2021

From 1 September 2021 pre-primary education is compulsory for any child who reaches the age of 5 by 31 August

With effect from 1 September 2021, in compliance with the Education Act, pre-primary education is compulsory for any child who reaches the age of 5 years by 31 August preceding the beginning of the school year from which the child will complete compulsory schooling in primary school. These children will have priority in the admission process. Children will be admitted to compulsory pre-primary education from the school year 2021/2022.

Children younger than 5 years of age are not legally entitled to a place in a kindergarten.

The year 2021 is the year of introduction of compulsory pre-primary education into the practice of kindergartens

All children who reach the age of 5 till 31 August, will start compulsory pre-primary education from 1 September, either:

• in kindergartens included in the network of schools and school facilities,
• in a special way abroad (if they will be living with their parents in a country other than their place of residence in the Slovak Republic at that time,
• individual education for health reasons or at the request of parents, or
• in pre-primary education facilities registered by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.

The application of compulsory pre-primary education for all children will create a level playing field for all children to be able to succeed subsequently in the provision of primary education in primary schools and subsequently in further education and life in society. The diversification of providers of compulsory pre-primary education will apply the right of every child to high-quality pre-primary education, both in terms of its content and staffing and spatial and material-technical conditions.

Effects of COVID 19 on pre-primary education

The coronavirus pandemic also had a significant impact on the quality of education in 2021.

Due to the pandemic, kindergartens were mostly out of operation according to the decision of the Minister of Education as well as according to the regulations and measures of the Public Health Office.

Depending on the technical possibilities of kindergartens and households, teachers and principals of kindergartens provided distance education, especially for children, who will start compulsory schooling in primary schools from 1 September 2021.

By participating in a number of online seminars and webinars, kindergarten principals were preparing to put compulsory pre-primary education into practice and to fulfil the new competencies associated with it, especially when admitting children to kindergarten.

The State Pedagogical Institute has prepared two methodological materials to help with the smooth introduction of compulsory pre-primary education into work for kindergartens, pre-primary education facilities as well as parents, which will provide individual compulsory pre-primary education for their children:

- Compulsory pre-primary education: The guide on objectives and content offers a good overview of what is to be included in compulsory pre-primary education, whether it takes place in kindergarten or as individual education.

- A child who speaks another language: the possibility of compensatory support in pre-school education is an important methodological support in a situation where a child who does not understand the language spoken in it comes to kindergarten.

The State Pedagogical Institute will continue in the edition of methodological support of pre-primary education and will provide a series of other compensatory programs to schools and also other actors in pre-primary education. 

Methodological materials are available online on the website of the Ministry of Education, Science, research and Sports of the Slovak Republic and the National Institute of Education, kindergartens will also receive available publications in print.

2020

Preparation for the introduction of compulsory pre-primary education into practice

2020 is the year of preparation for the introduction of compulsory pre-primary education into practice.

As of 1st January 2021, pre-primary education will be compulsory for every child who has reached the age of 5 by 31st August which precedes the beginning of the school year from which the child’s compulsory school attendance at primary school starts.

Children can complete pre-primary education at kindergartens listed in the network of schools and school facilities of the Slovak Republic, regardless of the founder; that is in the institutionalised form or individual form of (pre-primary education), which is equivalent to the institutionalised form of pre-primary education.

By adoption of compulsory pre-primary education for all children all requirements have been met for every child to have the same “starting line” before the compulsory school attendance at primary school.

Through the implementation of compulsory pre-primary education the right of each child for high quality pre-primary education will be put into practice. It aims to ensure that every child before their compulsory school attendance at primary school complete pre-primary education as a prerequisite for successful education on further levels of education.

Effects of COVID 19 on pre-primary education

Pre-primary education at kindergartens in 2020 was significantly affected by COVID-19 pandemics. As a result, pre-primary education at kindergartens was suspended from 16th March 2020 to 31st May 2020. Kindergarten teachers could not do their work in schools as usual but they worked remotely - from home.

