Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care
Institutional care for young children in the Czech Republic has a long tradition and is provided on a very broad basis for children older than 3 years of age although it is not compulsory. In terms of operating and staff costs, it is on a high level and its educational component has always been substantial. Nowadays the offer of care for children under age of 3 is relatively low and scarcely used.
Until 2013, children under the age of 3 were taken care of in traditional crèches (jesle) – special health facilities, generally established in big cities. The operation of crèches under the Act on Public Health Care was discontinued from the end of 2013, but the facilities usually continue to work in a different mode.
Since 2000, the regulated trade (profession) Daily care for children under 3 years of age has existed. It is primarily intended for private natural persons or legal entities; however, some public subjects have it registered as well. It enables care in the household of a child (possibly the care person) as well as care in a facility (setting for children under 3 years of age).
A new legal form of the services for young children has been set up from November 2014 – a child group (dětská skupina), intended for children from one year of age until the commencement of compulsory schooling. It provides a regular care for a child outside his or her home in a group of children not pre-primary education (unlike nursery schools). Child groups can be established by employers (private, public and state organisations) for their employees and by various non-profit entities (municipalities, regions, church organisations, benevolent corporations). The service can be provided against payment by parents or free of charge.
Pre-primary education (ISCED 020) is mainly carried out in nursery schools (mateřské školy) designated for children from 3 to 6 years of age. They may be attended by children over 6 years of age as well (with postponement of the compulsory school attendance) and exceptionally by children under 3 years of age. Education in the pre-primary year is provided free of charge (for one year), and children are eligible for it. However, in other years it is paid, but the amount of payment is adjusted by the decree of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (see the section on Fees within Public Education in the Chapter 3 on Funding in Education).
Under the Education Act, nursery schools fall into the category of schools under the purview of the Ministry of Education. They are mostly founded by a municipality or a group of municipalities. Private and denominational founders represent just a small percentage (6.7 % of institutions, 3.2 % of children in the school year of 2014/15). Nursery schools for children with disabilities which provide specially adjusted education programs are established by a regional authority or the Ministry of Education.
Preparatory classes (přípravné třídy) corresponding to the pre-primary level of education (ISCED 020) can be established in basic schools (základní školy, ISCED 1+2). They are dedicated to children in the year prior to compulsory schooling (mainly to children with postponement of compulsory school attendance) where there is a presumption that their inclusions into the preparatory class may balance out their development.
Services in facilities for children under 3 years of age and in a child group are described in the sections on programmes for children under 2-3 years, education in nursery school is included in the sections for children over 2-3 years. Details on education in a preparatory class are presented in the Chapter 12 on Educational Support and Guidance, section Special Education Needs Provision within Mainstream Education.
General Objectives
The service of childcare in a child group is focused on assurance of needs of a child, on his or her education, development of his or her skills, cultural and hygienic habits.
Under the Education Act, pre-primary education in a nursery school (mateřská škola) supports the development of a pre-school child's personality, contributes to his or her healthy emotional, intellectual and physical development and to acquiring basic rules of behaviour, basic life values and to forming interpersonal relationships. It creates basic pre-requisites for continuing learning and helps to reduce inequalities in child's development before they enter compulsory schooling; it also provides special educational care to children with special educational needs. More detailed goals can be found in the basic educational document – the Framework Education Programme for Pre-primary Education which also applies to pupils with special educational needs. This document forms a basis on which school education programmes are developed.
Legislation and Bibliography:
Act on Providing Care of Children in a Child Group
Framework Education Programme for Pre-primary Education
Legislative Framework
Crèches (jesle) were governed by the Act on Public Health and by other regulations of the Ministry of Health until the year 2013. The operation of crèches was discontinued by the Act on Health Services at the end of 2013. If the crèches chose a different legal form they are governed by one of regulations mentioned below.
The regulated trade Daily care of children under 3 years of age is governed by the Trade Licensing Act that stipulates conditions for the trader's (or a responsible person in authority) and care person's qualification. If the trade is carried out in a facility, some demands of the Act on Public Health Protection and in particular the Regulation on hygienic requirements in premises aimed at education relate to it.
A separate Act on Child Group was approved, in force since 28 November 2014. It comprises requests for recording into the register of providers, conditions for service provision including the qualifications of employees, technical and hygienic needs. It stipulates charges, number of children, and compulsory documentation (inner rules, programme for education and care, register of children). A decree sets hygienic criteria for space where a group of 13 to 24 children is educated. A separate decree was issued for smaller groups of children.
The Education Act stipulates the goals and organisation of pre-primary education, defines nursery schools' (mateřské školy) position in the education system, and regulates their establishment and administrative matters. Details are regulated by the Decree on Pre-primary Education which lays down conditions regarding the operation and organisation of a nursery school, the maximum and minimum numbers of children in a classroom and provides for their safety. It determines the level of the tuition fee for pre-primary education. Nursery schools are governed by the decree on hygienic requirements for space for education. Further, the safety of children is subject of two documents: The Guidelines of the MEYS for Assuring Security and Health Protection of Children, Pupils and Students is binding only for schools established by the MEYS but other schools can use it as well; The Minimum Safety Standard is recommended to all schools.
Legislation and Bibliography:
Act on Providing Care of Children in a Child Group
Decree on Pre-primary Education
Decree on Hygienic Requirements for Spaces and Operation of Child Group
Decree on Sanitary Standards in Institutions and Facilities for Education of Children and Youth
Guidelines of the MEYS for Assuring Security and Health Protection of Children, Pupils and Students