Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 9 / Trend M. Aliyev /
Azerbaijan should intensify control over the work of private kindergartens, Bakhtiyar Aliyev, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Science and Education, said at the parliamentary meeting.
"Private preschool educational institutions don't currently operate on the intended purpose," Aliyev said.
The Committee Chairman Shamsaddin Hajiyev said that the existence of a competitive environment in Azerbaijan contributes to the creation of various preschool institutions. "The privatization of kindergartens has been conducted before adoption of the law "On Education," Hajiyev said.
During the committee meeting it was noted that only 20 percent of children in Azerbaijan attend kindergartens. "Azerbaijan has adopted a national program to address this problem, and over time the percentage of attending preschool institutions will increase," Hajiyev said.
Azerbaijan currently has 1,635 kindergartens, 1,571 of which are owned by state. About 108,000 children attend these institutions.