The legal basis for childcare in the German-speaking Community is 

• das Dekret vom 31. März 2014 über die Kinderbetreuung, 
• das Dekret vom 22. Mai 2023 zur Schaffung eines Zentrums der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft für Kinderbetreuung; 
• der Erlass der Regierung vom 22. Mai 2014 über die Dienste und andere Formen der Kinderbetreuung 
• der Erlass der Regierung vom 22. Mai 2014 über die selbstständigen Tagesmütter/-väter. 
• Hinzu kommt ein Ministerieller Erlass zur Festlegung der geltenden Sicherheitsbestimmungen der Räumlichkeiten sowie verschiedene Konventionen zur Anerkennung und Bezuschussung von zeitlich und örtlich begrenzten Projekten in der Kinderbetreuung.

Steering documents

In Belgium, pre-school education in kindergarten has meanwhile become a fully fledged and integrated part of the general education and training system. The majority of laws and regulations relating to kindergarten are the same as those applying to primary education. In most cases, the guidelines apply to the entire primary level, that is, to both kindergarten and primary school. The legal provisions were reformulated and laid down on 26 April 1999 in a decree on mainstream primary education.

This decree establishes uniform and binding standards for all primary schools, i.e. kindergartens and primary schools, with regard to their establishment, closure, reopening, merger, restructuring, calculation of posts, admission requirements, organisation of working time, and information on the educational provision.

Pedagogical reference texts 

With the decree of 16 December 2002 on the definition of developmental objectives for kindergarten, the pedagogical reference texts for kindergarten entered into force. Subsequently, an activity plan was drawn up, based on the aforementioned developmental objectives and structured in methodological and didactic terms. This plan is binding for kindergartens within the OSU and the GUW. The work carried out in FSU kindergartens is based on the developmental objectives laid down by decree. The aforementioned developmental objectives are currently under revision.

There are no pedagogical guidelines for childcare provided by childminders or in co-initiatives and day nurseries. The service providers develop their own pedagogical concepts.

The developmental objectives define the aims pursued in kindergarten in the areas of knowledge, perception of abilities and behaviour. Kindergarten therefore aims to stimulate the process of maturation and to develop children’s independence and sense of responsibility, enabling them to embark on the basic learning processes at the start of primary school with a good chance of success.

Kindergarten also represents the first phase in the learning of social behaviour. The aim is to develop independence, a sense of responsibility and cooperation among children. The developmental objectives currently in force include:

• social-affective goals: supporting the child in their development, helping them to accept themselves and get to know themselves (through motivation, setting boundaries, emphasizing their achievements, and understanding the consequences of their actions); 
• intellectual goals: helping the child through diverse experiences by encouraging them to gradually overcome their syncretic perception (through observation, experimentation, and language development); 
• psychomotor goals: helping the child to better understand themselves and gain self-confidence (through body expression); 
• Artistic goals: drawing the child’s attention to beauty and poetry, developing their sense of art and aesthetics, and providing space for their creativity. 

The Catholic schools within the free subsidized education system additionally pursue religious objectives that are rooted in their educational mission. 

Areas of learning and development

An activity plan came into effect on September 1, 2004, for all kindergartens in the German-speaking Community. It corresponds to the recommendations of the decree from December 16, 2002, regarding the establishment of developmental goals for kindergarten [...]. Based on these developmental goals, the activity plan defines the following subject areas: 

Mother tongue: 

•  Develop oral language
•  Engage with literature 
•  Discover written language 

Foreign language activities:

•  Encounter a foreign language
•  Use language in action 

Psychomotor skills: 

•  Running, jumping and throwing
•  Playing 
•  Balancing, climbing, turning, swinging and wrestling 
•  Body awareness, expression and dance
•  Swimming 

World orientation:

•  Experiencing oneself (“inner world”)
•  Living together (“social world”)
•  Exploring the world (“environment”) 

Musical education: 

•  Experiencing music 
•  Acting out scenes 

Development of mathematical thinking:

•  Developing an understanding of space and time
•  Measuring
•  Developing number and operations concepts 

The activity plan was created by a working group that took target objectives into account and based its work on numerous scientific texts and practical studies from both domestic and international sources. It was distributed to all kindergarten teachers in the municipalities and the community for review, as well as submitted to the Department of Educational Sciences at the Autonome Hochschule of the German-speaking Community (since 2020 Autonome Hochschule Ostbelgien) for feedback. 

