Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
The official entry age to pre-primary education is 3 years old, with 1 year of compulsory pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks. In 2023, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education (both sexes) was 81%.
Governance
Kindergartens for children aged 3-6 are supervised and funded by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic, budgets of municipalities and budgets of self-governing regions.
Pre-primary education is free and compulsory for children aged 5. Fees are charged for the first 2 years of pre-primary education in kindergartens (for 3- and 4-year-olds). Fees are not paid for children who attend compulsory pre-primary education at kindergarten or are members from a household which receives the benefit in material need. In 2025, the government approved an amendment to the Education Act which introduces earlier entry into compulsory pre-primary education for children aged 3- and 4-years-old from September 2027 and 2028, respectively.
Tuition-free status
There is 1 year of free pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The normative per-pupil funding model distributes education funds from the central government to subnational entities where allocations are primarily based on student enrolment numbers and adjusted by specific factors recognizing local needs and characteristics. The funding formula includes additional weightings or adjustments to address special needs such as pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, pupils with disabilities, and schools in smaller or remote areas to ensure adequate resources where additional support is required.
2. Education resources to institutions
Normative Funding of Kindergartens
In 2025, an amendment to the Act on the Financing of Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, and School Facilities came into effect, which introduced changes to kindergarten funding. Under the previous system, kindergartens were funded from the self-government's revenues, which has now been replaced by funding from the state budget of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Youth of the Slovak Republic.
Funding is implemented through the normative principle, which bases funding on the number of students, staff, and operational needs of the educational process, similar to that of primary and secondary schools. Financial resources are provided to school founders through regional school administration offices based on the seat of the founder’s headquarters.
Kindergartens also receive an allowance designated for financing activities such as schools in nature, trips, excursions, sauna visits, sports training, and other activities in accordance with the school’s educational programme. This allowance is primarily intended for children for whom pre-primary education is mandatory or for children from households in material need.
The Constitution of the Slovak Republic (1992) ensures the rights of minorities to be educated in their mother tongue (Article 34). This right is systematically fulfilled through national minority education, which consists of a network of schools (including at the pre-primary level) which provide instruction in minority languages.
The financing of national minority schools is part of the normative system of financing regional education. When determining the distribution of funds, the specificities of educating minority children are considered, taking into account linguistic and organizational requirements. This is reflected in higher allocations for minority language schools compared to schools instructed in Slovak. In addition, schools instructed in minority languages are entitled to a higher allocation for textbooks and didactic materials.
In addition to this systemic provision, the Slovak Republic has also focused on targeted interventions in the field of education for Roma children since the early 2000s, when the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the PHARE program, strengthened efforts to respond to persistent barriers faced by Roma students in particular – including segregation, early school leaving and limited access to bilingual education.
In 2002–2007, the PHARE program, “Better Conditions for Roma – Self-Realization in the Education System,” brought a set of practical measures to support inclusion and education in the mother tongue. Key elements included the introduction of Roma pedagogical assistants, introductory or ‘zero’ grades, and targeted teacher training. These measures aimed to provide personnel, financial, and capacity resources to improve school readiness, reduce early school leaving, and prevent the incorrect placement of Roma students in special schools. Although PHARE funding ended after Slovakia joined the EU, several support measures remained part of the national system. Availability continues to vary significantly across regions.
Special Needs Education Initiative
Slovakia’s special educational needs (SEN) system within mainstream education ensures inclusive support for children with health disadvantages (such as disabilities and chronic illnesses), social disadvantages (economic, family, cultural challenges), and gifted pupils. The system serves both schools and families, legally requiring schools to admit SEN pupils from their districts and provide tailored support like individual education plans, specialised teaching methods, psychological assistance, adapted assessments, and compensatory tools. Integration can happen in regular or special classes, with parental consent and professional recommendations. Support is provided based on assessments by teachers or specialists from counselling centres. These assessments decide what kind and level of help students and schools need and help create personalised education plans. A range of support options is available, delivered by school teams made up of special teachers, psychologists, social workers, and assistants.
Meal subsidy
Meal subsidies can be granted to provide lunch and other meals to children attending kindergarten, primary school or secondary school. It aims to promote the education of children towards healthy diet and to relieve children’s parents from school meal fees.
A meal subsidy can be granted if the child attends a kindergarten, in which 50% of children come from a household that receives the benefit in material need; except for a child attending the final year of kindergarten, lives in a household receiving benefit in material need or whose income is at most at the level of the subsistence minimum; or attends the final year of kindergarten.
Subsidy for school supplies
Subsidies for school supplies (e.g. notebooks, writing utensils, textbooks, and necessary individual aids) are provided for all children attending the last year of a kindergarten or a primary school where at least 50 % of children are in material need.
Funding of Private and Church Kindergartens
The funding of public kindergartens, special kindergartens, church kindergartens, and private (non-state) kindergartens is ensured by the state budget in accordance with 2003 Act on the Financing Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, and School Facilities. It is implemented through a system of normative funding, similar to that for primary and secondary schools.
Non-state kindergartens, language schools, and basic school of art, and school facilities founded by a church recognised by the state, religious society, or other legal or physical person are funded from the proceeds of the income tax of physical persons which municipalities and higher territorial units receive.
The municipality and higher territorial units are required to provide private and church schools and school facilities with at least 88% of the amount allocated for salaries and operation of facilities in their founder competence.
Facilities providing care for children up to 3 years of age (nurseries) are not a part of the school system and are not funded by the state budget.
3. Education resources to students and families
Parents can claim a tax bonus for each dependent child sharing a household with him or her from the child’s birth until the month in which the child reaches the age of 18. The amount of the tax bonus is based on income.
Families who prove that they are in receipt of the benefit in material hardship can have the contribution towards a part of costs of the kindergarten reduced or remitted.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The Child Allowance, managed by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, is a long-term financial support programme designed to promote education and help cover school-related expenses for dependent children. Eligibility includes children engaged in full-time study, those unable to study or work due to illness, children exempt from school attendance, or those in specialised schools due to disabilities. Parents may claim child allowances from the state until the child completes compulsory school attendance, but not longer than until the child turns 25 years old. The allowance is paid monthly to parents, guardians, or, in some cases, the child, providing EUR 60 per month and a one-time additional payment of EUR 102.50 when a child starts primary school for the first time.
