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This Data Spotlight note on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) provides a summary
overview of ECEC policy inputs, outputs and outcomes in Germany. It uses data available within the
OECD Secretariat — Education at a Glance, the Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA) and the OECD Family Database — to make comparisons between Germany’s ECEC system and
the systems in other OECD countries (see Box 1 for definition and comparability issues). This note
complements the 2015 OECD publication Starting Strong IV: Monitoring Quality in Early Childhood
Education and Care.

Key characteristics of ECEC in Germany:

Resources that are put in the ECEC system

- The share of gross domestic product (GDP) devoted to ECEC (ISCED 0) is similar to the OECD average
(0.8% of GDP). The share of private funding for pre-primary education (ISCED 02) is somewhat above the OECD
average (20.9% and 17.1% respectively).
Annual expenditure per child in ECEC (ISCED 0) is above the OECD average (USD 10 542 and USD 8 618
respectively).
1
- In pre-primary education (ISCED 02), there are about 10 children per state-recognised educator (Erzieher/in) in
Germany, which is 4 children fewer per teacher than the OECD average of 14 children per educator, excluding
the non-teaching staff, such as auxiliary staff.
Access and participation
- Germany has an extensive access to ECEC services: legal entitlement to ECEC is proposed to all children from
age 1 to school entry. Despite this policy, participation of 0-2 year-olds in formal care is below the OECD average
(29% and 33% respectively), but has increased notably in recent years (from 10.4% in 2003).
- Participation of 3-5 year-olds in pre-primary education (ISCED 02) is significantly above the OECD average
(97% and 84% respectively).
Teacher’s academic qualification and working conditions
- In most OECD countries, academic training leading to a Bachelor's degree is common among ECEC staff. In
Germany, the qualification to become a state-recognised pre-primary educator takes three years of
post-secondary vocational training. Prior to access to a vocational college for educator, students are required
either a 2-year course as a childcare assistant (Kinderpfleger/in) or training and work experience in a related
field. By contrast, all primary teachers in Germany have a Master degree.
- The annual number of hours in (direct) contact with children in Germany is well above the OECD average
(1 482 and 1 005 hours per year respectively).
Monitoring Quality
- Monitoring of ECEC takes place at the local level in Germany. Challenges for monitoring quality persist as no
national monitoring system is in place and common monitoring practices do not always consider the views of all
stakeholders (see Monitoring Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care Country Note: Germany).
Student performance at age 15 by participation in pre-primary education
- The percentage of 15-year-olds in Germany who reported not attending pre-primary education in PISA 2012
was low (3.2% compared with 7.1% across the OECD). Notably, children from a lower socio-economic
background and in socio-economically disadvantaged schools were less likely to have participated in
pre-primary education. Nevertheless, the relationship between attending pre-primary education and
mathematics performance of 15-year-olds is statistically significant in Germany and above the OECD average
(42 and 31 score points, respectively).
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Introduction

Participation in ECEC can have a positive effect on children’s early learning and development, as
well as on subsequent outcomes, such as academic success, labour market performance and
socio-economic mobility. The benefits of ECEC on child outcomes, however, depend on high quality.
Settings and programmes that have a high level of quality are positively associated with children’s
cognitive, social and behavioural development, with disadvantaged children benefitting significantly
from high-quality settings (OECD, 2011; Gambaro et al., 2014). Policy outcomes are associated with
both policy inputs and policy outputs.

For simplicity purposes, this note uses the term early childhood education and care (ECEC) to refer
to arrangements providing care and education for children under compulsory school age. This term
differs from those used by other sources in this note, including the ISCED 2011 classification (see Box 1
for the ISCED 2011 methodological distinction between childcare and pre-primary education). Because
of these differences in definitions, caution is needed when comparing data presented here.

The note is structured in three sections:

 Policy inputs: This section presents indicators of the resources that are put into a system, such
as the level and type of sources that finance ECEC, and the regulations of staff-child ratios to
achieve outputs or a result.

 Policy outputs: This section covers indicators that are the result of policy inputs put in place,
such as enrolment rates by age. Trend data is presented to examine the changes in early
childhood education in recent years.

 Policy outcomes: This section covers indicators on the outcomes of children that are associated
with both policy inputs and policy outputs. For example, indicators on student performance at
age 15 by participation in pre-primary education (drawn from PISA 2012)

Section 1. Policy inputs

Organisation of early childhood education and care services

The organisation of ECEC services varies greatly from country to country in terms of structures, but
also regarding the age of children attending different types of settings or the intensity of child
participation in different settings). The German ECEC system is an integrated system that is under the
auspices of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ).
Educational goals apply to children aged 0 until end of primary school, and ECEC staff are trained to
work with children aged 0 and above (older than school entry), e.g. in after-school centres. However,
training has a focus on children aged from 0 to school entry (starting age of compulsory school varies
between 5 and 6, depending on the Länder [federal states]). In Germany, the concepts Bildung
(education), Betreuung (care) and Erziehung (upbringing) are deeply intertwined, and a holistic approach
is always implemented in German ECEC services at ISCED level 0.

