Admission requirements and choice of ECEC setting
As specified in Ukrainian legislation (закон України ‘Про відпустки’; закон України ‘Кодекс законів про працю України’), after maternity leave, a woman may, at her discretion, exercise her right to parental leave until the child reaches the age of three. Parental leave may also be granted to the child's father.
For children under the age of two and a half, there are ECEC settings that provide care, development and education in accordance with the requirements of the Basic component of ECEC. These institutions include:
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Nursery: for children aged one to three years;
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Nursery-kindergarten: for children aged one to six (seven) years;
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Compensatory nursery-kindergarten: for children with SEN aged two to seven (eight) years;
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Family-oriented nursery-kindergarten: for children aged two months to six (seven) years;
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Combined nursery-kindergarten: for children aged one to six (seven) years, which may include general development groups, compensatory groups and inclusive groups, etc.
ECEC is not compulsory for children in early development. Children under the age of two and a half may attend early childhood education institutions (ECEIs) if such institutions exist in the region where they live and if there are places available.
Children from two and a half to six/seven years of age (and up to seven/eight years for children with SEN) may receive early childhood education in ECEIs (or their units) at the request of their parents. The following types of ECEIs are available to meet their educational needs:
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Kindergarten: for children aged three to six (seven) years;
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Compensatory nursery-kindergarten: for children with SEN aged two to seven (eight) years;
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Family-oriented nursery-kindergarten: for children aged two months to six (seven) years;
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Combined nursery-kindergarten: for children aged one to six (seven) years, which may include general development groups, compensatory groups and inclusive groups, etc.
The development and upbringing of children in these institutions follows the requirements of the Basic component of ECEC (наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження Базового компонента дошкільної освіти’) and educational programmes recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) or other programmes developed in compliance with established procedures. The institution's pedagogical council approves the list of these programmes, and the head of the institution confirms it.
Compulsory ECEC applies only to older pre-school children, typically between the ages of five and six (seven). This level of education can also be provided not only in educational institutions but through home education as well.
In order to enrol children in a state (municipal) ECEI, parents (or persons in loco parentis) must submit an application and a set of documents as specified in the Regulations on Early Childhood Education Institutions (постанова Кабінету Міністрів України ‘Про затвердження Положення про заклад дошкільної освіти’). Parents can submit applications for enrolment in a state (municipal) ECEI through an electronic registration system (electronic queue), which the relevant founder of the ECEI implements in accordance with local regulations.
Enrolment in an ECEI is possible if there are places available. In addition, the legislation provides that certain categories of children, including those belonging to privileged categories, have the right to priority enrolment in state (municipal) ECEIs.
Group size and child-staff ratios
In ECEC, groups are usually formed on the basis of age, but multi-age groups can be organised if necessary. Group sizes in ECEIs are as follows:
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for children under one year of age, up to 10 persons;
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for children aged one to three years, up to 15 persons;
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for children aged three to six (seven) years, up to 20 persons;
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for children of different ages, up to 15 persons;
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for inclusive groups, no more than 3 persons with SEN;
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for short-term and round-the-clock stays, up to 10 persons;
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during the recreational period, up to 15 persons.
If there are not enough children to form a separate group for short stays (up to four hours), they can join a regular full-time group in the ECEI. However, they will not receive the meals provided for short stay children.
In addition, the founder of the ECEI may set a lower group size. The number of children in ECEIs located in villages and settlements is determined by the local demographic situation.
Two pre-school teachers and one assistant pre-school teacher work with the children in groups, with the teachers taking turns. The teachers are responsible for organising the educational process, caring for and developing the children, creating and maintaining a healthy, safe, developmentally appropriate and inclusive environment within the group and communicating with parents (or persons in loco parentis). The pre-school assistant helps the teachers by looking after the children and ensuring cleanliness and order in the group.
The requirements for the professional activities and qualifications of a pre-school teacher are outlined in the relevant professional standard approved by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine (Наказ Міністерства економіки України ‘Про затвердження професійного стандарту Вихователь закладу дошкільної освіти’). According to this standard, a person may work as a pre-school teacher if they hold a higher education degree (junior specialist’s, junior bachelor’s, bachelor’s, specialist’s or master’s degree) or a professional non-tertiary education degree (professional junior bachelor’s degree) in the speciality of 012 ‘Early Childhood Education’ and/or have the professional qualification of a pre-school teacher. In addition, persons with higher or professional non-tertiary education in another field within the branch of knowledge 01 ‘Education/Pedagogy’ may also work as pre-school teachers, provided they hold the professional qualification of a pre-school teacher.
Annual, weekly and daily organisation
The academic year in ECEIs begins on 1 September and ends on 31 May of the following year. The summer period runs from 1 June to 31 August. In order to meet the educational and social needs of citizens, ECEIs may operate year-round or seasonally (for less than a full calendar year, but not less than three months per year).
Children of older pre-school age who receive ECEC in state (municipal) institutions and who are enrolled in an ECEI at the beginning of the summer period may, at the request of a parent (or persons in loco parentis), may continue their education in the relevant institution until the end of the summer period.
The founder of the institution sets the working hours and the duration of the children's stay. At the request of the parents (or persons in loco parentis), the institution can introduce flexible working hours, offering long-term or round-the-clock care, as well as holiday or weekend groups.
The maximum total number of hours per week for groups of children is as follows:
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Second junior group (three to four years old): 11 lessons of no more than 15 minutes each;
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Middle group (four to five years old): 12 lessons of 20 minutes each;
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Senior group (ages five to six (seven)): 15 lessons of 25 minutes each.
It is recommended to have a break of at least 10 minutes between classes. The maximum number of organised classes in the morning is two for the junior and middle groups and three for the senior group (наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження гранично допустимого навчального навантаження на дитину у дошкільних навчальних закладах різних типів та форми власності’).
Organisation of ECEC for older pre-school children
The educational process in ECEC for older pre-school children (aged five to six/seven) is designed to ensure continuity between early childhood and primary education. The transition from ECEC setting to school should be gradual to give children time to adjust. A key aspect of ensuring continuity and progression in the educational process is the alignment of the content of early childhood and primary education. This involves the gradual and sequential implementation of existing development, education and upbringing programmes for pre-school children, as well as the educational programme for the first year of primary school. The content of educational activities for older pre-school children is implemented through comprehensive educational programmes recommended by the MESU. These programmes guide pre-school teachers in developing children's personalities, encouraging their creativity and unleashing their potential.
Methodological work aimed at ensuring continuity between early childhood and primary education in institutions (or relevant structural units of educational institutions) should focus on both informational and practical approaches. In practice, ECEIs organise various activities to facilitate this continuity. For example, children in the senior group go on excursions to general secondary schools; primary school teachers attend parents' meetings for children in the senior group; teachers hold joint pedagogical councils and organise seminars, workshops and master classes for staff from both levels of education. In addition, teachers arrange classes to prepare children for the transition to primary school.