186 years ago today, educator Friedrich Fröbel founded the first kindergarten in Blankenburg, Thuringia, thereby laying the foundation for early childhood education institutions. However, eastern Germany was not merely the site of the first institutional child care facility. Even today, the rates of childcare for young children differ significantly between eastern and western German states. This is also shown by analyses of data from the National Education Panel. Parents in eastern Germany are more likely to enroll their children in early childhood education programs at an earlier age than parents in western Germany. At age one, nearly 30% of East German children are cared for in a facility, but only about 7% of West German children. At age three, the figures are 78% in East Germany and 69% in West Germany. It is not until children reach age four that the childcare rates are roughly equal.
The findings in NEPS Spotlight No. 33 on child care rates in East and West Germany are taken from the following publication:
Pietropoli, I., & Triventi, M. (2023). What drives early childhood education attendance?: The role of structural factors and personal beliefs in Germany. Children and Youth Services Review, 150, Article 107035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107035
About NEPS Spotlight No. 33
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What are the NEPS spotlights?
This and other NEPS spotlights present selected findings from the National Education Panel Study—the largest long-term education study in Germany—in a concise and accessible format. They shed light on topics such as the development of competencies over the life course, as well as aspects of personality, educational participation, integration, and civic engagement. Each highlight features a key message, a brief explanation, and interactive graphics that visualize the respective findings. Sources and further information are also linked. The NEPS Highlights are provided by the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) and are coordinated with the authors of the original publications. The collection is continuously expanded.
What is the National Education Panel?
The National Education Panel (NEPS) is the largest long-term education study in Germany. It examines educational processes, their conditions, outcomes, and consequences from early childhood through late adulthood. More than 70,000 participants, as well as approximately 50,000 people from their social circles, are surveyed on a recurring basis. The data collected is made available to the scientific community. More than 4,000 researchers worldwide are already working with NEPS data, and to date, more than 1,900 scientific publications have been produced.