Where should the support for preschool education be directed? A case study from Slovakia

Abstract The low participation rate of preschool children in pre-primary education is most often due to (i) a lack of kindergartens or available places in them, and (ii) low participation of children from a socially disadvantaged environment. Lack of knowledge and information on the specific features of (un)availability of kindergartens, the nature and drivers of low enrolment of preschool children, are often the cause of the poor effectiveness of programmes to increase children’s participation in pre-primary education. The approach presented here reflects a broader spectrum of aspects of availability in pre-primary education. The paper aims to identify regions suitable for targeting interventions and funding to support pre-primary education. The intention is to assess the spatial differentiation of availability of pre-primary education based on the regional typology of municipalities and to identify potential factors influencing its variability. Key findings reveal significant regional differences in participation in pre-primary education. The results show that children’s participation in pre-primary education is conditioned not only by insufficient kindergarten capacity but also by different demographic, social, and economic conditions. The findings are useful for planning pre-primary education. They highlight the need for targeted interventions and spatially differentiated education policies to improve access to pre-primary education.