The purpose of this proposal is to amend the Preschool Child Care Institutions Act in such a way that the so-called one-teacher system in kindergartens would be allowed only as a temporary exception, not as a permanent form of work organization.
Today in severa counties a cities, the one-teacher system is increasingly being applied as a deliberate cost-saving strategy.
As a result, pedagogical responsibility is on a single teacher, and there are periods when no qualified teacher is present in the group.
While such arrangements may be temporarily unavoidable in cases of genuine teacher shortages, they must not become a standard model of operation.
The law defines minimum requirements — but minimum standards should never be the goal in early childhood education.
This petution asks to clarify current early education law in order to prevent one-teacher system to be implemented as a permanent form of work organization.
A kindergarten is not merely a place of care – it is an environment for a child’s development, sense of security, and social skills.
The role of a qualified teacher is not limited to conducting activities. It includes continuous monitoring of the child’s development, individual support, and intervention when necessary. This responsibility must not be left uncovered.
Key principles
- A decrease in the number of children due to decreasing birth rates does not automatically justify reducing pedagogical support
- Reducing the number of groups is a logical adaptation, but it should not come at the expense of qualified teachers
- Maintaining quality must remain a priority even under demographic changes
- The current situation allows the legal minimum to be used as a systematic work arrangement for cost-cutting, rather than as an exception.
- The one-teacher system may be a temporary solution — but it must not become the norm.
Core proposal In kindergarten groups, the standard work arrangement must ensure the involvement of at least two qualified teachers.
The use of a one-teacher system must be allowed only as a temporary exception if:
- there is a documented shortage of qualified teachers in the region
- the employer has taken active steps to find a teacher
- the solution is time-limited
The one-teacher system must not be used as a permanent arrangement or for the purpose of reducing labor costs.
Kindergartens must ensure that at all times at least one qualified teacher is present in the group.
LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT PROPOSAL
Amendment to the Preschool Child Care Institutions Act
Addition to § 27:
(3¹) For the implementation of educational and upbringing activities in a group, the work must be based on the contribution of at least two qualified teachers throughout the group’s operating hours.
(3²) At least one qualified teacher must be present in the group at all times during its operating hours.
(3³) A one-teacher system may be applied only as a temporary exception if:
- the institution has documented a shortage of qualified teachers
- reasonable and active efforts have been made to recruit a teacher
- the exception is time-limited and does not exceed 6 months
- the child’s safety and continuity of educational activities are ensured
(3⁴) The exception referred to in subsection (3³) must not be applied as a permanent arrangement or for the purpose of reducing labor costs.
Why this matters?
A kindergarten is not merely a place of care – it is an environment where a child’s development, sense of security, and social skills are shaped.
The role of a qualified teacher includes monitoring development, providing support, and intervening when necessary. This responsibility must not be left uncovered.
A system that works only under ideal conditions is not sufficient.
The one-teacher system may be a temporary solution — but it must not become the system.