Tatarstan Education and Science Minister comments on increased kindergarten fee

An increase in parents’ fees for child care in kindergartens is caused by the new tasks, including improvement of kindergarten infrastructure and quality of pre-school education, pre-school establishments faced, Tatarstan Education Minister Engel Fattakhov told reporters earlier in the day.

Pre-school education had never before given proper attention, the official stressed. According to the new law, pre-school education is the first step of comprehensive education. Tatarstan education chief noted that within a three-year kindergarten construction plan, all children aged above three were to be provided with kindergarten vacancies by 2016. Engel Fattakhov recalled that 6,200 vacancies had been created the year before, and 10,450 this year. A total of 56 new kindergartens have been delivered in 2014 in the region.

“Kindergarten construction worth 6.7 billion roubles is planned in 2015, of which 4 billion comes from the local budget. Next year, 73 new kindergartens, including over 20 in Kazan, are planned to be built.”

The yearly cost of per-child care is about 80,000 roubles, or some 7,000 roubles a month, the official added, recalling that all compensation payments to the parents remained intact. The compensation of 20 percent of average fee for the first child, 50 percent for the second child and 70 percent for the third child remain. The compensation is paid regardless of citizens’ income.

Privileges for families with many children who pay half of the parents’ fee and are entitled to compensation, as well as privileges for disabled children, children with tuberculous intoxication and orphaned children left without parental care, are intact.