Compulsory pre-primary education and school preparation at Sovička
In Slovakia, a child who turns 5 by 31 August starts compulsory pre-primary education in September. This is the kindergarten year before primary school, and attending it is required by law. Your child can complete it with us in Kramáre, Ružinov or Vrakuňa, because Sovička Kindergarten is authorised to provide compulsory pre-primary education. In the last year before school, we work with your child on what they will really need in their first year at school: independence, concentration, language and emotions.
What applies to parents of five-year-olds
- The requirement applies to children who turn 5 by 31 August. It usually lasts one school year before your child starts primary school.
- Your child meets it by attending a kindergarten or an authorised facility such as Sovička. Your child must be at kindergarten for at least 4 hours a day.
- A detailed overview of the rules, excusing absences and deadlines is in our article Compulsory pre-primary education: what parents need to know.
What changes from September 2027
Under an amendment to the Slovak Education Act, compulsory pre-primary education will be extended step by step: from September 2027 to children aged 4 as well, and from September 2028 to children aged 3. If your child is two or three today, it is worth thinking about your choice of kindergarten now. Up-to-date information is published by the Slovak Ministry of Education, and you will also find an overview of the changes on the Eurydice portal.
Which children it applies to in the coming years
The table is a guide and is based on the current rules and the approved changes. Always check the exact conditions for your child on the Ministry of Education website.
| School year | Compulsory pre-primary education for children who by 31 August turn | Born no later than |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 5 | 31 August 2021 |
| 2027/2028 | 4 (and older children) | 31 August 2023 |
| 2028/2029 | 3 (and older children) | 31 August 2025 |
The requirement lasts until your child starts primary school. A child whose school start is deferred continues in pre-primary education for one more year.
What your child should manage before starting school
Before school, it is worth watching whether your child can get dressed on their own, stay with a task for a while and cope when something doesn’t work out. At Sovička we focus on these areas with our pre-schoolers:
- Independence: getting dressed, putting on shoes, tidying their things, looking after themselves at the toilet and at meals.
- Concentration: finishing a task, listening to an instruction and waiting for their turn.
- Fine motor skills: holding a pencil correctly, drawing and loosening-up exercises for the hand.
- Language and listening: talking about what they have done, understanding a story, recognising first sounds and letters.
- Numbers and shapes: counting objects, comparing, shapes and colours.
- Emotions and cooperation: thanks to the EQ programme, your child can say what they feel and agree with others.
How to develop these at home too is set out in our article School preparation: what your child should manage before starting school.
How you can help your pre-schooler at home
- Let them do things on their own, even when it takes longer: getting dressed, packing a bag, pouring water.
- Read to them every day and ask what happened in the story and what they would have done.
- Play with numbers in everyday things: how many spoons we need on the table, which pile is bigger.
- Draw together and pay attention to how they hold the pencil. Short and often is better than long and forced.
- Name emotions: “I can see you’re disappointed.” This is how your child learns to talk about what they feel.
Educational assessment: you know how your child is progressing
We follow your child’s progress during the year through educational assessment. We go through the results with you at a one-to-one consultation. You find out what your child is good at, what they still need and how you can help at home. The consultation is part of the monthly fee.
School readiness and deferral
If you are not sure whether your child is ready for school, we will advise you at the consultation. Continuing in pre-primary education for another year, in other words deferring the school start, is decided after an opinion from a counselling centre and a doctor. We explain the whole process in our article School readiness and deferring the school start. If you haven’t got a place at a state kindergarten yet, read our article No place at a state kindergarten? as well.
Questions from parents of pre-schoolers
Will you prepare my child for primary school?
Yes. We prepare your child for school in Slovak, following our “Me and the World” programme, which is based on the national curriculum. We follow their progress through educational assessment and go through the results with you at a consultation.
Can my five-year-old do compulsory pre-primary education with you?
Yes. Sovička is a private kindergarten authorised to provide compulsory pre-primary education, so your child can complete it with us. In Slovakia it applies to children who turn 5 by 31 August, in the year before primary school.
Looking for a place for your pre-schooler?
Your child can start at Sovička at any time of year if a place is free. Come and have a look, and we will talk about how we would prepare your child for school.
