High-quality early childhood education is vital for supporting children before they enter primary school, as it lays the foundation for equal opportunities in developing their potential. Accordingly, the Slovak government approved an amendment to the Education Act to introduce earlier compulsory enrolment in pre-primary education.

As of October 2025, the new amendment mandates that pre-primary education will become compulsory for all 4-year-olds starting in September 2027 and for all 3-year-olds from September 2028. The change seeks to provide equal access to quality education and enhance life success for all children in Slovakia.

Children aged 3 and 4 can fulfill the requirements for compulsory pre-primary education in a nursery school, another educational facility, or through home-based learning. For the home-based option, the legal guardian must have completed at least secondary education. The final year of compulsory pre-primary education will continue to take place in a nursery school, as previously required.

The amendment also increases the minimum qualification requirements for teachers working in pre-primary education. While previously all pre-primary teachers were required to have at least upper secondary vocational education, from September 2029, teachers in nursery schools educating 5-year-old children must have at least a Bachelor’s degree. This change is intended to ensure higher quality education for children before entering primary school and to increase teachers’ salaries.

For more information: https://www.slov-lex.sk/ezbierky/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2025/323/vyhlasene_znenie.html

Source: Eurydice Unit Slovakia