The sky over Rostock was covered by dark clouds on this Saturday morning and a stormy rain lashed the Kempowski bank. But the unpleasant weather could not dampen the mood and the will to fight of those involved. Despite the rain, numerous parents, children and educators gathered for the first “balance bike demo” in Rostock to demonstrate for better conditions in daycare.
Katja Ross: The voice of the petition
Katja Ross, member of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Education and Science Union (GEW MV) and educator from Rostock, was the focus of the event. She originally launched the “Every Child Counts” petition, which now has over 220,000 signatures. “We demand binding quality standards for child day care,” she explained during her speech following the demonstration on Kempowski-Ufer. “More staff, better working conditions and enough daycare places for all children – these are our goals.”
GEW spokeswoman Katja Ross initiated the petition ‘Every child counts’ and calls for better daycare standards. (Photo: Viktoria Kravchenko)
Ross emphasized the importance of community: “We are an association of several hundred educators, daycare center managers, specialist advisors, parents and grandparents from all over Germany. Together we no longer want to accept that politicians ignore the situation in daycare centers.” The problems are diverse, but the proposed solutions would mean an improvement for all daycare centers in the country.
Children enjoyed the stormy summer festival
Despite the bad weather, the children had fun at the summer festival following the demonstration on several bouncy castles, an obstacle course and with face painting. Of course, the bicycles and balance bikes on which the little participants whizzed around couldn’t be missed. While the children were having fun, the parents took the opportunity to talk about their children’s future.
Volunteers secured the demo to Kempowski-Ufer and paid attention to police requirements and the safety of the participants. (Photo: Viktoria Kravchenko)
The demonstration was accompanied by volunteers who ensured the safety of the participants on the way to the Kempowski bank. Norbert, Christine and Tabi ensured that police requirements were adhered to and were available as contact persons for security. The GEW, the Kiel City Parents’ Council and numerous local parents also contributed to the success of the demo and the subsequent summer festival.
Concrete demands on politicians
The petition calls, among other things, for every daycare center to receive at least one additional profile position in order to specifically support areas such as language education or inclusion. “We need binding minimum staffing standards,” Ross continued. “Clear guidelines must be set for staffing requirements so that enough skilled workers are available to provide appropriate care and support for the children.”
The demonstrators are demanding additional profile positions in daycare centers for targeted support and clear personnel guidelines. (Photo: Viktoria Kravchenko)
Ross’ speech was emotional and powerful. “The current situation in the daycare centers contradicts the basic needs and rights of the children,” she said. “The educators know through our daily work how important stable caregivers and reliable structures are for the children.” The increasing demands and poor general conditions led to an enormous burden on the staff, while there was no time for individual support of the children.
A look into the future
On October 7th, Katja Ross will speak to the Bundestag’s Petitions Committee. “Politicians then have the chance to listen to us and understand that action must finally be taken,” she concluded. “We finally need more money from the federal government for daycare centers in the state. Because every child deserves a fair chance to receive optimal education and care.”
The balance bike demo in Rostock was successful despite the rainy weather and sent a strong signal for the future of child day care. (Photo: Viktoria Kravchenko)
Despite the stormy weather, the “running bike demo” in Rostock was a success. The participants impressively showed that they are ready to fight for the future of their children. “Together we did it,” Ross summed up. “With over 220,000 signatures, our petition is the largest petition in the German Bundestag so far this year. This is a huge success and would not have been possible without the many supporters.”
The event ended with a sense of community and a shared goal among the demonstrators: to sustainably improve early childhood education in Germany.
