Preschool Education

Children from 1 to 3 years old

The care of children under three years old is provided by day-care centres and children’s groups. Children who are older than 2 may be accepted at a nursery school. However, older children are usually favoured during the admission procedures.

Children from 3 to 6 years old

The Czech Republic offers preschool-age children a large network of state and private nursery schools.

Municipalities guarantee places in nursery schools for children over 4 years old. Starting from the school year 2017/18, the last year of pre-school education is compulsory for all 5-year-old children, and education is provided free of charge. Parents only pay for meals. Church and private schools set their own fees.

Enrolment in nursery schools

Enrolment in nursery schools usually takes place in May. The exact term is up to the director of the nursery school. Nursery schools organize open doors starting from January.

When enrolling, you must present the child’s birth certificate, your passport, a completed application, and confirmation from a physician that the child is able to attend a nursery school. Each school has a certain period during which all of these documents need to be submitted, and then during the following 30 days, the head of the school will inform you about acceptance of the child or rejection of your application.Each nursery school sets their own criteria for accepting children, and preference is given to preschool-age children and children who have permanent residence in the district where the school is located (In Prague, Prague 2 is an exception, and children do not need to live in this district to attend the nursery schools).

Knowledge of Czech is not a requirement for acceptance. However, if you prefer an international environment for your child, you can take advantage of the large offer of private nursery schools.