Generally, children aged 0-2 attend crèches, called Krippen (according to ISCED 2011 this
educational level can be classified as ISCED 01), children aged 3 to school entry attend Kindergarten
(according to ISCED 2011 this educational level can be classified as ISCED 02). A large number of
children attend mixed-age childcare centres, referred to as Kindertageseinrichtung mit Kindern aller
Altersgruppen (children aged 0-6) (according to ISCED 2011 this educational level can be classified as
ISCED 0). Latest estimates indicate that over half of all ECEC centres in Germany (31 319 centre out of
a total of 54 871) provide services for children of all age groups (German Federal Statistical Office 2016,
Tab. 1). In their last year of kindergarten, most children attend pre-school classes in addition to attending
their regular ECEC service or school kindergarten (OECD, 2016a).

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Participation in ECEC services is partly supported by legal entitlements2 to a place in ECEC and
efforts to ensure free access, at least for some ages and selected population groups. Germany is among
the few OECD countries (alongside Finland, Norway and Sweden) where there is a legal entitlement to
ECEC (centre and home based) for all children aged from 1 to school entry. And some Länder offer free
provision for certain age groups (OECD, 2015b).

Funding of early childhood education and care services

The level of governance responsible for early childhood education and care services differs
according to the area concerned, and also across countries. In Germany, funding responsibilities are
shared between state, regional (Länder) and local level (municipalities), whereas almost all other
responsibilities are at the regional or local level (OECD, 2015a).

Box 1. Distinction between early childhood educational development and pre-primary education:
The revised ISCED 2011 classification

There are many different ECEC systems and structures within OECD countries. Consequently, there is also a range
of different approaches to identifying the boundary between early childhood education and childcare.

The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) defines internationally comparable levels of
education. In ISCED 2011, level 0 covers early childhood education for all ages, including very young children. As
the educational properties of ISCED 0 programmes can be difficult to assess directly, several criteria are used to
come up with a technical definition. For a programme to be reported as ISCED level 0 it must have: adequate
intentional educational properties; be delivered by qualified staff members; take place in an institutionalised setting;
meet a minimum intensity/duration; and be targeted at children from age 0 until entry into ISCED level 1
(OECD, 2016).

Programmes classified at ISCED level 0 may be referred to in many ways nationally, for example: early childhood
education and development, play school, reception, pre-primary, pre-school, Kindergarten, Kita, Krippe or educación
inicial. For programmes provided in crèches, day-care centres, private homes, nurseries, Tagespflege or guarderías,
it is important to ensure that they meet the ISCED level 0 classification criteria specified in ISCED 2011.

In ISCED 2011, programmes are sub-classified into two categories depending on age and the level of complexity of
the educational content: early childhood educational development (ISCED 01) and pre-primary education
(ISCED 02). ISCED 01 programmes are generally designed for children younger than 3 (OECD, 2016). This is a new
category not covered by ISCED 1997. ISCED 02 is designed for children from age 3 years to the start of primary
education. It corresponds exactly to level 0 in ISCED 1997.

The comparability of programmes at ISCED level 0 depends on each country’s ability to report data according to the
standard international definition. Early childhood programmes that are offered in some countries do not necessarily
meet the criteria or definition of ISCED 01. This is the case of Belgium (except in the Flemish Community), the
Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic,
Switzerland and the United States. On the other hand, the coverage of ISCED 02 (pre-primary education) is larger,
with 32 countries reporting data on enrolment rates at ages 3 and 4. Because of these differences, caution is needed
when comparing available data on ISCED 01 drawn from Education at a Glance.

The definition of ECEC in the OECD’s Starting Strong series differs from the ISCED 2011 definition. The OECD
definition states that “the term early childhood education and care (ECEC) includes all arrangements providing care
and education for children under compulsory school age, regardless of setting, funding, opening hours or
programme content” (OECD, 2001). This means that settings considered an integral part of countries’ ECEC
systems, but not covered by the ISCED classification, still fall under the terminology of ECEC.

Data reported in Education at a Glance 2016, and presented here as ISCED level 0, use the ISCED 2011
classification (Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5). PISA 2012 uses the ISCED 1997 classification (Figure 6). The OECD Family
Database definition of “formal” childcare among children aged 0-2 years includes centre-based services, organised
day care, pre-school and professional child-minders (Figure 4). That is, it includes ISCED 01 and other registered
ECEC services (Figure 4).

