Let's Talk Third Free Kindergarten Year in Thuringia
Politician insists on financial backing for an additional no-cost preschool year - Government official advocates for financing to extend the third year of unpaid tuition.
Hey there! The education minister of Thuringia, Christian Tischner (CDU), is hollering loud and clear: We need sufficient dough for that third free kindergarten year!
Why you ask? Well, he reckons this social-family policy move shouldn't truckle on the coat-tails of essential investments in early childhood and school edu. To put it simply, he doesn't want to chop down trees in other forest areas just to pay for this sweet deal.
The ballpark figure we're talking here is around 30-35 million euros annually.
Last year, our buddies at the CDU, BSW, SPD, and the Left faction all agreed ol' Thuringia needed a third free kindergarten year by August 1, 2027. The bills have got to be footed by the double budget for 2026/2027.
Fun fact: Mario Voigt, our state president, claims this double budget will be the first to bear the Brombeer coalition's fancy signature. Why, you ask? Cause the draft for the 2025 state budget was still prepared by the red-red-green government.
Here, we've got a quick rundown of what we know (or think we know):
- The Big Expense: A third free kindergarten year ain't cheap. We're talking millions here, so expect the budget to get a tad chubbier.
- No Cuts: Minister Tischner insists this initiative shouldn't lead to cuts elsewhere in his department's budget.
- Timeline: All parties agreed to have this third free kindergarten year up and running by August 1, 2027.
- Budgets: The double budget for 2026 and 2027 will be the first to reflect the Brombeer coalition's vision, separate from the previous red-red-green government's draft for the 2025 state budget.
Now, bear in mind, details about the actual nuts and bolts of implementing this third free kindergarten year in Thuringia are still hazy. But one thing's for sure—our kiddos in Thuringia are getting a boost in early childhood education, budget permitting!
Kindergarten
Thuringia
Christian Tischner
CDU
Double budget
Education
Drafting
Erfurt
Sneaky Extra Insights:
- Kindergarten Education: In Germany, kindergarten education is typically for kids aged 3 to 6 and optional. Often followed by compulsory school attendance. Implementing free kindergarten years can help boost access and quality.
- Budgeting for Educational Initiatives: Such initiatives usually cost a pretty penny. Impact on a double budget would depend on how initiatives are funded within the education system.
- Potential Implications: This could increase accessibility and enrollment rates, as well as enhance early educational outcomes.
- Christian Tischner, the education minister of Thuringia (CDU), has emphasized the need for additional funding to support the implementation of a third free kindergarten year, acknowledging that it should not compromise essential investments in early childhood and school education.
- In Thuringia, vocational training programs are among the essential components of education-and-self-development, ensuring that the future generation is equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in society.
- As the double budget for 2026 and 2027 is anticipated to be the first to reflect the Brombeer coalition's vision, details regarding the allocation of funds for initiatives like the third free kindergarten year and other educational programs will soon come to light.
