Children, school, and parental leave in Germany

Kita and the legal claim to a daycare slot

Since 2013, every child aged 1–3 has a legal claim (Rechtsanspruch) to a daycare (Kita / Kindertagesstätte) slot. In practice, slot availability is uneven — Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and the bigger cities have multi-month waitlists. Apply at multiple Kitas as soon as you know you are coming and again immediately on arrival.

Kita costs vary by Bundesland: Berlin and Hamburg are free (apart from a small lunch fee); Munich and Bavarian cities charge €100–250/month; Baden-Württemberg can run €200–400/month. Income-based subsidies reduce or waive fees for low-income families. Quality across public, church-operated, and private Kitas is broadly comparable.

For under-1s, parents take Elternzeit. The legal childcare claim does not start until the first birthday.

Grundschule — primary school by catchment

Children start primary school (Grundschule) at age 6 and stay for 4 years (6 in Berlin and Brandenburg). Admission is automatic by Schulbezirk — your home address determines the school. Apply via the local Schulamt the year before the September start; missed deadlines mean the Schulamt assigns you to whichever local school has space.

Once enrolled, transfers between schools are uncommon and require a justification (move, harassment, special-needs). Most Grundschulen run a half-day schedule (08:00–13:00) with optional Hort (after-school care) until 16:00–17:00 for working-parent families.

The three-track system: Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium

After Grundschule, German children are sorted into one of several secondary tracks based on academic performance and a parent / teacher recommendation. The Gymnasium leads to the Abitur (university qualification) at age 18; the Realschule leads to Mittlere Reife (mid-level qualification) at 16; the Hauptschule leads to the Hauptschulabschluss at 15. Comprehensive schools (Gesamtschule, Stadtteilschule) combine the tracks under one roof.

The system is strongly stratified by parental income and education — outcomes correlate heavily with socioeconomic status, which is a long-running domestic debate. Some Bundesländer (Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen) have moved toward two-track or comprehensive systems; Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg remain firmly three-track.

Tracks are not absolutely fixed — students who do well on a Realschule can transfer to a Gymnasium, and Gesamtschulen explicitly aim to keep options open for longer. International schools (English-language, IB curriculum) are an alternative in big cities at €1,000–3,000/month.

The school day and term dates

Most German schools run a half-day schedule: 08:00–13:00 with breaks. Children come home for lunch; many parents arrange Hort (after-school care) until late afternoon. A growing minority of schools — especially Gesamtschulen — run a full-day model (Ganztagsschule) with school meals included.

Term dates are set by the Bundesland and rotate so all 16 states do not take summer holidays at the same time (which would clog Autobahns and airports). Each state takes 6 weeks of summer holiday between mid-June and mid-September, plus 1–2 weeks each at autumn, Christmas, and Easter.

Schoolbooks, supplies, and Lernmittelfreiheit

Most Bundesländer follow Lernmittelfreiheit — schoolbooks are loaned free to students for the year. Some states ask for a small "loan fee" or only loan certain books. Workbooks, stationery, calculators, sportswear, and digital devices are paid by parents. Expect €100–300 of supplies at the start of each school year.

School lunches: most public schools that offer hot lunches charge €3–5 per meal. Universities (Mensa) charge €4–8 for adult students. Private schools include lunch in tuition; Gesamtschulen and full-day schools usually subsidise.

Mutterschutz, Elternzeit, and Elterngeld

Mutterschutz (maternity protection) covers pregnant employees from 6 weeks before birth through 8 weeks after (12 weeks for premature or multiple births), at full salary. The employer cannot fire a pregnant employee or one on Mutterschutz/Elternzeit.

Elternzeit (parental leave) extends to 36 months per parent, taken in any combination between birth and the child's 8th birthday. The employer must hold the job. Elterngeld (parental benefit) replaces 65–67% of net salary for 12 months — or 14 if both parents take at least 2 months. Higher-earner cap: €1,800/month. Elterngeld Plus extends the period at lower monthly rates and is compatible with part-time work.

Kindergeld (universal child benefit) pays €255/month per child (2026 rate) regardless of income, paid by the Familienkasse to one parent until age 18 (longer if the child is in education or training).

Higher education — public, near-free, and serious

German public universities charge no or near-zero tuition (€100–350 per semester as a Semesterbeitrag covering admin and a regional transit pass) — the same for German and EU students, and in most Bundesländer the same for non-EU students too (Baden-Württemberg charges €1,500/semester for non-EU students; some others are considering similar rules).

Admission is by school grades for German Abitur holders (often a numerus clausus minimum), or by an equivalent foreign qualification + language exam (TestDaF / DSH for German-language programs; TOEFL / IELTS for English-language ones). Many bachelor and most master programmes in technical fields, business, and IT are taught in English at major universities.

BAföG (federal student aid) covers living costs for students whose parents cannot afford to support them — half grant, half interest-free loan, capped at €380–934/month depending on circumstances. Working students can take a Werkstudent role at up to 20 hours/week without losing BAföG or paying full social insurance.

Small rituals worth knowing

• Schultüte (school cone) — on the first day of Grundschule, children get a giant decorated paper cone filled with sweets and small gifts. Photos with parents in front of the school are universal.
• Einschulung — the first school day is a big family event with grandparents, photos, and a celebratory meal. Close families and friends bring small gifts for the child.
• Klassenfahrt — multi-day school trips (3–5 nights) typical from Grade 4 onward. Parents pay €100–400; schools subsidise lower-income families.
• Elternabend — twice-yearly evening meetings where parents and the homeroom teacher discuss class issues. Strongly attended by middle-class German parents; missing them can read as low engagement.
• Zeugnis — formal report card twice a year with numerical grades 1 (excellent) to 6 (insufficient). Teachers and parents take grades seriously; "Streber" (high-achieving keen-bean) is a real social label among children.
• Jugendweihe / Konfirmation — the secular Jugendweihe (originally East-German) and the Protestant Konfirmation / Catholic Firmung at age 14–15 are coming-of-age rituals widely celebrated regardless of religious belief.