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 (kindergarten) (UIS) is 3 years old. Pre-primary education is neither compulsory nor guaranteed to be free (UIS) as the Education Law No. (27) of 2005 guarantees free, compulsory basic education (ages 6-15 years). In 2024, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes(UIS) was 51.24%.
Governance
Although the National Strategy on Childhood 2013-2017 acknowledges the rights of children to free education, including preschool, there is no public pre-primary education available in Bahrain. Private kindergartens and nurseries are the sole providers of pre-primary education. Some financial support is provided to private institutions through the Ministry of Labour (see section 2).
According to Child Law No. 37 (2012) and the amendments made in 2021, the Ministry of Education (Moe) is responsible for administration and technical oversight of private pre-schools and nurseries and has provided a regulatory framework and national curriculum.
Tuition-free status
Pre-primary education is not tuition-free according to national laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The education system is centrally administered, and there are no subnational governments with authority over education financing.
2. Education resources to institutions
Pre-primary education is solely provided by private institutions. In its supervising capacity, the Moe regulates the fees that private kindergartens can charge according to Article 16 of Decree No. 25 (1998). Moe has published free educational resources such as books, teachers and parent’s guides to be provided for free to ECE institutions and publicly on the Ministry of education’s website.
The government of Bahrain has also allocated financial support for ECE institutions through Ministry of Labour (MoL). “Tamkeen,” which falls under MoL, is a national body that empowers the private sector to drive economic growth in the Kingdom by providing programs and support for enterprises and individuals. Tamkeen has provided support to Early Childhood education institutions by supporting staff wages and covering up to 50% of the costs of equipment, machinery, marketing and technology, in addition to offering support for employee training.
A committee for working women in nurseries and kindergartens was established by the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), under Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa’s Resolution No. 1 of 2025, to assess the conditions of women working in ECE institutions and provide support.
3. Education resources to students and families
As of 2021, there were no financial support mechanisms for families to access pre-primary education.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
While Bahrain does not operate education-specific cash transfer programmes targeted at children in pre-primary education, broader cross-sectoral social protection and workforce development policies contribute indirectly to equity. The Ministry of Social Development provides social assistance and support to vulnerable and low-income families, including households with children, through income support and disability-related programmes. Although these measures are not education-specific, they may indirectly support families in meeting early childhood education-related costs.
This profile was reviewed by Fathiya Ali Aish, Director of ECE Licensing and Follow-up Directorate at the Bahrain Ministry of Education; Lulwa Ghassan Al Muhanna, Director of Licensing and Follow-up of Private Schools at the Bahrain Ministry of Education; Dana Abdulla Ahmed Busasalli, Chief of Scholarships and Grants at the Bahrain Ministry of Education; and the Bahrain Higher Education Council.
