Starting school

When do children start school in Hungary? The rule, in short

In Hungary a child starts school in the September of the year they turn 6 by 31 August. What that means for your child, and what to do if you would like to wait a year.

Published: 24 September 20263 min read

Teki on the Adventure path, among colourful stops

Contents

The rule: 31 August
Kindergarten from age 3
If you would like to wait a year
What does school readiness mean?
What you can do at home meanwhile
Sources

In Hungary, the September your child starts school is decided first of all by their birthday. The rule is set out in the Act on National Public Education, and it fits in one sentence.

The rule: 31 August

Section 45(2) of the Act says that a child becomes of compulsory school age in the year in which they turn six by 31 August. The school year starts on 1 September, so:

if your child turns 6 by 31 August, they start school that September;
if they turn 6 on 1 September or later, they spend one more year in kindergarten and start the following September, by then almost 7.

For example, a child born on 20 August 2020 starts school in September 2026. A child born on 5 September 2020 starts in September 2027.

Kindergarten from age 3

Section 8(2) of the same Act says that from the age of three, a child takes part in kindergarten education for at least four hours a day. The school year before school starts is therefore the child's last year in kindergarten.

If you would like to wait a year

Sometimes a child would already start school by the birthday rule, but the family or the kindergarten feels one more kindergarten year would do them good. That is possible: the start of compulsory schooling can be postponed by one school year, and the Educational Authority (Oktatási Hivatal) decides on the request. If the child turns 7 by 31 August, the start cannot be postponed any further.

We describe the process, the deadline and the documents in a separate article: Another year in kindergarten? How postponing school works in Hungary.

What does school readiness mean?

Hungary's National Core Programme of Kindergarten Education describes the development a child needs for school in three areas: physical, psychological and social maturity. This includes more coordinated movement and fine motor skills, deliberate attention and memory, clear and fluent speech, and an emerging sense of task. More detail: Signs of school readiness, and how to practise them through play.

What you can do at home meanwhile

There is no need to play school. What helps is everyday and short:

movement every day: running, climbing, playing ball;
talking and stories: ask about the pictures, and let your child tell the rest;
numbers in everyday life: stairs, spoons, apples;
small bits of independence: getting dressed, tidying up, finishing a little job.

The WHO recommends that children aged 3–4 are physically active for at least 180 minutes a day and have no more than one hour of sedentary screen time. Most counting and story games work well without a screen, too.

Teki adds a few minutes a day of this: short, cheerful games in seven areas, many of them on the rug. How Teki works