Sources: OECD (2016), Education at a Glance 2016: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-
2016-en; OECD (2001), Starting Strong I: Early Childhood Education and Care, OECD Publishing, Paris,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264192829-en.

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Average expenditure on early childhood education and care as a percentage of GDP

The financial investment in ECEC settings and equipment is a key requirement for the development
of good and high quality learning environments, and indicates that political priority is being given to the
care and education of young children. Sustainable public funding is essential to recruit competent and
qualified staff, ensure the quality of educational programmes, and promote their development.

In Germany, public and private expenditure on ECEC institutions (ISCED 0) represented 0.8% of
GDP in 2013, the same as the average across OECD countries. Chile, Denmark, Iceland, Israel, Norway,
Slovenia and Sweden spent 1.0% or more of their GDP on ECEC (ISCED 0) (OECD, 2016a,
Table C2.3). Of the 0.8% of GDP spent in Germany, 0.5% is spent on pre-primary education (ISCED 02)
and 0.3% on early childhood educational development (ISCED 01) (OECD, 2016a).

Expenditure per student in early childhood education and care is higher than the OECD average

Expenditure per student in pre-primary education (ISCED 02) in Germany was USD 9 167,
somewhat higher than the OECD average of USD 8 070 in 2013. Similarly, expenditure per student in
early childhood educational development (ISCED 01) in Germany was USD 14 866, which is higher
than the average of USD 12 501 across OECD countries with available data (see Figure 1).

Cross-country differences in the share of GDP spending on ECEC (ISCED 0) and in expenditure per
student at this level explain, at least partly, the differences in enrolment rates and in children to staff
ratios between countries. For instance, countries with higher expenditure per student tend to have higher
enrolment rates or/and lower children to staff ratio compared to the OECD average. The level of
expenditure per student varies between countries depending on fees and cost of education, the level of
wealth of the country, and the coverage by private ECEC structures.

Private funding’s share of pre-primary education is somewhat above the OECD average

Early childhood education and care services (like all other levels of education) are also funded by
private sources3, mainly through fees paid by parents. Limited comparable data regarding the services for
young children in childcare mean that the extent of total private funding in childcare cannot be analysed.
In Germany, private funding of pre-primary education (ISCED 02) represented 0.12% of GDP in 2013
(the OECD average is 0.11% of GDP), and 21% of the total funding of pre-primary education
(ISCED 02), which is somewhat above the average proportion of private funding among OECD countries
(17%) (Figure 2) (OECD 2016, Table C2.3).

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Figure 1. Annual expenditure per student by educational institutions for all services (2013)

Notes: Countries are ranked in descending order of annual expenditure per student by educational institutions for pre-primary
education.
1. Includes some expenditure on childcare.
Source: OECD (2016), Education at a Glance 2016: OECD Indicators, Table C2.3, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933398316

Figure 2. Distribution of public and private expenditure on pre-primary educational institutions (2013)

Notes: Countries are ranked in descending order of public and private expenditure on educational institutions (2012).
1. Includes some expenditure on child care.
Source: OECD (2016), Education at a Glance 2016: OECD Indicators, Table C2.3, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933398316.

© OECD 2016 5
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Quality of early childhood education and care services

Curriculum frameworks can play a pivotal role in ensuring the quality of ECEC services. Mandatory
curriculum frameworks are in place for the vast majority of settings in countries with available
information, whereas Germany is one of the few countries where some Länder provide non-binding
guidelines and recommendations. Many Länder have integrated curriculum frameworks that cover both
ECEC and primary school aged children, which may foster the quality of ECEC services across age
groups (OECD, 2015a, 2012).

The number of children per staff is comparatively low in ECEC services

The child-to-staff ratio is an important indicator of the resources invested in early education and
childcare, and also of the quality of these services. A low ratio of children to staff impacts staff working
conditions, alongside other factors such as reasonable hours or workload and salary levels. These affect
job satisfaction and staff retention, and through this, contribute to the quality of early childhood
education and care services (OECD, 2011).

In some countries, regulations are in place regarding the maximum number of children per adult in
childcare services. In Germany, the regulation varies between Länder, from fewer than 4 in North Rhine-
Westphalia to 8 in Thuringia.4 The OECD average is seven per staff member (OECD, 2011).

In pre-primary education (ISCED 02) there are about 10 children per state-recognised educator in
Germany, which is 4 children fewer per teaching staff than the OECD average of 14 children per teacher,
excluding the non-teaching staff, such as auxiliary staff (OECD, 2016a, Table C2.2). Germany is among
the OECD countries that have the smallest ratios, but the average ratio for Germany may hide larger
variations across Länder (federal states).

