▁care ▁programs , ▁parent ▁education ▁and ▁home ▁visit ing ▁programs . ▁ ▁Early ▁child hood ▁education ▁was ▁strength ened ▁through ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Early ▁Child hood ▁Care ▁and ▁Development ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁( Rep ublic ▁Act ▁No . ▁ 8 9 8 0 ). ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ▁dis sem in ated ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁Kinder g arten ▁Education ▁Act ▁through ▁Republic ▁Act ▁No . ▁ 1 0 1 5 7 ▁making ▁it ▁comp uls ory ▁and ▁mand atory ▁in ▁the ▁entire ▁nation . ▁As ▁a ▁provision ▁in ▁this ▁law , ▁children ▁under ▁five ▁years ▁old ▁are ▁required ▁to ▁en roll ▁in ▁a ▁kind erg arten ▁in ▁any ▁public ▁elementary ▁school ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁This ▁goes ▁with ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁K - 1 2 ▁system ▁in ▁the ▁Basic ▁Education ▁C urr icul um . ▁ ▁Roman ia ▁ ▁In ▁Roman ia , ▁, ▁which ▁means ▁" l ittle ▁garden ", ▁is ▁the ▁fav ored ▁form ▁of ▁education ▁for ▁pr esch ool ▁children ▁usually ▁aged ▁ 3 – 6 . ▁The ▁children ▁are ▁divided ▁in ▁three ▁groups : ▁" l ittle ▁group " ▁( , ▁age ▁ 3 – 4 ), ▁" medium ▁group " ▁( , ▁age ▁ 4 - 5 ) ▁and ▁" big ▁group " ▁( , ▁age ▁ 5 - 6 ). ▁In ▁the ▁last ▁few ▁years , ▁private ▁kind er gart ens ▁have ▁become ▁popular , ▁supp lement ing ▁the ▁state ▁pr esch ool ▁education