CHILDREN OF INDIGENT FAMILIES STAY OUT OF KINDERGARTEN

Azg/arm
17 March 05

There are 225 kindergartens in Yerevan today that are financed out of
the prefectures’ budget. Most of the kindergartens both in Yerevan and
in the regions of Armenia have shortage of kids. Education minister of
Armenia, Sergo Yeritsian, said yesterday to a press conference that
only 30 percent of 5-6year olds and 15 percent of 1-5 year olds in
Armenia attend kindergartens.

The minister said that they are going to open new kindergartens in
marzes (regions) within the framework of Early Child Development
program carried out in cooperation with UNICEF. Kindergartens were
closed mainly in mountainous marzes and today there are no means to
reopen them. Proximate villages of Yerevan, such as Jrvezh, also need
infant schools, as they never had before.

According to figures from Yerevan prefectures, Davitashen borough has
today5 kindergartens against formerly 10, Avan – 7 against 10,
Shengavit has 31, Erebuni – 14. The Center borough has 22
kindergartens.

Numerous collages for 3-7 year olds sprang up lately in Yerevan and
attracted many parents. Judging from conversation with few parents,
the main reason why they prefer taking they children to collages
instead of traditional kindergarten is that kids ail more often in
kindergartens. The minister said that there are many issues concerning
heating the compounds of infant schools, food and the routine of
kindergartens. “The main purpose of our policy should be not forcing
the kid to the kindergarten but working out a free and flexible
routine enabling parents to keep children there as long as they want
and pay for that. I think that the infant school has to adapt to
parents’ working hours and kids ‘ need. The 4-hour routine should
remain, of course, to enable children gain some knowledge. Games
should prevail in the educational program”, minister of education
said.

The state allocates additional sums to the prefectures for solving
issues of early childhood protection. The minister said that the sums
will increase to overcome poverty and open doors of kindergarten to
more children.

Reforms envisaged in the preschool education for 2006 will safeguard
indigent families first of all. In several towns of Armenia – Qajaran
and Nor Hatchn – prefectures cover the expenses of needy families.

By Ruzan Poghosian