Figure 3. Ratio of children-to-teaching staff in pre-primary education, 2014

Notes: Countries are ranked in descending order of the pupil-to-teaching-staff in pre-primary education.
1. Year of reference is 2013 instead of 2014.

Source: OECD (2016), Education at a Glance 2016: OECD Indicators, Table C2.2, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933398305.

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At the pre-primary level (ISCED 02), auxiliary staff (i.e. support staff for state-recognised educators
in Germany) works directly with children. At this level, 8 OECD countries, including Germany, have
reported better pupils-to-contact staff ratios (teaching and auxiliary staff) than ratios for teaching staff
only (OECD average of 12 children per contact staff compared to 14 children per teaching staff).
In Germany, there are 9 children per contact staff, compared to 10 children per state-recognised
educating staff (see Figure 3). In early childhood educational development programmes (ISCED 01)
there are 5 children per state-recognised educating staff and 5 children per contact staff in Germany
(OECD, 2016a).

Pre-primary state-recognised educators have a lower level of formal qualification than most other OECD
economies and the annual number of hours in (direct) contact with children is lower than the OECD
average

In OECD countries, the duration of initial teacher training varies more in pre-primary education
(ISCED 02) than at any other level of education: from two years for basic certification in Korea and
Japan to five years in Austria, Chile, France, Iceland and Italy. In Germany, the qualification to become a
state-recognised pre-primary educator (Erzieher/in) takes three years of post-secondary vocational
training (OECD, 2014a, Table D6.1a). Prior to access to a vocational college for educator (Erzieher/in),
students are required either a 2-year course as a childcare assistant (Kinderpfleger/in) or training and
work experience in a related field (Rauschenbach and Riedel, 2015). Applicants also have to fulfil an
entry requirement of either vocational training in the area of ECEC or a practical year in an ECEC
setting. By contrast, primary teachers in Germany have all a master degree. In most other OECD
countries, academic training leading to a Bachelor's degree is common among ECEC staff (OECD,
2015a).

In Germany, there are on average 39 weeks of direct contact with children in pre-primary education
(ISCED 02), which is close to the OECD average of 40 weeks per year. However, the annual number of
hours in direct contact with children in Germany is well above the average among OECD countries:
pre-primary state-recognised educators annually spend 1 482 hours in the classroom, around 47% more
than the OECD average of 1 005 hours (OECD, 2016a). Germany is one of the few countries (alongside
Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark and the Netherlands) where state-recognised educators’ total
annual statutory working time (e.g. the amount of time available for teaching but also for non-teaching
activities such as lesson preparation, correction, in-service training and staff meetings), at school or
elsewhere, is specified, but the allocation of time spent at school and time spent elsewhere is not (OECD,
2016a).

Monitoring of early childhood education and care settings is a common practice

While monitoring systems and practices vary widely, certain common trends can be observed. All
24 countries and jurisdictions surveyed for Starting Strong IV: Monitoring Quality in Early Childhood
Education and Care monitor service and staff quality, but only 21 monitor child development and
outcomes. In Germany, all of these different aspects are monitored, but with variations across settings
and Länder. In child day care centres, service quality, curriculum implementation and child development
or outcomes are monitored; however, there is no specific monitoring of staff quality. Some process
aspects of staff quality are part of the monitoring schemes that assess overall service quality. In family
day care, only staff quality is monitored (OECD, 2015a). This is discussed in further detail in Germany’s
country note on Monitoring Quality in ECEC (OECD, 2016b).

© OECD 2016 7
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Section 2. Policy outputs

Participation in early childhood education and care services

Participation of 0-2 year-olds in formal childcare is lower than the OECD average but has increased in
recent years.

In Germany in 2013, 29% of 0-2 year-olds participated in some form of formal ECEC5, such as centre-
based services, or other forms of organised/registered ECEC like family day care (Tagespflege) or
pre-school classes (Vorklassen) (ISCED 0 and registered child-minders). This participation rate is lower than
the OECD average of 33%, but has almost tripled between 2003 and 2013 (from 10.4% in 2003). This
increase in participation rates reflects the efforts Germany has made in recent years to help parents reconcile
work and family life, with the aim of boosting fertility rates and hence offsetting demographic ageing
(OECD, 2014b). Only Korea, Luxembourg and Norway experienced similar increases in the participation of
the youngest children in formal care (see Figure 4). The increase in participation rates reflects the efforts.

