Rozširovanie kapacít materských škôl. Inkluzívne vzdelávanie v materských školách
| Name of the reform | Rozširovanie kapacít materských škôl. Inkluzívne vzdelávanie v materských školách – Expanding preschool capacity and inclusive education in kindergartens |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Year | 2015 |
| Educational level | ISCED 0 |
| Kind / type | Laws / regulations of access reform |
| Coverage | National |
Summary
The Slovak preschool reform was introduced in response to shortages of kindergarten places, low preschool participation among Roma and other disadvantaged children, and the need to support parents’ employment. Through national and EU funding, the government expanded kindergarten capacity, promoted inclusive preschool education in marginalised communities, and supported workplace childcare to improve school readiness, social inclusion, and access to early childhood education.
Agenda Setting
Context:
Slovakia faced insufficient kindergarten capacity, significant regional inequalities in access to early childhood education and care, and low participation rates among children from disadvantaged groups/communities, particularly Roma children. The reforms aimed to expand preschool infrastructure, promote inclusive education, and prepare the system for the introduction of compulsory pre-primary education and eventual universal access for children from age three.
Aim:
The reform aimed to improve access to preschool education by expanding kindergarten capacity and promoting inclusive early childhood education, particularly for children from disadvantaged regions and Roma children. It also sought to enhance school readiness, reduce educational inequalities, and support parental employment through better childcare provision.
Target Groups
- Children from disadvantaged regions and Roma children
- Parents seeking childcare provision to enter or stay in employment
- Municipalities with unmet kindergarten demand
Formulation and Implementation
Legislative documents:
Combination of funding measures and programmes implemented by the government and co-financed through EU Structural Funds.
Key actions / main measures:
Expansion of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) through targeted financial support for municipalities, increased kindergarten capacity, and inclusive education measures. Municipalities with the highest unmet demand received state funding to build and expand kindergarten facilities and create new preschool places.
Additional state and EU resources supported inclusive kindergarten programmes for disadvantaged and Roma children, teacher training, teaching assistants, and awareness-raising among parents. The reform also introduced support for workplace-based childcare services and progressively expanded the right to a kindergarten place, culminating in compulsory pre-primary education for five-year-olds in 2021.
Evaluation and Sustainability
Evaluation focused on monitoring kindergarten capacity, enrolment rates, and participation of disadvantaged children. The gradual increase in access to ECEC and the successful implementation of compulsory pre-primary education in 2021 suggest positive outcomes in terms of accessibility and inclusion.
Sustainability was strengthened through the long-term integration of preschool expansion into national and local education planning, combined with targeted financial support for municipalities facing the greatest shortages of kindergarten places. Rather than distributing resources uniformly, the reform prioritised disadvantaged regions and municipalities with high unmet demand, enabling them to expand infrastructure, create additional preschool places, and improve access for Roma and other vulnerable children.
This targeted funding approach helped reduce regional disparities in ECEC provision and increased the likelihood that newly created services would become a permanent part of local educational provision. The reform’s long-term sustainability was further reinforced by the introduction of compulsory pre-primary education and the gradual expansion of legal entitlements to kindergarten places, which created ongoing demand and a stable policy framework for maintaining preschool capacity.
In addition, dedicated state and EU resources supported inclusive programmes, teaching assistants, and outreach activities in municipalities with large Roma populations, helping to sustain both access and participation among groups traditionally underrepresented in preschool education.
Transferability Potential
The reform uses policy instruments applicable in many contexts, including expanding preschool capacity, targeted funding for disadvantaged areas, inclusive education measures, teacher support, and parental engagement. Inclusive ECEC measures may include the creation of additional preschool places in underserved communities, the employment of teaching assistants and support staff, specialised training for teachers working with culturally and linguistically diverse children, outreach activities for families, and cooperation with local communities to increase participation in early childhood education.
The reform is particularly transferable to countries facing regional disparities in preschool provision, low participation rates among vulnerable groups, and shortages of ECEC places. Successful transfer, however, depends on adequate and sustained funding, local implementation capacity, and a workforce equipped to support inclusive early childhood education.