In Cyprus, there is a significant number of kindergartens, most of which are Greek (public and private), but there are also private English and Russian ones.
What awaits you?
Most kindergartens in Cyprus are not very large. As a rule, it is a small building and a playground, covered with a tent so children are comfortable being outside any time of the year.
In Cyprus, the children go to kindergarten up to 5 years of age for preparatory group studies and pre-school lessons. School starts for Greek and English children at 6 years.
Many people wonder how easy it is to place a child in kindergarten in Cyprus. This depends on which one you are planning on going to. A Greek kindergarten is pretty difficult, especially for 3-4 year olds as the number of places is limited and demand is high.
There may not be enough places available in good private kindergartens, especially those organised in schools. In this case it will be necessary to go on a waiting list and you will be contacted when there is a vacancy.
English kindergartens in Limassol
There are a total of 10 English kindergartens in Limassol and they typically work from 07:30 to 18:00. It’s advisable to book a place in advance.
English kindergartens take children from the age of 2–5, and they operate in accordance with the British standard of education. Children will engage in drawing, modelling, crafts, learn English songs, nursery rhymes, letters, numbers and shapes.
The classes are usually with 10-20 children and the programme includes classes in music and gymnastics, development of general and emotional intelligence, sporting activities and visiting classes in kindergartens once or twice per week.
As well as speaking their native languages the children will start learning English too, and Greek in the Greek classes.
There are outdoor educational Montessori classes, puppet theatres, computer lessons, and some kindergartens also hold extra classes.
During the day children eat breakfast and lunch, sleep (about 2 hours), and walk and play outside twice a day for 1–1 ½ hours , depending on the weather.
As a rule the meals in kindergartens in Cyprus are provided by a catering service. Children are provided with a salad, a main dish and fruit. The cost of English kindergartens in Cyprus is around €200 – €300 per month.
Russian kindergartens in Limassol
There are kindergartens in Limassol at “The disciples of Pythagoras” school and “Harmony”, the children’s centre of Russian culture. Russian kindergartens run from 07:45 until 18:00. Some have a duty group where you can leave the baby until 22:00, and the night group – till 08:00. On Saturday the kindergarten is open from 10:00 to 13:00.
The kindergarten accepts children from 2 to 6 years of age. The educational programme includes the development of speech and Russian folk art, talk about the world, the foundations of security and the development of logical thinking, representational activities, music lessons, physical training and etiquette.
Each group has approximately 6-8 children, and in the Russian kindergartens the employees have higher teaching qualifications. Classes are held in Russian, and there are additional lessons in English and Greek.
During the day the children walk and play outside twice a day for an hour, and are given nap time. The children are also provided with homemade food. A psychologist and speech therapist are also working with them. The cost of stay in a Russian kindergarten is around €150 – €200 per month, including food and stationery.
Public kindergartens in Cyprus
Pre-school education in Cyprus is not a requirement. The Cypriot kindergartens accept children aged from 3 to 5 years. In Cyprus there are public, private, and community (funded by parents) kindergartens.
In public kindergartens, government funding pays the salaries for teachers and educational materials. The remaining costs are covered by the parents.
Kindergartens, financed by parents (community) may be opened only when there are not enough state ones in the area, but the Ministry of Education and Culture control the work and financing.
Private kindergartens may be opened after agreement with the Ministry of Education and Culture, and their activities are regulated by legislation on private educational institutions. The kindergarten can accept children from 3 years of age. The main criterion is the age of the child and the parents’ financial situation.
Kindergartens in Cyprus work 5 days a week from 08:00 to 13:00. Teachers plan their own programme according to the interests and abilities of the children. As a rule, children play games and puppetry, conduct natural experiments, do maths, reading and writing, physical education, and music.
To summarize
So when choosing a day-care you first you need to think about which school the child will attend, because integration into the appropriate environment at an early stage is very important.
