Elementary school comprises grades 1 to 4 and is the common school for six to ten-year-olds.
Following on from early childhood education and upbringing in daycare facilities, children in elementary school acquire basic skills in cultural techniques (reading, writing, arithmetic, digital education) as well as social and personal skills on which education and teaching in secondary schools can reliably build. Elementary school promotes the children's joy of learning and discovery as well as their motivation to learn in all their diversity. In line with the competence orientation underlying the CurriculumPLUS elementary school, children acquire knowledge and skills in elementary school that enable them to cope with everyday situations and participate increasingly responsibly in social and cultural life.
Start of compulsory schooling
Children who meet the age requirements and have their usual place of residence in Bavaria are subject to compulsory schooling.
At the beginning of the school year, all children who
- turn six years old by June 30,
- who turn six in the period from July 1 to September 30 and whose legal guardians do not postpone the start of compulsory schooling until the following school year,
- whose legal guardians have already postponed the start of compulsory schooling once in accordance with Art. 37 Para. 1 Sentence 1 No. 2 BayEUG or
- who have already been postponed from admission to elementary school once in accordance with Art. 37 Para. 2 or Para. 4 BayEUG.
School enrollment corridor
Parents/guardians of children who turn six between July 1 and September 30 can decide, after participating in the enrolment process, on the basis of advice and recommendations from the primary or special school, whether they will be enrolled in the coming school year or the following school year. If parents/guardians wish to postpone enrolment to the following school year, they must inform the school in writing by April 10 at the latest. Otherwise, the child will be required to attend school in the following school year, unless the school decides to defer enrollment in exceptional cases.
Early school enrollment
Children who turn six years old after September 30 and whose observable development is such that they are likely to be able to participate successfully in lessons can be enrolled in school early upon application. For children who turn six after December 31, an additional prerequisite for early admission to elementary school is that a school psychologist's report confirms that the child is fit for school.
The decision on early admission to school is made by the school management.
Deferral
A child who is at least six years old on September 30 may be deferred from elementary school admission for one school year if it is expected that the child will not be able to successfully participate in elementary school lessons until one school year later.
Furthermore, children can be deferred and obliged to attend a day care center with an integrated preliminary course during the school year if they have neither attended a day care center nor a preliminary course to promote German language skills and it is determined during school registration that they do not have the necessary German language skills.
Responsible school
A child who is or will be required to attend school must be registered by the legal guardians at the registration date at the public elementary school in whose district the child is normally resident or at a private elementary school, unless the child is registered directly at the support center.
The school principals will provide information about the school districts and all other school matters. If the child is enrolled at a private elementary school, the responsible elementary school must be informed for reasons of monitoring compulsory schooling.