The mushroom must go

Out for kindergarten symbols: What the authorities say

Names, photos or drawings should be used instead of symbols.

(Bild: lithiumphoto - stock.adobe.com)

The fact that the symbols are to disappear from the wardrobe boxes of municipal kindergartens in Vienna is making waves - even among politicians. The "Krone" now publishes the statement of the responsible authority MA 10.

Following the furor over the wardrobe symbols in the city's kindergartens , politicians are now trying to get out of the affair. There is no official ban, says Christoph Wiederkehr (Neos), the city councillor responsible for education. Each kindergarten can decide for itself.

That sounds like freedom of choice - but that's not the case. Following the criticism of the past few days, we have now decided to publish the wording of the responsible authority's statement. This is because there are clear guidelines on how the symbols should be handled.

The wording of the statement
"In some kindergartens, it is still customary for checkroom areas, property stores, works/drawings etc. to be marked with colorful symbols such as apple, house, sun, star. It has been our experience for years that children can find their place better, recognize their "own drawer" or find their "symbol" on a picture they have drawn, so they know that it is "their" drawing.

In the municipal kindergartens, we are currently in the process of a debate and have set ourselves the task of rethinking the colorful identification symbols that are already very old in some locations and, above all, the way in which a child arrives at "their symbol". The aim is to avoid children being assigned symbols without reflection or children who join later possibly receiving a "leftover" symbol with which they have no positive associations. 

With the new type of labeling, mixed forms, names with photos, or all kinds of ideas are conceivable, which in any case lead away from a child not being able to identify with a symbol they have not chosen themselves, such as a mushroom, and then possibly being addressed as such ("... and our mushroom can now go into the garden ..."). In addition, engaging with their "own" photo or "own" drawing provides the individual child with essential impulses for subjective personality development. Fundamental learning opportunities arise here."

Recommendation that is adopted
This recommendation is adopted by the kindergartens. This can be seen in the example of Matteo's kindergarten, from which his mushroom symbol was taken. The ladybug flies out of the checkroom for good.