The number of places in school-preparation groups in Azerbaijan has increased from 85,000 to 104,000.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Eshqi Bagirov, director of the State Agency for Preschool and General Education, made the announcement at a September conference for education workers.
According to him, the increase has created an opportunity to cover approximately 93 percent of five-year-old children across Azerbaijan with school-preparation education.
“This is the highest figure recorded in recent years. The number of places in community-based groups has also been increased to 36,000. The third model, introduced to involve more children in preschool education, is intended particularly for villages and remote settlements that lack separate kindergarten infrastructure or where existing kindergartens cannot meet demand. The aim is to bring education closer to children’s homes without creating new large-scale infrastructure,” he said.
School-preparation programs are designed to help children develop the basic social, communication and learning skills needed for their transition to primary school. Community-based groups are especially important in rural and remote areas, where access to formal preschool facilities may be limited.
