entitled to 15 hours a week. The costs depend on total income, but have a maximum rate of 1260 SEK / month (2006). The second child pays half, the third is free. For the year prior to the start of school each child is entitled to a free place in the preschool. The four-hour per day participation is voluntary for the children. In kindergarten they learn how to deal with complex situations as well as the alphabet. It is crafted, sung and read and linguistic skills will be trained at an early stage. Consciousness are suspended complex pictures with people and cultural achievements instead of bunnies and stick figures.

Because of the high proportion of migrant children will use the language support in the day-care facilities now a broad area.

Finland

The Finnish education system is considered according to the PISA study as one of the best in the world. Applies, for example, the following for kindergartens in Finland: The senior teachers have high school diploma and a university degree. The nursery school is available for children from the first year of life. The group size is about 14 children. Learning a foreign language or science experiments in kindergarten are encouraged.

Hungary

Hungary played an important role in the development of kindergartens, see the section " History ". Kindergarten teachers in Hungary is higher education for decades. In Hungary, every child from the age of entitlement to a Preschooler place in his diocese. Individual variations are possible. The maintenance of kindergartens - in addition to private organizations - the object of the community self-governments. The kindergarten attendance is compulsory from the age of five. The children are prepared to participate in the group and on school life. The educational work of the kindergartens is free. Only the food and part of that may apply learning tools must be paid. When calculating the fees the current social situation of the family is meticulously respected. Many are exempt from payment. The Hungarian kindergarten is pedagogically adapted to full-time care. The visiting hours of a child can still be held fully adapted to the individual needs of the family.

United States

Kindergarten

The first private kindergarten in the United States was German and was founded in 1856 by the Froebel student Margarethe Schurz in Watertown (Wisconsin ) was founded. A monument is a reminder of it. She was the wife of Carl Schurz, who had fled from Germany to the revolutionary freedom fighter of 1848. Elizabeth Peabody was inspired by Margarethe Schurz and instruct in the Froebel ideas and founded in 1860 in Boston ( Massachusetts) the first English-language kindergarten. The German emigrants, journalist and educator Adolph Douai (1819-1888) also had in Boston - but in 1859 - founded the first public ( German ) Kindergarten according to the ideas of German educator Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel ( 1782-1852 ); more kindergartens founded Douai then from 1866 in New York City. The concept of kindergarten sat by William Nicholas Hailmann as part of the school system.

Today in the United States kindergartens are almost always the primary schools ( Elementary Schools ) attached that are part of the American school system. This nursery is a one year program - the so-called grade "K" -, are taught in the basic skills including in literacy and numeracy. Participation is free and voluntary. Staffing American kindergartens is much better than that of kindergartens in Germany. For example, working with children with learning disabilities is easier than in this country, since the appropriate personnel in addition to the regular staff / inside, is available thanks to the No Child Left Behind program, which belongs to the general U.S. education policy and not just the kindergarten. After registration, however, there is a strict curriculum. The school day of kindergarten children is largely that of the other primary school pupils ( All Day, Every Day Kindergarten ). However, there is this All Day, Every Day Kindergarten only in some states. In the other countries the children go so only every other day (usually Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday or Tuesday, Thursday and Friday each other ) to school or the whole week before or the afternoon. In the nursery the visit of the first class follows. The classes are for newly composed and get new teachers or teachers. The date of enrollment is not the beginning of the first class, but the admission of the child is celebrated in the kindergarten in most American families.

Child Day Care

From kindergarten as part of the public education system, the other early education and care programs are to be distinguished, which are available in the U.S. in large numbers and diversity. The German daycare correspond most closely the Day Care Centers and Nursery Schools, the equally be understood as full-day care for children of working parents as schools. Maternity leave in the U.S. expires twelve weeks after birth and as a beyond -reaching education time is not yet supported by the employers by the State, promote and support Day Care Centers Children from 3 months to 5 years.

Day Care Centers receive no government funding, but are often subsidized by local employers. In addition, the line will be partly raised significant private funding ( fundraising ), depending on the business acumen. Visiting a Day Care Center is costly and many times more expensive than in German kindergartens. However, low-income parents can often promote, ie apply for a discounted rate. The service hours are flexible and allow parents normal working hours. The children are grouped into peer groups, where the groups with increasing age of the children are getting bigger, but unlikely to reach the size of primary school classes. In the upscale Day Care Centers not only educators ( teachers ) and semi-skilled caregivers are employed, but there are also free lance into the house to give lessons in special subjects such as foreign languages ​​, music, dance or yoga.

Quality and features vary greatly. For quality assurance, on the one hand the lobby of the ( paying ) parents and other, institutions such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children, pronounce the much acclaimed accreditations provides.

Early intervention programs

Among the funding efforts mainly in private hands, such as churches or YMCA, supported Preschools and the state program are to name a Head Start. As a part-time program Preschools form the equivalent of the half -day care in nurseries.

China

In China, the kindergarten is seen simultaneously as a preschool. The translation for kindergarten is there, " he you yuan " (幼儿园). More and more there one aimed at high concentration power training is operated. (see Related links)

Japan

In Japan, a distinction is made between kindergarten (幼稚园, yōchien ) and a creche (保育 所, hoikusho ( legal name) or保育 园, hoikuen ( common name ) ). Hoikuen accept children from 0 years, with most facilities provide a minimum of two months. The care is usually offered from Monday to Saturday and is based on the school calendar. The nursery takes children aged two to five years. The children are divided into groups by age (2-3 years and 4-5 years). There is a daily procedure to facilitate the acclimatization to the children. The groups are supervised by two teachers (先生sensei ) and possibly an assistant. The teachers are qualified with a university degree. The level of professionalism is hardly comparable to the German educator training. For example, the learning of the piano part of the training. Music and the arts play a major role in the Japanese kindergarten. There is usually an additional art teacher along with the regular staff ( and PE teachers ).

2010, there were 13,392 kindergartens, of which 8,236 private, with approximately 110,000 full-time teachers and 1.6 million children.