Preschool education is part of the national education system and falls under the responsibility of the ministry responsible for education. It is organised as a single-structure system for all children aged 1 to 6 years, or until they enter basic school.

From the age of 11 months, children are entitled to a place in a publicly subsidised kindergarten. However, preschool education is not compulsory, and parents decide whether to enrol their child.

Preschool education (ISCED 0) is provided in both public and private kindergartens. Private kindergartens may operate with or without a concession. Those operating under a concession receive full public funding and are subject to the same regulatory conditions as public kindergartens. Concessions are granted by municipalities for a period of seven to fifteen years, and only when the public kindergarten network in the relevant catchment area cannot meet demand. In this way, concession-based private kindergartens complement public provision and help improve access to preschool education.

In addition to institutional preschool education, Slovenia has a regulated system of home-based childcare that operates outside the ISCED classification. However, this form of childcare serves only a small proportion of children.

Public kindergartens and private kindergartens operating under a concession follow the Kindergarten Curriculum (Kurikulum za vrtce), a national document that provides a common framework of principles, goals, objectives, and pedagogical guidelines for preschool education. The fundamental tasks of kindergartens are to support parents in caring for their children, enhance the quality of life for children and their families, and create supportive conditions for each child’s optimal physical and mental development.

Preschool education complements family learning and care by broadening children’s experiences beyond the home environment. Given Slovenia’s relatively high employment rate among parents, the primary motivation for enrolment is the need for childcare during working hours.

Over the past 15 years, preschool enrolment in Slovenia has increased significantly. The number of enrolled children rose from 71,124 in the 2009/2010 school year to 86,177 in the 2022/2023 school year. After reaching this peak, enrolment declined slightly to 82,412 children in the 2024/2025 school year, a decrease of 2,110 children from the previous year. Nevertheless, most children (94%) continue to attend public kindergartens (SURS).