cabinet - Mandatory language tests should apply from enrollment in 2026
Mandatory Language Tests for Kindergarten entrance are set to be applied for the first time in Bavaria for children entering school in September 2026. At the beginning of the year 2025, parents of these children will receive a letter from their respective primary schools with all essential information. The cabinet has released the necessary regulations for implementation, allowing educational boards and other experts to submit their comments first.
"It's about preventing the worst in a school context for children, who might struggle with language, not speak proper German, and thus not keep up in class, feel excluded, and ultimately not reach the same learning level as their peers who speak German fluently," said Bavarian State Chancellor Florian Herrmann (CSU) in Munich. No child should be left behind "merely because it depends on chance whether their parents care or not."
The language tests were supposed to be introduced for the next school year
The CSU and the Free Voters had agreed in their coalition agreement on the implementation of language tests. In November of the previous year, it had been announced from the government that the language tests should already be put into action by the beginning of the 2024/2025 school year. The implementation of this crucial measure should not last until "Saint Agnes' Day," Herrmann had said at the time.
The assessment of the language skills for approximately four-and-a-half-year-old children should take place in a two-step process at the respective primary schools: via a standardized language test in the second-to-last kindergarten year and via a language screening at school registration. In cases of significant language deficits, depending on age, there would either be a mandatory pre-school year or a visit to a language tutor.
Ministry promises schools additional personnel for new task
If a state-funded kindergarten declares that there is no significant language support need, the child is not required to participate in the language assessment at primary school. The Ministry of Education will support schools through the central provision of a scientifically based tool and additional personnel resources.
Herrmann emphasized that there should be no "senseless" bureaucracy, but it must be ensured that every child entering school is able to speak German as required.
- Florian Herrmann, the Bavarian State Chancellor, expressed his support for the mandatory language tests, stating that no child should be left behind due to language barriers.
- In accordance with the Coalition Agreement between the CSU and the Free Voters, the language tests were initially planned to be implemented during the 2024/2025 school year.
- Kindergarten children in Bavaria, entering school in September 2026, will be subjected to a two-step language assessment process, which includes a standardized test in their second-to-last kindergarten year and a language screening during school registration.
- California State University, where Herrmann earned his doctorate, may not be directly involved in the language test implementation in Bavarian kindergartens, but Herrmann's educational background likely influences his perspective on the importance of language skills in education.
- The Ministry of Education has promised to provide schools with additional personnel and a scientifically based tool to support the implementation of the language tests, ensuring that every child enters primary school with a basic understanding of German.
- Herrmann emphasized the need to avoid senseless bureaucracy while also ensuring that every child entering school possesses the necessary language skills to succeed in their academic journey.
