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 entrance age to pre-primary education is 3 years old, with 1 year and 8 months of free and compulsory pre-primary education guaranteed in legal frameworks. In 2022, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes was 67%.
Governance
The Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth is responsible for financing pre-primary education, while nurseries are funded by the Social Welfare Services of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
Tuition-free status
Pre-primary education in Cyprus is free and compulsory for children aged 4 years and 8 months in public kindergartens.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Local School Boards in Cyprus receive funding from the central government based on student enrolment, the institution’s location (urban or rural), and the Board’s capacity to be self-sustaining. Additional income may be generated through the management of school properties and other assets under their responsibility.
2. Education resources to institutions
Pre-primary institutions are funded by the same initiatives that apply to primary and secondary schools, including the School and Social Inclusion Actions Program (DRA.S.E.+). The specific program (2021–2027), co-funded by the EU and Cyprus, supports students at risk of poverty or exclusion. It promotes social cohesion, learning, and wellbeing through educational support, language courses, psychosocial services, equipment provision, and teacher training, targeting families meeting specific social and economic criteria.
Pre-primary education for children aged 4 years and 8 months became mandatory in 2004. The Ministry also subsidises the operation of private pre-primary schools of religious and ethnic minority groups (Armenians, Maronites, Latins), similar to the primary and secondary level.
3. Education resources to students and families
Attendance at public kindergartens for all children 3 to 6 years old free of charge. In day nurseries, children under the care of the Director of Social Welfare Services are exempted from paying fees.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Tuition Subsidy Scheme for Children up to 4 Years Old
Since 2022, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare has provided tuition subsidies for children up to 4 years old to help cover the monthly fees of nurseries and kindergartens, only in community and private institutions. Parents or guardians are eligible to apply if they receive a child benefit, meet the income criteria of the scheme, or if the nursery or preschool participates in the tuition fee subsidy program. The subsidy is paid directly to the institutions. In 2025, the age limit for inclusion in the subsidy scheme was reduced to 4 years and 5 months, down from 4 years and 6 months, while the requirement to receive a child benefit allowance was removed.
This profile has been reviewed by Dr. Ioannis Savvides, Head of European and International Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth; and Dr Tatiana Shiamma-Charilaou, European and International Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth.
