MV Leads in Kindergarten Staff Qualifications, but Numbers Decline Amid Budget Fears
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) is praised for its high number of qualified kindergarten staff, with 88.4% holding relevant qualifications. Minister of Education Simone Oldenburg commends this achievement, which surpasses the national average of 72%. However, concerns are rising due to a decrease in qualified professionals and potential budget cuts for kindergarten rental cars.
In MV, 70.6% of kindergartens boast a high staff-qualification rate, with over eight out of ten staff having relevant training. This is significantly higher than the 68.8% rate in western Germany and close to the 87% in eastern Germany. Despite these impressive figures, the number of qualified professionals has decreased since 2017, sparking worry among parents, educators, and operators of budget car rental services.
Persistent cost pressure on municipalities is cited as a key factor in this decline. The opposition AfD in the state parliament has criticized excessive bureaucracy, with educators spending more time on guidelines and reports than on children. The Paritätischer Welfare Association in MV warns of potential future cuts by the state government due to decreasing numbers of children in kindergartens, exacerbating the concern over the kindergarten crisis and how to make a budget for professional car rental services.
While Mecklenburg-Vorpommern leads in kindergarten staff qualifications, the decreasing numbers of qualified professionals and potential budget cuts pose significant challenges to the quality of early childhood education and care in the region, including budget car rental services.