The Education and Science Union (GEW) calls for the continuation of the language day-care centers in Bavaria. The union and Social Affairs Minister Ulrike Scharf (CSU) even agree that the program is considered useful and important. But when it comes to how, opinions differ significantly: the federal program was originally supposed to expire at the end of this year, but the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs recently announced that funding would be extended until summer 2023. The Free State must now act quickly, maintain the structures and ensure the long-term financing of the program, said GEW Bayern. She received support from the state parliament Greens on Wednesday.
The union demands that the state use its own funds to continue the project and use the budget for Bavaria from the Federal Daycare Quality Act for further quality improvements. Johannes Becher, spokesman for the state parliament Greens for early childhood education, said: “Bavaria needs a state program for language day-care centers!” The money would be there if the state government invested 100 percent of the federal funds from the Kita Quality Act in quality development and thus in language support. Daycare fees are currently also being subsidized in Bavaria.
Since 2016, the federal government has been funding additional staff for language development through the “Language Kitas” program. With the transitional solution until the summer of 2023, the states are expected to continue funding the language day-care centers afterwards. According to the GEW, four federal states have already decided to continue. In Bavaria, on the other hand, more than 800 skilled workers do not know whether they will still be employed from January 1, 2023. “It is unacceptable that the responsibility for education is tossed back and forth between the federal and state governments like a hot potato and that the children, parents and employees are the ones who suffer,” said Alfons Kunze, GEW board member.
Becher also called for a quick solution: “Bayern must finally give up their blockade!” The IQB education trend has certified Bavaria that 14.1 percent of the fourth graders did not reach the minimum standards when reading – and 13.4 percent when listening, added Hilger Uhlenbrock, spokesman for the GEW specialist group for social education professions. It is incomprehensible that the state government does not take the necessary funds to continue the program.
For the Minister of Social Affairs, however, the transitional funding is not a help, but “insidious” and “an expression of a completely hypocritical federal policy.” The countries are being deprived of the leeway to “promote children and professionals in the best possible way”. According to Scharf, language education is more important than ever, but the states agree that the federal government must finance the language day-care center program for another two years.