Reykjavík preschools improve staffing ahead of new school year

Reykjavík’s preschools are better staffed this autumn than in previous years, according to mbl.is, citing a memo submitted to the city’s preschool and childcare council on Monday.

The memo was prepared by Stein Jóhannsson, director of Reykjavík City’s Education and Recreation Department. Responses from 64 of the city’s 67 preschools showed that about 39% were fully staffed.

Most of the preschools considered themselves fully staffed, although with certain reservations. Overall, about 67% were either fully staffed or close to it, while 33% still had positions to fill.

“In general, staffing the preschools is going better this year than in previous years,” the memo said.

It estimated that around 50 full-time equivalent positions were either unfilled or likely to require recruitment. That represents a significant improvement from previous years: by mid-September 2025, 74 positions still needed to be filled, compared with 123 positions at the same time the year before.

About 2,300 people work in the city’s preschools, equivalent to approximately 1,800 full-time positions.