While participation rates by age provide a proxy of for how long children are enrolled in ECEC
over their childhood (e.g. in years), they do not provide any information about the intensity of
participation in childcare services, i.e. whether children participate only for a few hours per day or
full-time. The intensity of participation varies considerably across countries. In Germany, a child
attended ECEC for an average of 28 hours per week in 2013, which is two hours less than the 30 hours
corresponding to full-time care. The full-time equivalent participation rate (adjusted for the intensity of
use of childcare services) for 0-2 year-olds in formal childcare is the participation rate if all 0-2 year-olds
that use formal childcare do so on a full-time basis.6 In Germany, the comparatively shorter average
weekly hours in formal care, together with a below average participation rate, means that the full-time
equivalent participation rate is only 28%, below the OECD average of 35%. In contrast, the
exceptionally long average weekly hours in Portugal produce a full-time equivalent participation rate of
almost 60%, despite a relatively moderate headcount participation rate of 45% (OECD, 2015b).

Widespread participation in early childhood education and care (ISCED 0)

Early childhood education and care (ISCED 0)7 is the first stage of organised instruction for many
children and can, as such, play an important role in their development. While enrolment in these
programmes is usually not mandatory and children can enter them at different ages, the majority of
3-4 year-olds in OECD countries are enrolled in early childhood education (mostly pre-primary
education). On average across OECD countries, 71% of 3-year-olds and 86% of 4-year-olds attended
ECEC programmes (ISCED 0) in 2014, although this varies widely across countries.

Germany is one of the 11 countries (alongside Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Israel, Italy,
Korea, Norway, Spain and Sweden) where at least 90% of 3 and 4 year-olds were enrolled in pre-primary
programmes (ISCED 02). In Germany, 94% of 3-year-olds and 98% of 4-year-olds participate in
pre-primary education (ISCED 02), which is well above the OECD average (see Figure 5). Most OECD
countries achieve full enrolment in ECEC for 5-year-olds. The enrolment of 5-year-olds is also high in
Germany, with 99% attending some form of ECEC (ISCED 02) (OECD, 2016a, Table C2.1).

8 © OECD 2016
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Figure 4. Participation rates in formal childcare (ISCED 0 and other registered ECEC services)
among 0-2 year-olds (2003, 2006, 2013)

Notes: Data reflect children in day-care centres and pre-school (both public and private) and those who are cared for by licensed
child-minders. It excludes informal services provided by relatives, friends or neighbours regardless of whether or not the service is
paid for.
Countries are ranked in descending order of the percentage of children under 3-years of age in formal childcare.
1. 2006 data for Australia refer to 2005, and for Bulgaria and Romania to 2007.
2. 2013 data for Japan refer to 2010, and for Australia, Chile, Mexico, and the United States to 2011.
3. Data do not include services provided by the private sector.
4. 2003 data for Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain refers to 2004, and for Australia and the
United States to 2002.
5. Note by Turkey: The information in this document with reference to « Cyprus » relates to the southern part of the Island. There is
no single authority representing both Turkish and Greek Cypriot people on the Island. Turkey recognises the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Until a lasting and equitable solution is found within the context of United Nations, Turkey shall preserve
its position concerning the “Cyprus issue”.

Note by all the European Union Member States of the OECD and the European Commission: The Republic of Cyprus is recognised
by all members of the United Nations with the exception of Turkey. The information in this document relates to the area under the
effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
Source: OECD (2015b), OECD Family Database, Table PF3.2.A, www.oecd.org/social/family/database.

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Figure 5. Enrolment rates at age 3 in early childhood education and care (2005 and 2014)

Notes: Countries are ranked in descending order of the enrolment rates of 3-year-olds in 2013.
1. Year of reference 2013 instead of 2014.

Source: OECD (2016), Education at a Glance 2016: OECD Indicators, Table C2.1, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787888933398347.

Early childhood education and care (ISCED 0), as well as primary and secondary education, is
mostly organised in public institutions in OECD countries and, on average, 68% of pre-primary
education children (ISCED 02, 3-5 year-olds) were enrolled in public institutions in 2014. Only in early
childhood educational development programmes (ISCED 01, 0-2 year-olds) were there more children
enrolled in private institutions (58%) than in public institutions (42%) in 2014. In Germany, the majority
of pre-primary pupils are enrolled in government-dependent private institutions, often run by
not-for-profit providers, and just over a third of pre-primary pupils attend a public setting. Similarly, in
early childhood educational development programmes (ISCED 01), more German children are enrolled
in non-profit and for-profit government-dependent private settings (73%) than in public ones. The share
of German children attending government-dependent private settings in pre-primary programmes
(ISCED 02) and in early childhood educational development programmes (ISCED 01) are both above the
OECD average (OECD, 2016a, Table C2.2).

Section 3. Policy outcomes

The association between pre-primary education and 15-year-olds’ mathematics performance is above the
OECD average

Research in neurosciences has shown that the brain sensitivity of highly important developmental
areas, such as emotional control, social skills, language and numeracy, peak in the first three years of a
child’s life (Gambaro et al., 2014). These findings indicate that the first years of a child’s life are crucial
for their later development and learning. High quality ECEC can stimulate the development of these
skills, which highlights the importance of early development programmes and their level of quality
(OECD, 2006, 2011).

