A number of 99 kindergartens of the 159 operating in Chisinau municipality stopped work on a temporary basis so far this summer. Fifteen kindergartens of those closed for repair works resumed work on July 16. Thus, 75 kindergartens or 47% work as usual. The repair works in preschool education institutions were over 40% executed. The information was presented by the administration of the General Division of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport in the July 16 meeting of officials of municipal services and divisions, IPN reports.

The Division’s head Rodica Gutu said current repair works are performed in all the institutions, while extensive repair weirs are carried out where it is necessary, either in dorms or cooking and laundry facilities. At some of the institutions, the windows are replaced, the façade is restored, while the roof, ventilation, sewerage and heating systems are  repaired.

As regards the extensive repair works, over 18 million lei was earmarked in 2018 for such works at 68 kindergartens. The works were 44.56% carried out. A sum of 25 million lei was allocated as special purpose funds.

Rodica Gutu noted that the allocations for developing the infrastructure and equipping the general education institutions during the last ten years represented, on average, 6.5% of the funds intended for maintaining the municipal education system. Additional financial resources are identified in the course of the year for other needs. Even so, the funds are not sufficient to maintain and develop the education system. The Division suggests increasing the allocations intended for developing infrastructure and organizing training activities at district divisions to teach specialists to work out and implement social projects.

Acting mayor of Chisinau Ruslan Codreanu said the problem resides not only in the shortage of funds, but also in the inefficient management of the existing funds. After paying a number of visits to preschool education institutions, he established that the allotted funds are used for the wrong purpose. He received many messages from parents who said the principals or educators collect sum ranging from 500 to 2,000 lei from them for repair works. The parents do not know about the funds allocated from the municipal budget for particular works.

In another development, the acting mayor said he will propose raising the salaries of all the early education sector employees by 500 lei.

The early education system in Chisinau municipality includes 159 kindergartens that are attended by almost 38,000 children.