The rush for a place, the calendar for enrolling children in kindergarten

The Ministry of Education and Research has put out for consultation a draft order on the approval of the Calendar for enrolling pre-school and preschool children for the 2025-2026 school year. According to this draft, the enrollment process will have three main stages, starting with May 26. The rush for a place in a good kindergarten has become a kind of national sport.

• Stage 1: Re-enrollment

The first phase of the process (May 19-23) is dedicated to the re-enrollment of children who have already attended the educational institution in the current school year and who are going to attend it again next year. Parents or legal representatives must submit a written request to confirm re-enrollment.

• Stage 2: Registration

This is the first registration stage for children who did not attend kindergarten in the previous school year (May 26-30). Parents submit registration files to the educational institutions, having the opportunity to express three options. The process will take place within the limit of the available places established in the school plan.

• Stage 3: Remaining places

This stage (June 16-20) aims to fill the places remaining available after the first round of registrations. Parents submit applications again, having the opportunity to choose three other options depending on the available places.

• Stage 4: Final adjustments

The last phase of the process (August 18-28) allows the registration of children who were not admitted in the first two stages due to lack of places or for other reasons. This stage is carried out according to a specific procedure developed by the County School Inspectorate (ISJ) or the School Inspectorate of the Municipality of Bucharest (ISMB).

The categories of children eligible for the final stage: Children who remained unassigned in the previous stages, with priority given to those aged 4 and 5; Children who requested enrollment in the preparatory class, but were not admitted; Children over 2 years old who request enrollment in the small group. This calendar aims to ensure an organized and efficient kindergarten enrollment process for the 2025-2026 school year, providing parents with clarity and predictability regarding children's access to early education.