“So that by the age of six, children can master the language, acquire basic skills, and manage schooling. And if they did not do what is done in kindergarten, they simply will not manage school,” explained the Slovak Minister of Education Tomáš Drucker. From September 1, 2026, new rules will apply in Slovakia for children in the older kindergarten group, the so-called predškoláci (preschoolers, those who have one year left before school). Attendance at kindergarten for five-year-old children in Slovakia is mandatory.
These changes also apply to children with the status dočasné útočisko (temporary shelter), who turn 5 years old by August 31. If your child received this status by December 31, 2024, you must enroll them in kindergarten from September 1, 2025. For those who received the status between January 1 and August 31, 2025, the application for enrollment must be submitted by December 1, 2025.
Categories of kindergartens and absence rules
From now on, kindergartens will be divided into two categories:
“Soft regime”: most institutions will fall into this category. In such a kindergarten, a child cannot be absent for more than 7 consecutive days without a doctor’s note. The total number of absences must not exceed 14 days per month and 21 days over two months.
“Strict regime”: this category includes institutions where previously the average number of absences per child exceeded 75 days. In such kindergartens, your child cannot miss more than 21 days during the entire school year.
Consequences of violating the rules
If you violate the new attendance rules, an administrative case may be opened against you and a fine imposed. Also, child protection authorities will start paying closer attention to such families.
The authorities believe that this will better prepare children for school, especially in learning the Slovak language and acquiring basic skills. Ukrainian families planning to send their child to a Slovak kindergarten need to know about these rules to avoid fines and problems with child protection authorities.
