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You are here: Home Education School Introducing Pre-school and School in Germany

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07/09/2010Introducing Pre-school and School in Germany

Introducing Pre-school and School in Germany Here's a short introduction to our Pre-school and School sections for Germany.

PRE-SCHOOLS

The childcare system
For families with babies and young children, one of the first considerations upon arriving in Germany is finding quality childcare. This will include day care facilities for babies and young children and international nursery care for two- to four-year-olds. Check out our features on pre-schools and nurseries in Germany. If you're living in Berlin, read our article on nurseries and pre-schools in Berlin.

Expat parents need to find out about government childcare subsidies and daycare funding to make sure that they are receiving the expat pre-school subsidies they are eligible for. Our two-part article Honey I'm stuck with the kids! is full of useful information and guidance to the German daycare system and opportunities, as well as au pair options. See Expatica’s A-Z listings under ‘Family’ in Germany for a list of daycare businesses.

Support groups
Feeling lost upon arriving? Why not turn to family clubs and women’s clubs for expats? You can also check out for the nearest family support and play groups in our A-Z listings. These groups give you a chance to network with other expat parents, discover more facilities and have fun.


SCHOOLS

Choosing an international school
International schools are often the first option considered by expat parents. Designed to ease the educational transition of a move from one country to another, international education is a good choice for expat children who are staying temporarily in the host country. Qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate are becoming increasingly popular with people who relocate frequently.

Parents who are sure they will repatriate while their children are of school age need to select an expat school system which allows easy integration of their children into their home-country education system upon return.
Click through our A-Z listings for a more comprehensive list of international schools in Germany.

Choosing a local school
However for families planning to settle into a country long-term, international schools might not be the best fit. The national school system could be the most effective path. Read more here about one parent's decision on enrolling her daughter to programs outside the realm of international school systems.

There are pro and cons, explains our  ABCs of the German school system article, and parents will have to consider factors such as the age of their children and learning the German language before making a selection.

You can also read here about safety methods German schools are implementing through faculty and particularly, in Berlin, students themselves.

Overall, when the right schooling decisions are made, expats feel that their children benefit from their education abroad; expanding your children’s horizons culturally will aid in developing the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills children need to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalising world.

Education advice
Professional advice from expat school organisations can help expats arrive at the best solution for their children, or even themselves, should they be seeking to continue higher education. Why not ask Expatica’s education expert Margot Roose via our Ask the Expert section?     

Expats who’d like to share their viewpoints or ask advice from ‘veteran’ expats in Germany can also visit Expatica forums and get involved in discussions on education issues.


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