Pre-primary education in the Slovak Republic Mgr. Marcela Hanusová PhDr. Viera Hajdúková, PhD.

The 7 th meeting of the network on early childhood education and care (ECEC): FINANCING ECEC SERVICES 3.3 Funding strategy – how to manage financial resources for ECEC 3.4 Other policy issues 2

General information – kindergartens, teachers – status to 15th September 2009 Number of kindergartens Number of classes Number of children Teachers, including directors state private 64 church 44 Full- day Half-day 318 The full-day classes The half-day classes From it: Assistant Teachers 58 3

3.3 Funding strategy – how to manage financial resources for ECEC (1)  June Adoption of the new Law on Education and Training - Education Act  Kindergarten - part of the school system  Last year before the implementation of compulsory education - free, prior admission of 5-6 year old children, children with postponed compulsory school attendance and children with subsequently postponed compulsory school attendance 4

3.3 Funding strategy – how to manage financial resources for ECEC (2)  Pre-primary education - free of charge in other cases  The possibility of the founder of not requiring a fee of the child stay in kindergarten  The State, through the Ministry of Education, contributes to the education of children who have one year before the implementation of compulsory education  Funding of kindergarten children - through taxes - rate on children under three years; rate on children from three to six years  Improving of the financial evaluation of teachers 5

Other policy issues  Pre-primary education - training program (two-level model of educational programs)  The National Educational Programe ISCED 0 – pre-primary education  School educational programs of kindergartens  Assessment of quality of education by the State School Inspection  The findings of the State School Inspection about the level of education, the conditions and management of kindergartens  Focus: Shall the last year of kindergarten before the implementation of compulsory school attendance be compulsory? – political decision 6

Thank you 7