The start of compulsory education has recently been lowered to age 4.
Children aged 4 and 5 attend pre-school education in nipiagogeio (ISCED 020). The implementation of this framework started during school year 2018-19 in 184 municipalities of the country; it is currently extended to most municipalities and it will become fully implemented at national level in school year 2021-22 (law 4704/2020, art.34). 5 Municipalities out of 332 in total remain to implement the above-mentioned reform.
In municipalities where two-year compulsory pre-school education is not yet implemented, infants/children may attend infant/child care and child care centres up to age 5.
Under age 4, there is no legal guarantee to a place in ECEC.
During the last years, there has been an important discrepancy between the number of families’ voucher applications for a place in an ECEC setting for their children under 4 and the number of places available. This was the case both in public and private settings.
According to a new 2020 legislation (in order to enhance social solidarity policies, the funding programme for Municipalities will be extended for another year, so as to provide the Municipalities lacking places available, with the opportunity to add extra classes (up to 2) and the Municipalities with no ECEC settings up until now, to establish new ones (up to 4 classes/setting), using the above-mentioned funding programme, provided they already have a building available.
The different ECEC settings for children under age 4 (child care, infant care and infant/child care centres) may require board fees on a monthly basis, depending on the economic status of the family.
Children may be transported to the municipality care centres, on condition that the latter provide their own means of transport and abide by the rules of safety. For infants, transfer may be assigned to a special escort, or to members of the pedagogical staff, in rotation. The cost of transportation is determined by the Board of Directors of the Municipal infant care, infant/child care or child care centre and may be covered by an additional contribution of parents, depending on their financial ability.
The compulsory 25 weekly hour program for 4- and 5-year olds in pre-schools (ISCED 020) is free of charge. Moreover, there is an optional full-day programme with an extended timetable providing 20 additional weekly hours, also free of charge.