Is preschool mandatory in Czechia?
The final year before primary school yes — from the September after the fifth birthday, preschool education is compulsory. The duty means regular morning attendance (a continuous 4 hours) at the catchment kindergarten, and excuse notes work much as they do at school. If classic kindergarten isn't your path, the law offers individual (home) preschooling: you notify the catchment kindergarten's head and bring the child to a verification of expected outcomes (typically November/December). For the compulsory year the kindergarten must admit even unvaccinated children. Younger children (2–4) attend voluntarily; the from-3 place entitlement runs through municipal catchments. Breaching the duty is a misdemeanour with fines up to CZK 5,000 — and absences do get logged.
📋 The rules
- Compulsory from the September after the 5th birthday until school starts
- Scope: continuous 4 morning hours, working days (holidays off)
- The catchment kindergarten must admit (unvaccinated too — compulsory year only)
- Alternative: individual preschooling with notification and verification
- Breach: misdemeanour, fine up to CZK 5,000
🔓 Exceptions
- Individual (home) preschooling: no daily attendance, with a kindergarten verification
- Primary-school preparatory classes and registered forest kindergartens: fully satisfy the duty
- Afternoons and school holidays: outside the duty — attendance beyond the 4 morning hours is voluntary
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Failing to enrol, or unexcused absence, is the guardian's misdemeanour with fines up to CZK 5,000 — and the kindergarten logs attendance as diligently as a primary school, so excuse notes are not a formality. Repeated breaches don't stop at a fine: the kindergarten refers the matter to child protection (OSPOD), which reviews the family, and the file then shadows the household for the other children too. Individual preschooling has its own trap: miss the verification of expected outcomes, even at the substitute date, and the head cancels the home regime — the child must start attending.
📎 Official sources
- School Management · Compulsory preschool education (CS) →
- Rozalio · Kindergarten admission and the compulsory year (CS) →
- Dostupný advokát · Children's rights by age (CS) →
❓ Frequently asked
From when exactly is preschool compulsory?
From 1 September of the school year following the child's fifth birthday, and it runs until compulsory schooling begins. The birthday decides it — not whether the parents feel ready.
Full days, every day?
No — the duty covers a continuous 4 morning hours on working days. Afternoons and school holidays are voluntary, and you may collect the child as soon as the compulsory part of the day ends.
Can the compulsory year happen at home?
Yes, through individual preschooling: notify the head of the catchment kindergarten and bring the child to the verification of expected outcomes, typically in November or December. Skip the verification and the regime is cancelled.
Are unvaccinated children admitted for the compulsory year?
Yes — vaccination isn't required for compulsory preschool education, unlike for younger cohorts. The catchment kindergarten must admit the child even with an incomplete vaccination record.
How do excuse notes work?
Much as at school: the guardian excuses the absence and the kindergarten keeps the records. Unexcused hours add up, and repetition risks a misdemeanour fine up to CZK 5,000 or a child-protection referral.
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