A strong start in education through ECEC is associated with higher performance in adolescence.
PISA results show that 15-year-olds who attended a pre-primary education programme (ISCED 02)
tended to perform better in mathematics than students who did not attend pre-primary education.

10 © OECD 2016
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The percentage of 15-year-olds in Germany who reported not attending pre-primary education in PISA
2012 was low (3.2% compared with 7.1% across the OECD, see Figure 7). Notably, children from a
lower socio-economic background and in socio-economically disadvantaged schools were less likely to
have participated in pre-primary education. Nevertheless, the benefits associated with pre-primary
education remain statistically significant even after accounting for students’ socio-economic background.
In Germany, the difference in PISA mathematics scores between 15-year-old students who had attended
more than one year of pre-primary education and those who had not was 42 score points after accounting
for socio-economic background – the equivalent of more than one year of formal schooling8 (above the
OECD average difference of 31 score points) (see Figure 6).

PISA 2012 data also demonstrate that the correlation between enrolment in pre-primary education
(ISCED 02)9 and performance at the age of 15 is generally stronger in education systems where
participation in pre-primary education lasts more than one year, and the link is more pronounced in
settings where the student-to- staff ratio and public expenditure per student are higher (OECD, 2013). In
other words: input policies, such as the student-to-teaching-staff ratio, affect learning outcomes. Despite
increased participation and public investment in early childhood education and care services in OECD
countries, little comparative data exists to determine under what conditions ECEC services are most
beneficial for children, and what aspects are the most beneficial to the child. The OECD is developing a
study that will provide information on the factors that support quality and equity in the early years
(see Box 2).

Figure 6. Difference in mathematics performance of 15-year-olds, by attendance

in a pre-primary education programme (2012)

Score-point difference between students who

attended pre-primary school for more than one year Before accounting for socio-economic status After accounting for socio-economic status
and those who had not attended
120

100

80

60

40

20

-20
Estonia
Denmark

Mexico

Portugal
Spain

Australia

New Zealand
France

Finland
Germany

Slovenia
Slovak Republic

Czech Republic

Turkey

Canada

United States
Greece

Sweden
United Kingdom

Japan

OECD average
Israel

Austria

Iceland

Ireland
Norway
Italy

Switzerland

Netherlands

Chile

Korea
Belgium

Poland

Luxembourg

Participation rates (%)

Pre-primary p FRA SVK BEL ITA CHE CZR ISR DNK DEU GBR GRE ESP JPN FIN POL SWE AUS NZL OECD NLD AUT LUX MEX ISL POR TUR CAN NOR CHL KOR USA SVN IRE EST
None 1.7 6.8 2.3 4.3 1.8 3.2 2.1 1.0 3.2 4.7 4.6 5.9 0.8 2.4 2.5 8.1 4.5 9.1 7.1 2.3 1.8 4.6 9.4 2.0 14.9 70.3 9.0 7.9 9.2 4.5 1.4 14.6 13.6 7.3
<= 1 year 6.3 13.1 4.5 8.0 25.0 8.7 16.4 20.0 11.0 26.0 27.4 8.3 2.2 34.9 46.4 20.4 43.6 19.4 18.8 2.7 10.5 12.8 18.7 3.2 20.7 21.0 40.4 5.7 56.4 12.6 24.0 12.8 43.6 8.7
> 1 year 92.0 80.1 93.2 87.7 73.1 88.1 81.5 79.0 85.7 69.3 68.0 85.9 96.9 62.7 51.1 71.5 51.9 71.5 74.1 95.0 87.7 82.6 71.8 94.7 64.4 8.7 50.6 86.4 34.4 82.8 74.6 72.6 42.8 84.0

Notes: Score-point differences that are statistically significant are marked in a darker tone.
Countries and economies are ranked in descending order of the score-point difference in mathematics performance between
students who reported that they had attended pre-primary education (ISCED 0) for more than one year and those who had not
attended pre-primary education, after accounting for socio-economic status.
Participation rates in pre-primary education are drawn from reports of 15-year old students participating in PISA 2012.
Source: OECD (2013a), PISA 2012 Results: Excellence through Equity (Volume II): Giving Every Student the Chance to Succeed,
Figure II.4.11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264201132-en.

