Bundesbildungsministerin Karin Prien unveils new early‑education law

Bundesbildungsministerin Karin Prien (CDU) presented a new early‑education law aimed at improving language skills before school. Data show that up to one‑third of children entering primary school in Germany lack sufficient language proficiency, affecting both children from immigrant families and native‑German speakers. The law mandates compulsory language tests for all four‑year‑olds and introduces targeted support measures based on uniform standards. It is financed with €9.25 billion through 2034, primarily to fund longer, more intensive care in kindergartens. Prien warned that “the education gap opens when a child is born and widens up to school entry.” The legislation also calls for earlier entry into kindergarten and highlights uneven implementation across the Länder, with only half using standardized observation procedures.

The law follows earlier reforms – the 2019 “Good‑Kita‑Law” and the 2023 “Kita‑Quality‑Law” – and seeks to close the “education scissors” that widen the gap between children from different backgrounds.