year - olds ▁Upper ▁Kinder g arten : ▁ 4 - ▁to ▁ 5 - year - olds ▁ ▁Netherlands ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁the ▁equivalent ▁term ▁to ▁kind erg arten ▁was ▁. ▁From ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century ▁to ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 th ▁century ▁the ▁term ▁ ▁was ▁also ▁common , ▁after ▁Friedrich ▁Fr ö bel . ▁However , ▁this ▁term ▁gradually ▁f aded ▁in ▁use ▁as ▁the ▁verb ▁ ▁gained ▁a ▁slightly ▁der og atory ▁meaning ▁in ▁every day ▁language . ▁Until ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁it ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁separate ▁non - comp uls ory ▁form ▁of ▁education ▁( for ▁children ▁aged ▁ 4 – 6 ▁years ), ▁after ▁which ▁children ▁( aged ▁ 6 – 1 2 ▁years ) ▁attended ▁the ▁primary ▁school ▁( lag ere ▁school ). ▁After ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁both ▁forms ▁were ▁integrated ▁into ▁one , ▁called ▁ ▁( D utch ▁for ▁primary ▁education ). ▁For ▁children ▁under ▁ 4 , ▁the ▁country ▁offers ▁private , ▁subs id ized ▁day car es ▁( ), ▁which ▁are ▁non comp uls ory ▁but ▁never theless ▁very ▁popular . ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand ▁▁ ▁In ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁kind erg arten ▁can ▁refer ▁to ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 ▁years ▁preceding ▁primary ▁school , ▁from ▁age ▁ 3 ▁to ▁ 4 . ▁Primary ▁Education ▁starts ▁at ▁age ▁ 5 . ▁ ▁Norway ▁ ▁In ▁Norway , ▁bar neh age ▁( children ' s ▁garden ) ▁is ▁the ▁term ▁equivalent