Presentation of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s “Preschool Institutions’ Development” Program
On February 24, presentation of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s “Preschool Institutions Development” Program took place.
Azerbaijan’s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony.
Mehriban Aliyeva delivered a speech at the event.
Speech by Mehriban Aliyeva:
- Today we are going to have discussion on the condition existing in preschool institutions in Azerbaijan. I hope our meeting will be fruitful and positively affect the solution of the problems in this sphere.
The rapid economic growth of the recent years that we have seen in our country has covered all spheres. Education is a sphere, which is of strategic importance for the future of Azerbaijan. Therefore, more and more attention has been shown recent years to this sphere. Moves by the state entities, multiple increases in the budget funds allocated to this sphere, construction and major repair of schools in the republic, provision thereof with up-to-date equipment, and creation of a computer room in each school testify to this.
Over the last ten years, 2700 new school building were constructed or basically repaired. Due to the works done, studying conditions for over one million pupils in the republic have been improved. In general, material and technical level of a secondary school education meets the modern requirements.
As you know, the project of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation “New School to New Azerbaijan” was launched in 2005, and this project was implemented very successfully. We, then, drew attention of the society to the problems existing in secondary schools, and in a short span of time, various structures of the civil society, private sector and businessmen started to support this program.
Today, entrepreneurship develops with rapid pace in our country. The state provides both political and financial support to business entities. Azerbaijani companies are involved in the execution of large infrastructure projects. Over the last ten years, the state granted over one billion loans to entrepreneurs. In the coming 5 years, it is expected that the amount of such credits will be one and a half billion. In this case, of course, business entities should bear more social responsibility.
I think every businessman in the country should do his best to participate in solution of social issues. These positive trends have shown themselves very explicitly in the construction of schools, and, due to joint efforts of business structures, private sector and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, 412 new school were built in Azerbaijan in a short period of time. A sports ground was created, computer rooms opened and a swimming pool built in every new school. Every school was provided with up-to-date equipment, various teaching aids and literature.
The Azerbaijani state, in turn, supported construction of schools, and thus, as I had mentioned, 2700 new schools were built or basically repaired in Azerbaijan for the last 10 years. All remaining schools that are in disrepair will be repaired within the framework of the third regional Development Program. Thus, no school will remain in the country without normal conditions for education.
At that time, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation launched the project “Children homes and boarding schools”. Within the framework of this project, 32 children homes and boarding schools were repaired to the latest standards. In the execution of this project too, we have built a very good partnership relations with the private sector.
Relying on its experience, today the Heydar Aliyev Foundation launches a new big project in Azerbaijan – the Preschool Institutions Development Program. We have to show more attention to this sphere today. There is an urgent need for construction of kindergartens in the country. Children spend almost half of a day at kindergartens. The conditions in these education institutions, the quality of education that our children receive, as well as the climate in there are of significance. Children’s intellectual and physical development, discovering their talent and skills, protection of health and building relations with each other are formed just in these institutions. In that case, of course, we have to approach this sector of education with more attention.
Today, most of the kindergartens operating in the country are those built during the Soviet time. Since then, the number of population has increased by 25 to 30%. Existing kindergartens do not meet the demand. They meet the demand at a level of 18 to 20%. It should be taken into account that 1 million 200 thousand new jobs have been created over the past 10 years, and today in many families both parents are employed. This fact in itself requires additional kindergartens. Taking into consideration the urgency of the problems existing in this sphere, studies were conducted by specialists of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, upon my instruction, to find out the current conditions at preschool institutions, and an extensive database has been created on the outcome of the work, which continued a few months. I want to underscore that at the first stage monitoring was conducted only within the Baku city. In future, the same work will be done in the whole country. A little later, the results of the monitoring will be brought to your attention by an expert of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
In my opinion, in future, our activity should be built in several directions. Repair works should be done in all kindergartens of the country that are in need.
In order to meet the growing demand, new kindergartens should be built. New kindergartens should be built in the territory of the old ones. Based on the information I have got, most of the kindergartens are located in a large territory and there are possibilities for extensive construction. At the same time, new land parcels should be allocated to build new kindergartens. As regards the repair work, as I have said, majority of the kindergartens have been built in 30, 40 and 50s of the last century. In some cases, building of a new kindergarten would be more efficient rather than repairing the old one. The Heydar Aliyev Foundations has been dealing with problems of kindergartens for several years. During these years, 20 new kindergartens were built in the country by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. We have frequently faced such cases. In some cases, construction of a new kindergarten is far more efficient than repairing the old one.
