CYP Now - International Focus: Democratic nursery, Germany

The first kindergarten was established in Germany in 1837. It was based on the progressive ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who thought that children were already good and active learners and that they should be encouraged to express themselves.

It therefore seems fitting that Germany is one of the first countries to introduce democratic kindergartens, allowing children a vote on their daily lives.

The first democratic nursery in Germany, Dolli Einstein Haus, was opened this year, and there are now eight across Schleswig-Holstein, the country's northernmost state. They give children a vote on a variety of issues, from how much to eat to who changes their nappies. This is part of a mission to test how far decision-making processes can be devolved to the under-sixes.

POLICY AND REGULATION

Over the past decade, Germany has been committed to the development and improvement of its childcare and education. In 2013, the German government introduced a law guaranteeing every child older than 12 months a place at a daycare facility.

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