While teaching remotely teachers worked with all available digital technology and used web portal “Učíme na diaľku” (SK) (“We teach remotely”), which has links to various teaching resources. They also used other teaching resources created directly in individual schools.

Kindergarten teachers working from home

- prepared methodological materials according to their headteachers’ instructions,

- carried out tasks from projects the kindergartens participated in and created new projects to be used in the future,

- created sets of assignments and activities for children for the development of specific key competences, 

- created electronic school magazines as a tool for maintaining contact with the family,

- prepared tools and processed documents for auto-evaluation of the school or their school educational programmes, 

- regularly informed parents on the current events and current guidelines of the Ministry of Education and the founders, 

- worked with children within closed Facebook groups or through other forms of communication:

• studied educational materials created within projects supported by EU resources and used them for suggestions for activities for children,
• sent parents links to quality content websites and activities appropriate for children of pre-school age.
• created and sent parents worksheets which contained activities thematically linked to the content of education found in school educational programmes,
• used worksheets published in various Facebook groups, mainly in the Facebook group “Učiteľky materskej školy” (SK) (Kindergarten teachers),
• directed parents to suitable television programmes,
• provided parents with worksheets which children normally use in kindergartens,
• recommended parents suitable games and songs for development of children’s communication skills and sent them ideas for     
• development and strengthening graphomotor skills and practicing the correct scissor cutting technique,
• communicated with parents and children through video calls,
• addressed the current educational problems...

- On 1st February 2020, the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sport of the Slovak Republic launched the Central storage for digital educational content „Viki“ (SK) as a part of the support of interactive education at kindergartens, primary and secondary  schools. The site currently contains publicly accessible educational content for kindergartens (including content in Hungarian and English); content for primary schools from the area of natural sciences such as mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics; financial literacy; environmental education; content for secondary schools from the area of electric technology and so on. This site is fully used by kindergarten teachers.

Education that took place at kindergartens during the suspension of pre-primary education was very similar mainly to education provided by primary school teachers at the first level; however, online education was more demanding for kindergarten teachers mainly since children of pre-school age cannot read. Therefore, kindergarten teachers mostly focused on communicating with parents.

2019

Compulsory pre-school education

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic has prepared a draft amendment of the Education Act for submission into the legislative process. The draft will be presented to National Council of the Slovak Republic by the 31st of May 2019 following the evaluation of the inter-departmental consultation procedure, which can be entered into by the public.

According to the draft, the compulsory pre-primary education for all children who reach the age of 5 by the 31st of August should be introduced in the Slovak Republic. When approved, the compulsory school attendance in the Slovak Republic will take 11 years - starting with the completion of the compulsory pre-primary education in a kindergarten.  

Compulsory school attendance in kindergartens will take one school year. It is proposed that if a child is not ready for school upon reaching the age of 6, the kindergarten headteacher will decide whether the child should repeat the compulsory pre-primary education in a kindergarten. The decision will be made based on the written statement of a relevant Centre of educational counselling and prevention and the approval of a paediatrician. 

Cancellation of the following is proposed:

• Zero grade,
• Possibility of deferment of the start of the compulsory school attendance, 
• Possibility of an additional deferment of the compulsory school attendance. 

It is proposed that children who due to health reasons or based on their parents‘ request, cannot take part in pre-primary education in a kindergarten have a possibility to do so in a form of individual education.

The changes should come into effect on 1 January 2021. The original proposal was for September 2020. According to the coalition, the reason for the postponement is mainly the completion of the necessary capacities in kindergartens and the provision of sufficient staff.

2018

Introduction of compulsory pre-school education for 5-year old children

In a meeting on 20. November 2018, Representatives of the Government of the Slovak Republic agreed on the introduction of compulsory pre-primary education for all 5-year old children as of 1. September 2020. Compulsory pre-school education will start a year before compulsory school attendance. In order to implement this change, the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sport of the Slovak Republic is preparing amendments to the legislation.