There are private kindergartens in Azerbaijan. Their number should be increased. Preschool preparation at kindergartens should be organized at a high level. It is of paramount importance that children grow up with sound health. Children at these kindergartens should be provided with the most quality meal. Medical service should be at the highest level.
I would like to note one matter specifically. Our monitoring showed that today IDP families have been settled in 124 kindergartens. The biggest problem of our country – the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Daghlyg Garabagh conflict – has caused major damage to the education system. Education of children being brought up in refugee and IDP families has always been the focus of attention of both the state and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. I would like to note that we have gained unique experience in this sphere. The education infrastructure that had existed before the occupation has been preserved. This, in itself, is a unique experience. The State Program for improving internally displaced peoples’ living conditions and employment is being successfully implemented. 28 thousand internally displaced people were resettled to new homes only for the last year. New houses, apartments are constructed for such families. I’m hopeful our initiative will have positive effect also on the process of resettling IDP families from kindergartens to new homes.
Today we are launching a new big project for the development of preschool institutions. I hope, as with other projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, this project too will be successful and contribute to solution of social problems in the country.
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Concluding speech:
- Dear participants.
I’m confident the ideas and proposals put forward at the meeting will be taken into account. It was noted in today’s speeches that early education plays an important part in every person’s life. Today, talking about education, young generation and our children, we clearly understand that we are talking about our country’s future. These children will ensure Azerbaijan’s future. Therefore, our duty today is to bring up these children as decent persons, give them education so that they become real patriots of their country. They have to be closely tied with their Homeland, and preserve Azerbaijan’s values and traditions. At the same time, they have to be open to the whole world. The contemporary world requires from every person to receive the highest level of education, be able to build relations with different people, be open to the world and talk several foreign languages. That is to say we want the future generations grow up in such conditions. Of course to reach these goals, a number of conditions should be met. This is not an easy task. We are a very young country as an independent state. Nonetheless, for a short time span we have made great achievements. I hope, in the near future, we’ll see changes in education and witness great accomplishments. I want to once more underscore that education is very significant and strategic matter for all countries, including Azerbaijan. Therefore, as I had stated, today we are launching a new and very important project – the Preschool Institutions' Development Project. Here we were informed of the existing condition. The facts listed here once more testify to the need of construction of new kindergartens in the country, as the existing kindergartens meet only 23 per cent of the demand. Of course, some children are deprived of receiving early education. Therefore, I believe that, as with other initiatives and programs of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, this program too will be successful. In a short span of time, we will see positive changes in this sphere, relying on the endeavours of the Foundation, state organizations and the private sector.
I want to express my gratitude to UNICEF. This organization has enormous experience in this field. I want to thank them for their support. In one word, being the Foundation, we are ready for cooperation. I’m appealing to the private sector, to entrepreneurs. I want to note that I presented the results of our joint projects. We have indeed built very fruitful partnership relations. I’m confident you will join this project too. Taking part in solving our country’s problems is, in my opinion, a duty of each of us.
On May 10 this year, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation will mark its 10th anniversary. During these years, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has been very active in various spheres of the country’s public life. Many projects and programs have been accomplished. Our greatest achievement is that we have won the confidence of the Azerbaijani people during these years. They trust us. Those appealing to us know that we are always open and ready to help. A number of very significant projects have been, indeed, accomplished during these years. As you know, we have done a great deal of work in the sphere of culture. We are preserving our country’s historical and architectural monuments. We have been popularizing the Azerbaijani mugham all over the world. Azerbaijan’s old culture, art, music and schools of carpet making are promoted throughout the world. We have held Days of Azerbaijani culture, exhibitions. We have provided support to young artists and sportsmen of Azerbaijan. However, since the very first day of our activity, we declared solution of education, healthcare and social issues as priority one matter, and so far we have remained loyal to our principles. Primary objective of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation is to help the most unprivileged strata of our society, and participate in solving social problems that our society is facing today. The project we launched today is an obvious proof of this. This is indeed very pressing issue for our country. And I believe, joining our endeavours, we will reach great achievements in this sphere.
Thank you very much.