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Children Of Indigent Families Stay Out Of Kindergarten

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  • Children Of Indigent Families Stay Out Of Kindergarten

    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
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