Children typically begin learning to read in the first year of primary school, i.e., at the age of six. However, they are already introduced to reading in kindergarten—not through early or forced formal instruction, but through acquiring functional skills by exploring the written environment in which the child is situated. This environment fosters informal learning processes that naturally arise through life, activities, or play. 

The introduction to the world of numbers follows the same conditions. 

The kindergarten activity plan does not prescribe a strict time allocation: the number of hours dedicated to the various areas is not fixed. Many teachers place great importance on regularly alternating between static and more active exercises. Time schedules vary greatly from one kindergarten class to another. 

Foreign language activities are mandated by the decree from April 19, 2004, on the teaching and use of languages in education. A minimum of 50 and a maximum of 200 minutes per week are specified, allowing for a 10- to 40-minute activity in the first foreign language, French, each day. Since September 2011, under certain conditions, bilingual instruction can also be offered in kindergarten.

Pedagogical approaches

The methods applied focus more on concept formation than on knowledge transfer. Play is at the center of pedagogical practice. Official texts consider the child’s admission, thorough observation, and listening to the child as the pedagogical pillars in fostering the development of the young person. The rhythm of each child should always be respected, and all activities should be integrated into a functional framework.

The methods applied focus more on concept formation than on knowledge transfer. Play is at the center of pedagogical practice. Official texts consider the child’s admission, thorough observation, and listening to the child as the pedagogical pillars in fostering the development of the young person. The rhythm of each child should always be respected, and all activities should be integrated into a functional framework.

In general, specific rooms or areas are assigned for certain activities:

• affective space: for feeling safe, developing thoughts, and managing group task distribution; 
• creative space: for games, drawing, and body expression aimed at strengthening one’s own personality; 
• cognitive space: for experimentation, a library, and digital devices; 
• psychomotor space: for releasing energy, building self-confidence, and developing cooperative skills. 

The activity plan emphasizes the implementation of projects that are adapted to the interests and needs of the children. 

The project enables action, acceptance, and voluntary participation with the aim of achieving the set goals. Children are divided into groups that work in various workshops organized by the teacher (e.g., painting, building blocks, library, mathematics, stimulation activities, role-playing, dolls, shops, etc.).

The proposed daily schedule is as follows: 

•  Reception of the children: songs, free oral expression; 
•  Daily plan: planning and decision-making about the day’s activities; 
•  Activities organized in workshops. 

Studies show that only one-third of activities are carried out in small groups. Workshops are organized, whenever possible, in groups of fewer than 15 children. 

Note for children under 3 

Each institution is free to establish its own educational programme and range of activities. The Ministry of the German-speaking Community does not issue specific regulations. However, the Erlass der Regierung of May 22, 2014, concerning services and other forms of childcare, states in Article 2 §1: "According to Article 6 of the Decree, every service provider affected by this decree, who offers childcare, must be recognized before commencing operations in accordance with this decree."

For recognition, service providers must submit an application to the Government of the German-speaking Community.

Assessment

The Grundlagendekret of August 31, 1998, describes assessment as an essential part of the teaching and learning process, aimed at determining the developmental status of each child.

In kindergarten, only formative evaluation is conducted. Formative evaluation continuously collects information about the developmental status and/or progress of the children. It is therefore diagnostic and serves to improve learning.

The developmental goals pursued in kindergarten form the basis for the formative evaluation.

This evaluation is based on observing the child.

The results of the assessment are recorded and commented on in writing at regular intervals.

Parents or guardians are informed about their child’s development.

In some cases, kindergartens assess children’s readiness for school enrollment. The decree of April 26, 1999, regarding primary education, allows for admission to primary school to be either advanced or delayed by one school year. Parents or guardians make the corresponding decision after receiving a reasoned report from the class council and Kaleido Ostbelgien. For a child who has not attended kindergarten, only the report from Kaleido Ostbelgien is required.

Transition to primary school

(see above)