Early childhood care 

Early childhood care from the age of 6 months to 3 years is provided at nurseries (detské jasle), or mother or children centres. 

They are founded by municipalities/cities (but only in small numbers); they are mostly founded by natural or legal persons and occasionally by churches. 

These institutions are not controlled by any ministry at the moment. 

Pre-primary education 

Pre-primary education in the Slovak Republic is provided at institutions called kindergarten (materská škola). Kindergartens admit children from 3 to 6 years of age. If allowed by kindergarten’s capacities, children from the age of 2 years are admitted as well. 

Kindergartens combine care with education. Kindergartens foster children’s personal development of social, emotional, intellectual, physical, moral, and aesthetic areas; they develop abilities and skills, and create foundations for further education. They prepare for life  in society with respect to individual and age characteristics of children. 

Kindergartens provide education by means of school education programmes. 

Children who complete at least the last year of pre-primary education at a kindergarten prior to their compulsory school attendance will obtain pre-primary education. 

The Certificate of completion of pre-primary education certifies the achieved level of education. It can only be issued by kindergartens registered in the network of schools and school facilities (network of schools is a list of schools and school facilities authorised to provide education). 

Kindergartens registered in the network of schools and school facilities are fully or partly funded by the state. 

Kindergartens are professionally and methodically controlled by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. 

Kindergartens are founded mainly by municipalities and cities (public, municipal kindergartens), physical or legal persons (private kindergarten) and  churches or religious communities registered by the state (church kindergartens). 

Kindergartens  for children with special educational needs, that is special kindergartens, are founded by district authorities in the regional seat; special kindergartens are state kindergartens.

Proportion of children educated in kindergartens prior to their compulsory school attendance is approximately 90 %. This is significantly affected by the lack of capacities. 

Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport allocated funds for increasing of kindergarten capacities in 2015 and 2016.

Legislation References

Act No. 596/2003 on state administration in education and school self-government and on change and supplements of some acts as amended by subsequent provisions (Act of the National Council of the SR).
Act No. 355/2007 on protection and development of public health and on the change and supplement to some acts as amended by subsequent provision (Act of the National Council of the SR).
Decree No. 527/2007 on details of requirements for facilities for children and youth (Decree of the Ministry of Health of the SR). 
Degree No. 306/2008 on kindergarten as amended by subsequent provisions (Decree of the Ministry of Education of the SR). 
Act No. 245/2008 on education and training (Education Act) and on the change and supplement to some acts as amended by subsequent provisions (Act of the National Council of the SR).