AZE.US
Azerbaijan has begun accepting applications from private kindergartens seeking to participate in a new state-funded preschool education program.
Under the program, the government will cover 70% of a child’s tuition, up to 350 manats ($206) per month in Baku and 250 manats ($147) in the regions. Parents will pay the remaining amount.
Vafa Yagublu, deputy director of the State Agency for Preschool and General Education, told reporters that payments would be made monthly rather than provided for the entire academic year in advance.
“Preschool education is not compulsory. Some parents enroll their children in kindergarten for only two or three months and then withdraw them,” Yagublu said.
Children’s attendance will therefore be monitored, and the state will transfer its share only for the months during which they continue attending the kindergarten. Agreements under the program will cover 10 months.
The government plans to provide funding for 8,000 children in 2026. Slightly more than 4,000 children received financial assistance under a similar arrangement last year.
Licensed private kindergartens may submit their documents until Aug. 20. Parents will not participate during the initial stage, as the Ministry of Science and Education must first select institutions that meet the program’s requirements.
Financial efficiency will be one of the principal selection criteria, accounting for 50 of the 100 available evaluation points. Kindergartens charging excessively high tuition fees will therefore have a lower chance of being selected.
Once the competition is completed, the ministry will publish a list of participating kindergartens on its online platforms. Parents will then be able to choose an institution suitable for their children.
Each kindergarten will determine its tuition fee in an agreement with the parent. If the institution later raises the price, it must sign a new agreement. Parents may accept the revised terms or withdraw from the program.
The number of subsidized places available at each institution will depend on its registered capacity. If a child leaves a kindergarten or transfers elsewhere, the vacant place may be offered to the next applicant on the waiting list.
A total of 170 private preschool institutions are currently registered in Azerbaijan’s preschool education information system. Another 10 institutions registered this year but have not yet been fully integrated into the system.
AZE.US