Is it ever too early to teach children about government and the power bestowed upon citizens in a democratic society? In what is being called a first of its kind in Germany, the Dolli-Einstein-Haus school in Pinneberg, Schleswig-Holstein is saying “no” and opened up a democratic kindergarten to experiment with the concept, giving its young students a voice in how the classroom is run.
Handing over power to a room full of children still fresh out of diapers can at first sound like a nightmare, but much like a real democracy, the ‘voters’ do not always have a final say on everything. Most of the policies voted on revolve around food choices or toy selections, leaving the curriculum in the hands of the adults.
In an effort to avoid chaos, the tiny tots get a lesson into democratic representation as well by electing representatives to act as the voice of the children in the weekly votes. Every vote does count though as the final decisions are determined via a majority vote. Maybe they should add in a little electoral college into the lesson plan?
