Back to school 2021: when to enroll your child in kindergarten?

The age of the child

In order to combat inequalities from an early age, the law for a school of trust lowered the age of compulsory education to 3 years (age of childcare in small nursery schools). A decree published in the Official Journal of 4 August 2019 it complements it by laying down conditions governing the child's attendance time in the first year.

Children 2 years of age on the day of return may be admitted within the limits of available places and under certain conditions. They remain there until they enter elementary school in the calendar year in which they reach the age of 6.

The school

If there are several schools in your city, the city hall services will tell you which one corresponds to your area.

If you want to enroll your child in a school other than your local school, you must ask the mayor for a waiver. Check with the City Hall how to do this.

If you wish to enroll your child in a nursery school in a municipality other than the one where you live, you must obtain the agreement of the host city mayor. Registration can be refused unless there is no school in your city and in certain specific situations.

The steps

Ask the city hall for the list of documents needed for this registration (they can be different from one city to another). In general, you will be asked:

• a document proving your identity and that of your child (family booklet, identity card, passport, copy of birth certificate or attestation on honor)
• a recent proof of domicile (the latest income tax or non-income tax notice, or the latest tax notice for the housing tax and the audiovisual royalty, or a gas, electricity bill of less than three months or the current schedule). You can also provide an attestation on honor.

You will then have to proceed with the final registration at the school where your child is assigned, with the certificate of registration that will have been issued to you by the City Hall. This registration will be registered by the principal of the school upon presentation:

• the registration certificate issued by the city council;
• the child's health booklet containing the vaccinations required for his or her age: diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, or vaccination certificates (or a certificate of contraindication).

Registration must be completed no later than the month of June before the start of school.