Admission requirements and choice of ECEC setting

As part of daytime care, supervision, care, education, activities, and meals appropriate to the child’s age must be organised. Daytime care may be provided to children whose parents are unable to ensure daytime supervision due to the following reasons:

• employment;

• participation in full-time school education, adult education, or higher education;

• illness;

• other reasons.

Children receiving specialized child protection care are also entitled to daytime care services.

For other reasons, daytime care must be ensured particularly for children:

• whose development requires constant daytime care;

• who are being raised by a single parent or an elderly person;

• whose parent is unable to provide care due to their social situation.

The duration of daytime care should, where possible, be aligned with the work schedule of parents. 

Nursery care

Children may be admitted to a nursery from the age of 20 weeks until they reach the age of 3. Admission to a nursery may be initiated—with parental consent—by:

• the district health visitor;

• the paediatrician or general practitioner;

• a social worker or family support worker;

• the child welfare service;

• the guardianship authority.

Enrolment generally takes place from mid-April to early May each year. In some nurseries, enrolment is possible throughout the year, and the number of children admitted depends on available capacity.

During admission to nursery institutions, priority must be given—among children of working parents—to:

• children entitled to regular child protection benefits;

• children living in families with three or more children;

• children raised by a single parent;
  and in all cases, to children under child protection supervision.

An application for nursery admission must be accompanied by a certificate from the paediatrician or general practitioner confirming that the child’s health condition allows attendance at a nursery.

During enrolment, parents must present an employer’s certificate (or a declaration of intent from the employer). Institutions primarily take social need into account, and secondarily eligibility arising from employment.

Local regulations issued by the maintainer govern the possibilities for appeal in cases of admission refusal. If a parent disputes a nursery’s rejection decision, they may turn to the maintainer. In such cases, the maintainer issues a formal decision and informs the parent accordingly.

If a child has reached the age of 3 but, based on their physical or intellectual development, is not yet ready for kindergarten education and the nursery physician does not recommend kindergarten enrolment, the child may remain in the nursery until 31 August following their fourth birthday.

Kindergartens

In the year in which a child reaches the age of 3 years by 31 August, they must attend kindergarten for at least 4 hours a day from the beginning of the school year.

Based on the principle of free choice of kindergarten, a parent can apply for their child’s admission to any kindergarten. In addition to the free choice of kindergarten, there is also a catchment area system in place that ensures that children have a place in a kindergarten. Kindergartens are obliged to admit, or accept the transfer of, a kindergarten-aged child, if their place of permanent or temporary residence is in the catchment area of the kindergarten (kindergarten providing compulsory admission). The local government decides on the catchment areas for kindergartens, which can be one or two settlements in rural areas with small villages, or a smaller geographical unit in larger towns. The entire country is covered by the system of kindergarten catchment areas.

If the kindergarten has fulfilled its care provision obligation (i.e. it has admitted all the applicants from its catchment area) and still has available places, it can enrol additional children. If the kindergarten operator runs several kindergartens, the admission committee addressing the problem of oversubscription is set up by the operator. Thus, taking into account the available kindergarten capacities in various locations, the committee makes proposals for admission, redirection and rejection of applicants.

The parent is formally notified of the admission decision by the kindergarten. Within 15 days of formally receiving the decision, parents have the right to appeal. In all cases, the second-instance decision is made by the kindergarten operator, which can be challenged only in court on the grounds of a violation of the law, within 30 days of the decision.

According to research (Változások az óvodarendszerben), 50 % of parents are in a position to take advantage of the principle of free choice of kindergartens (85 % in towns with county rights, 45 % in Budapest, 28 % in villages). The most important aspect for parents when choosing a kindergarten is proximity to home. The research was based on stakeholders’ opinions.

In the year in which the child reaches the age of three by 31 August, the child attends kindergarten for at least four hours a day from the start of the school year. On the basis of a parent's request (submitted by 15 April of the year in question) and taking into account the legitimate interests of the child, the body designated by Government decree may, until 31 August of the year in which the child reaches the age of four, exempt the child from attending kindergarten if the child's family circumstances or special situation justify this. The same applies in exceptional circumstances, on the basis of a new application up to 31 August of the year in which the child reaches the age of five.

Children are admitted to the kindergarten by application after the age of three. The date of application is set by the operator, which is usually April-May for children who start attending the kindergarten from 1 September.

Group size and child-staff ratios

Nursery care

Nursery

A nursery group can accommodate up to 12 children. If all children have reached the age of 2, the group size may be up to 14. Each nursery group is staffed by two early childhood educators, and for every two groups (forming one care unit), a nursery care assistant also supports their work.