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Box 2. The development of international data on quality in early education and care

The OECD programme of work on ECEC includes a series of projects to develop the extent of available data on
ECEC. These include:

The TALIS Starting Strong Survey: is an international survey of ECEC staff and the quality of the learning and
well-being environment in different ECEC settings across OECD member and non-member economies. The
objective is to collect data on staff characteristics, pre-service and in-service education, pedagogical practices and
beliefs, organisation and management, and working conditions to give countries an internationally framed
assessment of what actually happens in their ECEC settings, i.e. the quality of the learning and well-being
environment children experience (instrument development and pilot study in 20116, field trial in 2017, main study in
2018 and reporting in 2019).

The International Early Learning (for Child Well-being) Study seeks to provide reliable, comparative information
on the social, emotional and cognitive development of children to assist countries to improve children’s outcomes. It
will measure children’s early learning outcomes, at approximately five years of age, in the context of their ECEC
experiences and home environments. The study will include a child assessment component as well as a parent
questionnaire to gather information about the home learning environment. The study will be conducted in
3-6 countries from 2016 to 2019. Results on the study will be released in 2020.

A thematic study on transitions from ECEC to primary school will analyse country policies and practices in
stimulating quality transitions from ECEC to primary education. This study will be based on existing literature and
country background notes, which will form the basis of a comparative analytical report in 2017.

This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments
employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries.

This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the
delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

The data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD
is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of
international law.

© OECD (2016)

You can copy, download or print OECD content for your own use, and you can include excerpts from OECD publications,
databases and multimedia products in your own documents, presentations, blogs, websites and teaching materials, provided that
suitable acknowledgment of OECD as source and copyright owner is given. All requests for commercial use and translation
rights should be submitted to [email protected].

For more information on Early Childhood Education and Care, visit www.oecd.org/edu/earlychildhood.

Questions can be directed to: Country note author:

Simone Bloem, independent consultant
Miho Taguma, Directorate for Education and Skills
Email: [email protected] Country note collaborators OECD:
Maria Huerta, Eric Charbonnier, Arno Engel, Etienne
Albiser, Mernie Graziotin, Sophie Limoges, Camilla
Lorentzen, Rachel Linden and Elizabeth Zachary.

Country note collaborators Germany:

International Center Early Childhood Education and
Care (ICEC), German Youth Institute, Munich

12 © OECD 2016
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NOTES

1 In Germany, the preferred term to refer to a pre-primary teacher is a state-recognised educator (Erzieher/in)

2 Universal legal entitlement refers to a statutory duty for ECEC providers to secure (publicly subsidised) ECEC
provision for all children living in a catchment area whose parents, regardless of their employment,
socio-economic or family status, require an ECEC place.

3 Private sources include households and other private entities, such as private businesses and non-profit
organisations (e. g., religious organisations, charitable organisations, and business and labour
associations).

4 Staff-child-ratios (Personalschlüssel in Kitas) for each Lander can be found at the Bertelsmann Ländermonitor
website: www.laendermonitor.de.

5 The OECD Family Database definition of “formal” childcare among children aged 0-2 years includes
centre-based services, organised day care, pre-school and professional child-minders.

6 The full time equivalent (FTE) participation rate is calculated as follows: FTE participation rate = participation
rates for 0-2 year-olds in formal childcare * (average weekly hours for 0-2 year-olds in formal
childcare/30).

7 Early childhood education and care refers to programmes classified as ISCED 01 (early childhood educational
development) and ISCED 02 (pre-primary education) depending on the age of the child (see Box 1).
In Germany, all 3-5 year-olds using ECEC were registered as attending an ISCED 02 programme
(pre-primary).

8 39 score points in mathematics correspond to the equivalent of one year of formal schooling (OECD, 2013).

9 Pre-primary education in PISA 2012 refers to children from age 3 years to the start of primary education.

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REFERENCES

Gambaro, L., Stewart, K., and Waldfogel, J. (eds.). (2014), An Equal Start?: Providing Quality Early
Education and Care for Disadvantaged Children. Bristol, Policy Press.

German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) (2016), Statistics of children and youth welfare. Children
and staff in day care centers and in publicly funded day care on first of March 2016.

OECD (2016a), Education at a Glance 2016: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-2016-en.

OECD (2016b), Monitoring Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care Country Note: Germany,
OECD Publishing, Paris, www.oecd.org/edu/school/ECECMN-Germany.pdf.

OECD (2015a), Starting Strong IV: Monitoring Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care, OECD
Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264233515-en.

OECD (2015b), OECD Family Database, OECD, Paris, www.oecd.org/social/family/database.htm.

OECD (2014), Education at a Glance 2014: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-2014-en.

OECD (2013), PISA 2012 Results: Excellence through Equity (Volume II): Giving Every Student the
Chance to Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264201132-en.

OECD (2011), Starting Strong III: A Quality Toolbox for Early Childhood Education and Care, OECD
Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264123564-en.

OECD (2006), Starting Strong II: Early Childhood Education and Care, OECD Publishing, Paris.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264035461-en.

