Kindergarten

Before Kindergarten:

The canton promotes and finances learning German even before kindergarten: Children who speak little or no German must attend a playgroup or another program with German language support in the year before starting kindergarten. There, they learn German through play at least three half-days per week.

Kindergarten:

Kindergarten is part of compulsory education in Basel. It counts as school and therefore the entry into kindergarten is considered as the beginning of school (‘Einschulung’). The kindergarten your child attends will be close to your home, with a maximum of 20 children per class. The classes have two age groups and your child will stay in the same class for the two years of kindergarten.

In 2025, 28 kindergarten locations exist (each attached to a primary school), but as the population increases, new locations might be added:

Here you can find the location of all Kindergartens in Basel-Stadt:

https://staatskalender.bs.ch/organization/regierung-und-verwaltung/erziehungsdepartement/volksschulen/schulstandorte/primarschulen-mit-kindergaerten-in-basel

You cannot choose which kindergarten your child attends. He/she will attend a kindergarten close to your home. You may say you have a preference or ask for your child to be with a close friend, but these requests cannot always be fulfilled. If your child attends after-school care, you can ask for him/her to attend the kindergarten closest to the childcare. If you need lunches and day care (at a charge), do make sure you discuss this early with the school administration as not all schools offer the service.

When will my child start Kindergarten?

If a child is four years old by July 31st, they will start school the following August.

Kindergarten is every morning from 8:00 until 12:00 Monday to Friday, with one afternoon a week from 14:00 to 16:00, usually Monday or Tuesday.

How to register?

A form will be sent to you automatically by the administration. You can also contact the administration at the following address: Volksschulen Basel-Stadt, Kohlenberg 27, 4001 Basel, or at:

https://www.bs.ch/ed/volksschulen.

(this is just the example of one kindergarten, each is a little different)

8:00-8:30: arrive, take off coat and shoes, put on slippers. Shake hands with the teacher to say hello and engage in  free play.

8:30 circle time with songs, a story, discussions about the current theme

9:00 project time – children work on an activity

9:30 snack

9:45 break, play outside

10:15 free play in a variety of centers, such as a housekeeping, block or puzzle corner.

11:45 clear up, get ready to leave with a last song, shake hands with the teacher to say good-bye

Some special Kindergarten events: lantern parade for St Martin, Herbstmesse, visit by or to Santichlaus in the forest on December 6th, Fasnacht (carnival) parade, gardening, weekly outings in the forest, school play, etc.

If your child is attending the local kindergarten: At specific times during the week there will be two teachers in the kindergarten so that one can focus specifically on the needs of non-native speakers and support their language development.

However, this practice may vary between locations, depending on the number of non-German speakers and their individual needs, but also on the budget and/or availability of qualified teachers.

All families needing after-school programs should find a suitable solution in Basel, whether public or private. There are “Tagesstrukturen” (= day structures) in all kindergartens and primary schools in BS, run by the education department. They are open from Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and at some locations additionally from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

The program is structured into modules. You can register your child for individual modules on specific days (minimum four modules a week) or for the entire week. Entry into the day structure takes place at the beginning of the school year and is valid for the entire year. If no place is available, the registered student will be placed on a waiting list.

Please note that Tagesstrukturen are not free of charge but will be billed depending on the parents income. You can register your child here:

https://formulare.bs.ch/volksschulen/registrierung-tagesstruktur-portal.

There are special holiday programs (also at a fee) for which you must sign up months in advance (they tend to be fully booked within hours of being published).

In kindergarten children learn through play, exploration and experience. The boys and girls are supported in their individual development. They learn to be independent, to develop their cognitive and verbal skills, and to increase their ability to concentrate. The children manipulate objects such as toys, tools and instruments as well as develop their speech. Also, they gain experience functioning within a large group and improving their social skills as part of a community. In a secure atmosphere the children develop self-confidence.

Reading and arithmetic are not part of the curriculum in kindergarten.

The teaching plans are all available on the following website (in German):

https://bs.lehrplan.ch/.

In general terms: There is support for children with learning difficulties, ranging from in-school language support for children not yet fluent in German to assistance for language acquisition difficulties, behavioural problems (school psychologist), dyslexia, etc. It is important to contact the school and specialists to see what is available and find the best option for your child.

More specifically: Basel-Stadt is a forerunner of the “inclusive school” principle: children with and without special educational needs are supposed to learn together in the same classroom. The goal is to provide equal educational opportunities for all students, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic, or other conditions. This principle is only deviated from in rare cases.