- Insa survey: majority in Thuringia for free childcare
Across all layers and parties, a majority of respondents in a survey would welcome the full abolition of kindergarten fees in Thuringia. 74 percent of respondents found (rather) good the idea of abolishing fees for all kindergarten years, 10 percent (rather) bad, and another 10 percent were indifferent, according to a representative Insa poll commissioned by The Left and obtained by the German Press Agency. 3 percent answered "don't know" and 2 percent gave no response. The approval rates among supporters of all parties represented in the state parliament, as well as the BSW, ranged from 68 to 89 percent.
High costs for fee abolition
In Thuringia, the last two kindergarten years before school are already free. Several parties are campaigning for the abolition of fees in their election manifestos for the state election on September 1, including The Left, the SPD, and the Greens. Even the CDU can imagine free kindergartens in the long term. However, fee abolition is expensive: education experts estimate the costs at more than 30 million euros per kindergarten year.
Thuringia's Left chairwoman Ulrike Grosse-Röthig said that for The Left, the third fee-free kindergarten year in 2025 is "one of our central promises". "For this, we are approaching all democratic parties in Thuringia to find a way - because this benefits our children and the parents," said Grosse-Röthig.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, the visit to state or state-funded kindergartens is already free.
The German Press Agency reported the findings of a survey, commissioned by The Left, showing a majority of respondents supporting the idea of abolishing kindergarten fees in Thuringia, with The Left also identifying the third fee-free kindergarten year in 2025 as one of their central promises. The German Press Agency also covered the cost estimations for fee abolition, which education experts put at over 30 million euros per kindergarten year.
