Place guarantee to ECEC

There is no legal guarantee to a place in early childhood education and care (ECEC). The legislative arrangements regarding pre-primary education for children of aged 36–68 months are explained below. According to Article 19 of the Basic Law of National Education (Millî Eğitim Temel Kanunu), pre-primary education is optional. Article 13 of the Primary Education Law states’children who have not reached compulsory education age are educated in pre-primary education institutions.’ As stated in the law, ‘these institutions owned by real legal persons can be opened by local governments and the state.

Affordability

In State schools that offer pre-school education to children aged 0-68 months, the fees are very low. Parents and guardians are expected to pay for certain provisions, such as catering (breakfast, lunch, and snacks), and other school expenses, such as learning materials (pens, pencils, glue, flashcards, etc.). These fees are determined by the top-level authority, the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). The fees may increase to TL 250 TL (approximately EUR 24) euros for the 2020–2021 educational year, depending on the child’s age (3–4 years) and catering services provided.

In addition to the schools directly run by the Ministry of National Education, there are pre-schools established by city municipalities, which range from free-of-charge to charging higher fees than those charged by Ministry of National Education schools.

Finally, there are private ECEC institutions for all ECEC age groups. The fees of these schools vary significantly.