OECD (2001), Starting Strong I: Early Childhood Education and Care, OECD Publishing, Paris,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264192829-en.

Rauschenbach, T. and B. Riedel (2015), Germany's ECEC workforce: a difficult path to

professionalization, Early Child Development and Care, Vol. 186/1.

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Table 1. Summary of ECEC indicators, Germany and OECD average

OECD Ref.
Indicator Germany Table Source
average year
Policy inputs
Expenditure
Total expenditure on early childhood educational OECD
development (ISCED 01) as a percentage of GDP (%) 0.3 0.2 2013 Table C2.3 (2016)
Total expenditure on pre-primary education (ISCED 02) OECD
as a percentage of GDP (%) 0.6 0.6 2013 Table C2.3 (2016)
Total expenditure on all early childhood education OECD
(ISCED 0) as a percentage of GDP (%) 0.8 0.8 2013 Table C2.3 (2016)
Proportion of total expenditure on early childhood
educational development (ISCED 01) from public OECD
sources (%) 70.9 68.6 2013 Table C2.3 (2016)
Proportion of total expenditure on pre-primary OECD
education (ISCED 02) from public sources (%) 79.1 82.9 2013 Table C2.3 (2016)
Proportion of total expenditure on early childhood
education (ISCED 01 & ISCED 02) from public sources OECD
(%) 76.3 81.2 2013 Table C2.3 (2016)
Annual expenditure per student in pre-primary OECD
education (in USD) 9 167 8 070 2013 Table C2.3 (2016)
Quality of early childhood education and care
services
Ratio of children to teaching staff (in full-time OECD
equivalents) (ISCED 02) 10 14 2014 Table C2.2 (2016)
Ratio of children to contact staff (educators and OECD
educators’ aides) (in full-time equivalents) (ISCED 02) 9 12 2014 Table C2.2 (2016)
Teachers’ salaries
Annual starting salary, typical training of pre-primary Table OECD
teachers in public institutions (in USD) m 29 494 2014 D3.1a (2016)
Annual salary after 10 years of experience, typical
training of pre-primary teachers in public institutions (in Table OECD
USD) m 36 491 2014 D3.1a (2016)
Annual salary after 15 years of experience, typical
training of pre-primary teachers in public institutions (in Table OECD
USD) m 39 245 2014 D3.1a (2016)
Annual salary at top of scale, typical training of pre- Table OECD
primary teachers in public institutions (in USD) m 47 826 2014 D3.1a (2016)
Pre-primary teachers' salaries relative to earnings for
full-time, full-year with tertiary-education workers based Table OECD
on teachers' attainment level (25-64 years-old) (ratio) m 0.74 2014 D3.2a (2016)
ECEC Staff's characteristics
Total duration of initial pre-primary state-recognised Table OECD
educator education (in years) 3 m 2013 D6.1a (2014)
Annual net teaching time of pre-primary state- OECD
recognised educator (in hours) 1482 1005 2014 Table D4.1 (2016)
OECD
Number of annual days of teaching (in days) 190 190 2014 Table D4.1 (2016)

Policy outputs
Participation in early childhood education and care
services
Participation rate in formal care and pre-school Chart OECD
services for children under 3 years (%) 29 33 2013 PF3.2.A (2015b)
Participation rate in formal care and pre-school
services for children under 3 years, full-time equivalent Chart OECD
(%) 28 35 2013 PF3.2.B (2015b)
Average weekly hours in childcare among children Chart OECD
under 3 years of age (in hours per week) 28 30 2013 PF3.2.B (2015b)

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Table 1. Summary of ECEC indicators, Germany and OECD average (continued)

OECD Ref.
Indicator Germany Table Source
average year

Participation rates for 3 year olds in pre-primary OECD

education (%) 94 71 2014 Table C2.1 (2016)
Policy outcomes
Average mathematics performance of students with
Table OECD
No pre-primary education attendance (score points) 472 451 2012 II.4.12 (2013)
Pre-primary education attendance for one year or less Table OECD
(score points) 466 475 2012 II.4.12 (2013)
Pre-primary education attendance for more than one Table OECD
year (score points) 529 504 2012 II.4.12 (2013)
Difference in mathematics performance between
students (after accounting for students' economic,
social and cultural status)
Difference between those who reported having attended
pre-primary school for one year or less and those who Table OECD
had not attended pre-primary education (score points) -4 15 2012 II.4.12 (2013)

Difference between those who reported having attended

pre-primary school for more than one year and those who Table OECD
had not attended pre-primary education (score points) 42 31 2012 II.4.12 (2013)
Notes: a - data are not applicable because the category does not apply; m – data are not available.

16 © OECD 2016