Is free-of-charge coming?: Özdemir has questions about election promises for the last year of daycare

It was a point on which the Greens and CDU quickly agreed during the coalition negotiations: the last year of daycare should be compulsory and free for everyone in Baden-Württemberg. Prime Minister Cem Özdemir now sees many unanswered questions about the project. The implementation of the election promise is complex, said the Green politician in Stuttgart.

There would be constitutional challenges if compulsory schooling was preferred for the compulsory daycare year, said Özdemir: “What does that mean for what is taking place? Who does that?" There are also financial and educational questions.

A round table recently set up by Education Minister Andreas Jung (CDU) should discuss these questions with all those involved. “The goal is to develop a broad concept that is legally effective, financially feasible and - again very crucial, as the trained educator and social worker speaks - brings the best educational benefit for our children,” says Özdemir.

The coalition agreement is clearly formulated

Regardless of the outcome of the round table, we have to look at what we can do to support children with corresponding needs in daycare even earlier. It is unbearable that children's opportunities are still distributed according to whether their parents are poor or rich. He told his minister: “There are no prohibitions on thinking, no taboos.”

The coalition agreement between the Greens and the CDU states that “a mandatory and free last year of kindergarten with compulsory educational content will be introduced by bringing forward compulsory schooling.” Both parties had also formulated corresponding demands in their election programs for the state elections.