Accessibility

Children from age 1.5 to 7 can attend unitary settings pirmsskolas izglītības iestāde (bērnudārzs). In addition, subsidized home-based provision (bērnu uzraudzības pakalpojuma sniedzēji /aukles) is available since September 2013. The Ministry for Education and Science is responsible for the register of providers and methodological support (content). The Ministry of Welfare supervises and controls providers’ compliance with the regulations.

Municipalities may establish pre-school institutions upon the request of parents of at least 10 children or 8 children with special needs living in the administrative territory of the respective municipality. Municipalities must provide a possibility to attend the nearest educational institution implementing a pre-school programme for all 5 and 6 year olds if they not attending pre-school institutions already.

In rural areas the municipality also provides transport facilities. There are buses conveying children accompanied by an adult from home to the pre-school institution and back.

Admission requirements and choice of ECEC institution

All children are legally entitled to place in ECEC from the age of 1.5. Education is compulsory from age 5, although primary education (ISCED 1) only starts when children reach age 7. ECEC programme (pirmsskolas izglītības programma) for 5 and 6 yearold children may be organized also in home-based provision (receiving methodological support) and in separate groups at schools or other education institutions. It is possible to prolong or to reduce the acquirement of the programme depending on the state of health and psychological readiness according to parents’ wish and family doctor’s conclusion.

Attendance of a pre-school institution is optional for children aged 1.5 to 4 and mandatory for 5 and 6 year olds in order to prepare the latter for primary education, ensure early diagnostics of learning problems and give non-Latvian speaking children extra years to practice Latvian.

Children with special needs can attend special pre-school education institutions or special education pre-school groups at general education institutions, or are integrated into general pre-school groups in educational institutions which offer special pre-school education programs.

The enrolment of children into a pre-school institution is carried out in accordance with the application procedure defined by the founder of institution, usually in the order of submitted applications. However, Ministry of Education and Science has issued recommendationsfor local authorities referring to the priority of ECEC places for children of some groups of parents, when demand is higher than supply. These parents’ groups are: professional military service; internal affairs officers and border-guards if their place of service changes. The Ministry recommends that priority for ECEC places have children whose residential address is declared in the administrative territory of respective municipality; children have reached age of compulsory pre-school preparation (5 and 6 years old children); one of child’s parents is working in the respective pre-school education institutions; children from single parent families; children who are under extra-familial care; children from foster families; children with recommendations from Orphan’s court; and other criteria set by local authorities.

Children are enrolled in the pre-school institution when parents submit all necessary documents and if there are accommodation capacity. Pre-school education institutions are prohibited to set up entrance tests. However, it is desirable to have basic skills on behaviour, hygiene and self-attendance, although the lack of these skills is not a reason for rejection.

Parents are free to choose pre-school institution that provides general pre-school education programme, pre-school education programme for ethnic minorities, special pre-school education programme or special pre-school education programme for ethnic minorities.  

All 5 and 6 year olds are admitted in compulsory pre-school education programmes on the application of parents.

Age levels and grouping of children

Children are organized in groups according to a school model (children of the same age) or family model (children of different age). There can be both or either one of the models even in a single pre-school institution. The head of a pre-school institution may organize grouping of children also by the main language of instruction (the state language or ethnic minority language).  It depends on the demands of parents.

The founder may open a play group as entity or component of institution, or an integrated group attended by both sound children and those with special needs, health or development impairments.

Organisation of time

The organization of year, week and day largely depends on the founder of a pre-school institution. However, there are common recommendations on the organization of educational part of a pre-school institution. The Model Programme of Pre-school Education states main guidelines on the organization of pre-school education defining that lesson must be organized every day, ensuring uniform (steady) study load per week.

Organisation of the day and week

Usually pre-school institutions operate all year round with a break during the summer holidays lasting one to two months (usually in July and August). Whether or not the institution is open during summer depends on the founder of the pre-school institution. However, on the request by parents, a possibility to attend the pre-school institution should be provided also during the summer break. 

Pre-schools that provide childcare full day usually are open daily from 7.00 am (or 7.30 am) till 6.00 pm (or 6.30 pm), except Saturdays and Sundays. In some pre-school institutions there are one or more twenty-four-hour groups; therefore it is possible to stay in the pre-school institution also at night.

The Model Programme of Pre-school Education issued by the Ministry of Education and Science set up the main guidelines for pre-school education contents. Every pre-school teacher is responsible for drawing the programme of activities for the particular group of children to comply with the individual development of children.