Children with special educational needs may be educated either in full integration (within a group with other children) or in partial integration (in a specialized nursery group). When children with special educational needs are included in a nursery group, the group sizes are as follows:

• In a nursery group with 1 child with special educational needs, the maximum group size is 11 children.

• In a nursery group with 2 children with special educational needs, the maximum group size is 10 children.

• In a specialized nursery group with 3–6 children with special educational needs or eligible for early intervention and care, the maximum group size is 6 children.

Mini-nursery

A mini-nursery group can accommodate up to 7 children. If all children have reached the age of 2, the group size may be 8. In a mini-nursery, each group is staffed by one early childhood educator and one nursery care assistant.

When children with special educational needs are included in a mini-nursery group, the group sizes are as follows:

• With 1 child with special educational needs, the maximum group size is 6 children.

• With 2 or 3 children with special educational needs or eligible for early intervention and care, the maximum group size is 3 children.

Workplace nursery

A workplace nursery group can accommodate up to 7 children. If all children have reached the age of 2, the group size may be 8.

When children with special educational needs are included in a workplace nursery group, the group sizes are as follows:

• With 1 child with special educational needs or eligible for early intervention and care, the maximum group size is 6 children.

• With 2 or 3 children with special educational needs or eligible for early intervention and care, the maximum group size is 3 children.

To provide the service, the employment of one service provider or early childhood educator is required, based on the maintainer’s decision. If care is provided for more than 5 children, an additional helper must be employed. The maintainer decides the conditions of employment (full-time, part-time, or a person receiving a social care allowance). The working hours of the helper must be aligned with the daily schedule of the children. 

Staff qualifications

Source: 15/1998. (IV.30.) NM Ministerial Decree  

Continuing education

Employees working in daytime childcare have an obligation to participate in continuing education, depending on their job role. The requirements vary according to the type of position.

Continuing professional development obligation for those providing early childhood care

Employees in service provider roles must participate in professional or, in the case of children with special educational needs, specialized training announced by a methodological organisation designated by the Minister responsible for family policy (Hungarian Association of Nurseries) every three years.
Source: (15/1998 (IV. 30.) NM Ministerial Decree, § 51/D, 51/H (4), 51/M (4))

Continuing education requirement for early childhood educators

Employees working as early childhood educators providing personal care are also required to participate in continuing education.

The continuing education obligation can be fulfilled through three types of training:

• Mandatory training: Professional training necessary for the entire sector, aimed at acquiring essential core competencies.

• Job-specific training: Professional training related to the specific role or the particular group of children cared for in that role, focusing on specialized, method-specific knowledge.

• Optional training: Professional training aimed at acquiring personal skills, self-awareness, or other specialized knowledge, based on individual interests.

The continuing education requirement is fulfilled by participating in accredited training and meeting the conditions of the programme. Training is organized in 4-year periods, and the obligation begins on the day the employee starts work.

The requirement is considered fulfilled if, during the training period, the employee acquires:

• a technical secondary qualification or a degree in higher education;

• for those with higher education, an additional degree in a complementary programme or specialized training;

• obtaining an academic degree in a field related to their job. 

Source: 9/2000 (VIII. 4.) SzCsM Decree, § 2 (1)

Kindergartens

Kindergartens in Hungary have an average of four groups, but there is significant variation between institutions. The number of children admitted to each group may not exceed 25, as specified by the Public Education Act.

Children can be divided into different types of groups (on the basis of the age of children: same-age groups or mixed-age groups). The head of the kindergarten decides on the allocation of the enrolled children into groups, after seeking the opinion of the parents and the kindergarten teachers. Kindergarten groups must be set up in such a way that the number of children in each group does not exceed the maximum number specified in the Public Education Act (25 children). One group of children is cared for by two kindergarten teachers and one childcare assistant, and the employment of one pedagogical assistant (full time, 40 hours per week) per three groups is mandatory.

Kindergarten groups and professionals involved in kindergarten education

A kindergarten teacher must have a higher education degree of bachelor’s level (International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) level 6). A childcare assistant must have a vocational qualification (ISCED level 3) and a pedagogical assistant must have a post-secondary vocational qualification requiring an upper-secondary school leaving examination (ISCED level 4).

Continuing professional development training obligation

It is the right and the obligation of teachers to participate in CPD training prescribed for them and to develop themselves continuously. The CPD training obligations of kindergarten teachers are identical to the obligations of primary and secondary school teachers working in other public education institutions. In Hungary, the obligation for the professional development of teachers is set out by a government decree. The regulation provides for two basic forms of teacher training:

• compulsory CPD training to be undertaken every 7 years;

• CPD training to prepare for the national teacher exam.

