Place guarantee to ECEC

ECEC (ISCED 0) namely Childcare Centres and Kindergartens are non-compulsory. Attendance in Kindergartens is very high, reaching 92.4% of the corresponding age population in 2018 (Eurostat 2021). There is no legal guarantee to a place in ECEC.

Affordability

Childcare Centres

In 2014, Government introduced the Free Childcare Scheme for children from three months up to the age of 3 years. This scheme entitles all parent/s who is/are both in employment or in education or parents who are not in employment due to terminal illnesses., to avail themselves of free childcare within the childcare centre of their choice. The entitlement of free childcare hours is based pro-rata to the mother’s (or single father) employment hours. The rate paid by government includes staff costs and consumables while it does not cover outings and costs for food, nappies, wipes and others related to the individual needs of the child (Jobsplus 2020).  This measure underscores government’s belief in ECEC contribution to children’s well-being, learning and development and socio-economic integration. The measure strives to provide a better work-life balance for families with young children while closing the socio-economic gap effecting children coming from disadvantaged households. All Childcare Centres licenced by the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education whether state, church or private owned can join the scheme. As at November 2020 a total of 149 Childcare Centres were participating in the free childcare scheme (DQSE 2020), while the participation rate of children increased from 18.2% in 2014 to 38.3% in 2019 (Eurostat 2021)). Government is also helping parents who decide to enrol their children in private Childcare Centres which are not part of the free scheme, by providing them with an income tax deduction up to EUR2,000. In order to ensure eligibility, parents who are in employment and thus paying social security contributions need to provide a copy of the three latest payslips and a declaration by their employer stating their working hours. Parents in education must provide a statement of course attendance from the respective educational institute or a statement of course recognition from the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority if the course being followed is not provided by the University of Malta, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology or the Institute of Tourism Studies. 

Kindergarten centres

This level of education is considered as an integral part of a child’s education and is provided free-of-charge in all State and Church schools. Parents of children attending Church schools are asked to make an annual donation to help in the general upkeep of the schools. Alternatively, parents are also free to choose private provision for which there are unregulated fees. Income tax deduction is made available for those who do so. State-run Kindergarten Centres are to be found in all localities of Malta and Gozo, very often integrated with state primary schools. This makes accessibility easier to parents within each locality. There are 62 state-run kindergartens of which 11 are found in Gozo while there are also 29 Kindergarten Centres run by Church schools and 21 Independent Kindergarten Centres. Church and Independent Kindergarten Centres are not found in each locality. However as from September 2018, Government through the Ministry for Education provided free transport for students attending state, church and independent compulsory schooling and kindergarten.  Whilst some of these schools offer Kindergarten education only, others provide schooling up to the end of secondary education.  In Academic Year 2018/2019, kindergarten populations stood as follows:

Source: *Educational Statistics; **Demographics Database, National Statistics Office (NSO)