Pre-primary education is designated for children between the ages of 3 and 6 years old, although 2 year old children can also be admitted.
Preschool attendance is compulsory for all children who have turned 5 years old (by 31 August of the given year), regardless of the type of residence.
Legal guardians of young children with a foreign citizenship i.e. third country nationals have to prove that their child has a valid residence permit (applies to children with all types of stay longer than 90 days are eligible).
Parents cover a part of the preschool education expenses (i.e. tuition) and meal expenses (i.e. food allowance which reaches approximately 1,000–2,000 CZK per month). Parents can apply for exemption from these fees. Under the Schools Act, a fee waiver or reduction is granted by the school principal without further restrictions. They might consider any information relevant to the situation of the particular child and the legal guardians they become aware of, including general humanitarian reasons. The same applies to exemption from paying food allowance.
Children who are supposed to start attending the compulsory pre-primary school year are admitted to preschool as a matter of priority and are only required to cover meal expenses (approximately 30–35 CZK per day). Another deciding factor for admitting a child to preschool might be permanent residence in the municipality or the municipal district in which the given preschool is established. In the Czech Republic, there are public, state, church, and open-air (i.e. preschool education is held almost exclusively outdoors) preschools — that is why the fees differ depending on the facility.
Children can opt for half-day (they leave after lunch) or full-day preschool attendance. The school usually provides the child with a morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack, including beverages.
Children are placed in same-age or mixed-age classrooms. Younger children (aged 3–4) take a nap or have a rest after lunch. Two teachers are in charge of a class consisting of 24–28 children at most, sometimes an assistant teacher is also partially present. A preschool is run by a principal who is responsible for the admission of children.
Why should children go to preschool
Children make new friends and learn Czech more easily in preschool.
They socialize and get used to being in group settings.
They are encouraged to develop their skills, and become independent, which will facilitate their passage to primary education.
Attending preschool can function as a stabilizing element for children who have experienced migration. Children have a regular rhythm at school, a clear and transparent program every day, they come to the same place, and are taken care of by the same teachers — this way many children naturally familiarize with a new environment and start feeling at home in a healthy (and hopefully successful) manner. The well-being of small children is based on regularity and clarity.
In the Czech Republic it is compulsory for children who have turned 5 years old (by 31 August of the given year) to complete one year of pre-primary school education. Public preschools are required to admit the child, if the child’s place of abode (or permanent residence) is within the school district (this does not apply to private, church, and open-air preschools).