Teachers have a CPD training obligation of 120 hours (in 45-minute lesson-hours) every 7 years. The training obligation can be fulfilled as follows:

• participating in an accredited teacher CPD training programme lasting 30/60/120 hours;

• completing a national teacher exam;

• completing a higher education programme (bachelor’s, master’s or specialised further training, including partial programmes) entitling the candidate to obtain a teacher qualification in another teaching field or subject;

• participating in complex development projects implemented in cooperation with a team of teachers, measured by the increase in student effectiveness;

• training in the field of information and communication technology skills development;

• completing a foreign language course.

In addition, up to 25 % of the CDP training obligation can be met through participation in a research fellowship programme, supporting an intern completing teacher training, self-development (with a minimum of 5 hours and a maximum of 30 hours of non-accredited CPD training provided) and providing a consultancy service to the teaching community.

The national teacher exam was built into the public education system as a milestone in the career path of a teacher. Since the 1990s, knowledge of the operation of the institutional education system has been increasingly expected. In addition, the commitment to the profession, knowledge of the processes of the public education system, the social functions of the institutional system, the administration of education, the rules of legal and efficient operation have been increasingly important. The training for the exam is provided through a specialised CPD training programme offered by a higher education institution, and a diploma is awarded on successful completion, the attainment of which is a prerequisite for certain levels of the teacher career path, for managerial positions and for managing the internships of teacher training students.

Annual, weekly and daily organisation

Nursery care

The legally required minimum opening hours for nurseries are 10 hours per day. The schedule is determined by the maintainer, taking into account the working hours of parents of children attending the nursery.

According to the regulations (15/1998 (IV. 30.) Ministerial NM Decree), the child’s daily care time in the nursery must be at least 4 hours and no more than 12 hours. For children with special educational needs or those entitled to early development and care, the daily care time may be set to less than 4 hours.

The educational year in the nursery—similar to kindergarten—begins on September 1 and ends on August 31.

The summer closure period of the institution can be determined by the maintainer for a maximum of 5 weeks. However, institutions typically close for 2–3 weeks during the summer. In larger towns, the schedule is organised so that at least one institution is always available.

The nursery daily schedule is continuous and flexible, aiming to meet the needs and requirements of the children, creating a sense of security, predictability, and opportunities for activity and independence. The daily schedule depends on the age composition, developmental level, and needs of the child group but is also influenced by changes in weather and group size. Further conditions for organising the schedule include staff consistency (individual/caregiver assignment) and consideration of the child’s home life whenever possible. The schedule ensures age-appropriate, varied, and healthy nutrition, play, movement, outdoor activity, and rest.

Within the daily schedule, the needs of individual children must be met while maintaining a clear and understandable structure for the group, allowing children to anticipate expected events and avoid unnecessary waiting. This also ensures internal calm within the group.

Nurseries offer a gradual parental orientation period, usually lasting around 2 weeks. During this time, the child’s time in the nursery gradually increases while the presence and activity of the parent or caregiver gradually decreases.

Kindergartens

The kindergarten school year begins on 1 September and finishes on 31 August.

Kindergartens are educational institutions that are open without interruption throughout the year (250–252 working days). Kindergartens can be closed only for renovation (e.g. for painting) or if the building becomes unusable.

The opening hours of kindergartens

The weekly and annual opening times of the kindergarten are determined by the operator.

In kindergartens, the funded time frame for children is 61 hours per week (50 hours for general activities and 11 hours for catch-up and activities for children with special educational needs).

The kindergarten routine should be designed in such a way that parents can bring in and take home their child without disrupting the kindergarten’s activities.

Kindergartens, for example, can only be closed for renovation or clean-up painting.

The organisation of kindergarten education

Local governments must provide kindergarten care for children at least on working days, from 7.00–8.00 to 17.00–18.00, based on the needs of working parents.

The routine includes parallel, differentiated activities – primarily integrated into play – planned and carried out by teachers. The gradually increasing duration (5–35 minutes) of group activities as children get older improves their cooperative skills and task-orientated attitude. The daily schedule accounts for various activities and the children’s individual needs, and takes into consideration local culture, customs and needs. Regularity, along with recurring aspects, provides the children with emotional stability.

In terms of pedagogy, the schedule is continuous and flexible, and takes the key role of play into account. It is important to establish a harmonious balance between activities. The daily and weekly schedules are developed by the kindergarten group teachers.