Procedures through which services are provided to citizens/businesses
Pre-primary education: General information, goals, registrations
The early years are key to a child’s physical, mental and social development. Therefore, early integration into pre-primary education enables children to benefit to the maximum in terms of all aspects of their development (cognitive, emotional, social, moral/religious, psychomotor and aesthetic) and to acquire life skills and acceptable attitudes, values and principles.
The MOESY's early school curriculum focuses primarily on the rounded development of the child and cognitive subjects are a means of supporting their rounded development. That philosophy is based on play (free and structured), as that is a natural learning method for children and the primary vector of their rounded development. The teaching programme in pre-primary schools is varied to ensure that every child who is on their own is made to feel welcome. Pre-primary education is seen as a way of preventing failure at school and social exclusion, as it gives the child valuable time to mature and discover its skills through structured and timetabled creative activities.
Beneficiaries
Any child permanently or temporarily resident in Cyprus can be registered in a public pre-primary school, irrespective of their country of origin or nationality.
Registrations/transfers
Compulsory pre-primary education, which includes the pre-primary class, starts at the age of
4 years and 6 months, for the school year 2024-2025
4 years and 5 months, for the school year 2025-2026
4 years and 4 months, for the school year 2026-2027
4 years and 4 months, for the school year 2027-2028
4 years and 3 months, for the school year 2028-2029
4 years and 2 months, for the school year 2029-2030
4 years and 1 month, for the school year 2030-2031
4 years, for the school year 2031-2032 and onwards
The pre-primary class starts at the age of 5.
Children between the ages of 3 years and 4 years and 5 months before September 1st, of the school year 2025-2026, are also eligible to register. Applications for those children will be considered if any vacant places remain once children of compulsory pre-primary school age have been registered and transferred. Vacant places are offered to children of that age on the basis of predetermined criteria. Priority is given to children with special educational needs aged 3 or over, provided they have been accepted by the District Committee for Special Education and Training.
Every child of compulsory pre-primary school age is registered in the pre-primary school in its education district and may apply to be transferred under the transfer procedure. For the enrolment of children born in Cyprus an official child’s birth certificate is required. For children who born abroad, the Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) is required, or other official document issued by the child’s country of birth. Photocopies of the above documents are accepted, provided they have been certified by a relevant official.
