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)
According to UIS data, the official entrance age for pre-primary education in 2023 is 3 years old. In the same year, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education for both sexes was 66.25%.
Governance
The Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación, MINED) is the main government body responsible for pre-primary education. According to the 2006 General Education Law, pre-primary education is part of Regular Basic Education (Article 23) and is the responsibility of the State to provide and expand. MINED is therefore in charge of allocating and overseeing education budgets for Early Childhood and Pre-primary programmes. Pre-primary financing forms part of the General Budget of the Republic, approved annually by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (MHCP) and the National Assembly. MINED manages these resources to ensure coverage, teacher salaries, school infrastructure, and early childhood programmes, including community and non-formal modalities for children aged 0–5.
Tuition-free status
Pre-primary education is not tuition-free, according to laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
As the education system is highly centralised in Nicaragua, no financial mechanism transferring funds from the central government to local governments with equity considerations has been found.
2. Education resources to institutions
The central government, through the Ministry of Education (MINED), in collaboration with UNICEF and with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), allocates resources to pre-primary institutions under the framework of the Modelo de Educación Inicial para el Desarrollo Infantil (MEIDI). These resources support: (a) the improvement of learning environments through classroom rehabilitation, furniture, and didactic materials; (b) teacher and community educator training and professional development; and (c) the provision of technological equipment and pedagogical support. Resource allocation follows an equity approach, prioritising rural and disadvantaged municipalities, schools with limited prior investment, and classrooms serving children with disabilities, as well as indigenous and Afro-descendant populations, thereby ensuring that subsidies reach the institutions and groups most in need.
3. Education resources to students and families
In January 2025, the Nicaraguan government, through the Ministry of Education, launched the Presidential School Bonus, a cash transfer of 2,000 córdobas for families with children enrolled in pre-primary, first, and second grade. The bonus aims to support families in preparing for the new school year by helping them purchase school supplies, uniforms, backpacks, and shoes. Distribution requires the presence of the student’s parent or legal guardian with identification. At the San Sebastián School in Managua, 253 bonuses were distributed, and across District II the programme is expected to benefit over 2,800 students in 32 schools. Parents highlighted that the support reduces financial pressure on low-income households and ensures children begin school equipped with the necessary materials.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Programa de Atención Integral a la Niñez (PAININ)
The Programa de Atención Integral a la Niñez (PAININ), managed by the Ministry of the Family (MIFAN) in Nicaragua, delivers in-kind resources and services directly to vulnerable families through community centres, including Centros Infantiles Comunitarios (CICO) and Casas Base Comunitarias (CBC) in rural and remote areas. Children aged 4–6 in poverty, Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, or facing extreme hardship receive preschool activities where no Ministry of Education coverage exists, along with complementary food, micronutrient supplements, health monitoring, vaccination checks, parental counselling on nutrition, hygiene, and child protection, and support for civil registration. The programme targets the most disadvantaged households to improve early learning and child development outcomes.
