All-day schools in Lower Saxony: challenge or opportunity for children?

All-day schools in Lower Saxony: challenge or opportunity for children?

In Bremen and Lower Saxony, major changes are imminent in the way primary school children are looked after. A legal right to all-day education and care will come into force on August 1, 2026 and will be introduced gradually. The step is a response to the growing needs of families whose children need a reliable education and care solution after daycare. But as is usual in politics, there is a lot to do around it.

The ver.di union expresses clear concerns. She criticizes the preparations so far, which appear to be making slow progress in state politics. Sylvia Milsch from ver.di warns that many central questions are still unresolved. This includes not only the recruitment of personnel, but also the assumption of costs and the necessary expansion of the facilities. By the way: Key questions about qualitative standards such as the skilled worker-child ratio and the qualifications of the care staff must be urgently addressed. There are currently serious problems as unqualified assistants are often used on temporary contracts to provide care. This often happens in unsuitable rooms, which not only endangers the safety of the children, but also puts employees in difficult situations.

The full day should be nationwide

This much is certain: the legal right to a full-time place should apply to all first-grade students from the 2026/2027 school year. Every year, this requirement is gradually expanded by one grade level, with the aim of improving the individual support of children in the first years of school. The all-day primary schools are a mainstay here, offering an almost comprehensive structure in Lower Saxony. The expansion will be supplemented by after-school care centers and already tested overall concepts that combine education, upbringing and care.

Another advantage of all-day education is the increasing popularity of such schools, which more and more families are discovering. The free place is an attractive offer and enables an integrated concept of lessons and extra-curricular activities. The desired multi-professional collaboration promises to make everyday school life more child-friendly and to promote active participation among students.

Quality in all-day education

In the discussion about the quality of all-day education, a central focus is on developing these schools from simple places of learning into real living spaces. The focus on high-quality standards guarantees that teachers and educational specialists can respond more individually to the needs of the students. A comprehensive study has already been launched for the nationwide discussion about uniformity of quality characteristics in all-day schools, which is supported by well-known foundations. The report “Dare to go to school more: Recommendations for a good all-day” develops approaches for quality development and could also be groundbreaking for Bremen and Lower Saxony.

Finally, it remains to be said that the introduction of legal entitlement in itself represents a great opportunity. Not only for equal opportunities, but also for a better balance between family and work. The remaining time until August 2026 should therefore urgently be used to create the necessary regulations and thus offer the many families in the region a stable foundation.

For further information on this topic and current developments, please see the website ver.di, education portal Lower Saxony and Bosch Foundation.