Place guarantee to ECEC

Pre‑school in Albania is optional and consists of kindergarten and preparatory classes for children aged three to six. Kindergartens operate in age groups of 3‑4 year‑olds, 4‑5 year‑olds and 5‑6 year‑olds, while preparatory classes take place in basic education schools and target five‑year‑old children who may or may not have previously attended pre‑school.

There is no legal guarantee to a place in early childhood education and care. Kindergartens and nurseries are located all over the country. In small rural settlements, kindergartens may be located in the same buildings as schools. At local governance level, assistance regarding access to kindergartens is offered for children from poor families and for some other categories of vulnerable children, including orphans, Roma and Egyptian children, paraplegic/tetraplegic children, children from families wth poor socio-economic conditions, etc. 

Affordability

Public nurseries places are offered subject to fees, which are set at local governance level. With regard to public kindergartens, only full-day public kindergartens are subject to fees, which are also set at local governance level. Half-day public kindergarten places are offered free of charge.

Local governance units offer assistance regarding access to kindergartens. Certain categories of children, including orphan children, children with special educational needs, children who are paraplegic/tetraplegic and children who come from families with socioeconomic difficulties, can access kindergarten places free of charge. In this regard, local governance units decide eligibility criteria by means of a decision of the municipality council at local level. Another type of assistance, also regulated at local governance level, is the provision of free-of-charge transportation for children who reside further than 2 km from their kindergarten.