Criticism of FPÖ: Children's friends warn of stress in kindergartens

Criticism of FPÖ: Children's friends warn of stress in kindergartens

Urfahr-Umgebung, Österreich - In the past few days, the discussion about group sizes in the Upper Austrian kindergartens has been disassembled. This creates a lot of excitement and lack of understanding, especially among experts in the field of early childhood education. The FPÖ politician Thomas Dim has asked to increase the group sizes in the daycare centers, which is sharply criticized by children's friends. "It used to be possible," said Dim, who at the same time admits not to be an expert in elementary education. For Helmut Gotthartsleitner, the chairman of the children's friends Upper Austria, this is a clear case of politics without specialist knowledge that does not fit the reality of the kindergartens. "There is something!", He says, pointing out that the educators and assistance forces are already working at the load limit.

increasing requirements

It is no secret that the requirements in early childhood education have increased. The challenges have multiplied in particular in the areas of language support, inclusion and social development. In the increase in group sizes, the children's friends Upper Austria see an “educational policy step back” and instead demand measures for smaller groups, a better care key as well as financial and structural support for early childhood education. UNESCO world conferences on early childhood education underline and demand the improvement of the working conditions of specialists. A current document, the Taschkent explanation, also states that early childhood education should be anchored as an integral part of the educational system.

global developments in early education

The last UNESCO World Conference took place in Taschkent, Uzbekistan, in November 2022 and attracted over 2,500 participants from around 150 countries. The aim was to develop political strategies and measures for the further development of early childhood education. The recommendations from these conferences emphasize that state expenditure for early childhood education should be increased, a point that cannot be ignored in the discussion about group sizes in Upper Austria.

In addition, various statistics and studies show that the number of employees in day care centers has increased in recent years, while at the same time the gap between open spots and qualified specialists has increased. These findings come from the specialist portal pedagogy , which presents a variety of data on early childhood education. Here it also becomes clear that the participation of parents in the financing of daycare centers is crucial for the quality and availability of early childhood care.

Overall, the debate about kindergarten places and the associated demands seem to be a good example of the gap between political theory and reality in educational institutions. It is to be hoped that those responsible will prove a good hand and take the concerns of the skilled workers and children seriously.