12 children living in Chkalov village will benefit from early learning.
In coordination with the RA Ministries of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (MoESCS), and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Lori regional authorities and other partners, and with the financial support of the European Union, UNICEF opened a new preschool center in Chkalov settlement of Tumanyan consolidated community. It is one of the smallest settlements in the community with an adult population of 156 and 46 children only. Starting today, 12 young children living in this small village will benefit from early learning services and six are already attending the preschool.
From 2014 to 2017 UNICEF and partners established alternative preschool services in 4 out of 10 settlements of Tumanyan consolidated community. As of today, small children living in 5 settlements – Atan, Ahnidzor, Marc, Shamut and Chkalov are benefiting from early learning services. Tumanyan community is covering the costs related to the maintenance, asset management, and salaries of preschool teachers. Tumanyan community is covering the costs related to the maintenance, asset management, and salaries of preschool teachers.
Caption: 12 young children living in Chkalov small village will benefit from early learning services.
“This preschool is vital for both myself and my son. It provides him with important learning experiences that I can't teach at home, like social skills and playing with other children. Because of this kindergarten, I found a job and now I am working, knowing that my child is learning and developing during that time. I'm thrilled that my third child has this opportunity, although I regret that my older daughters, Milena and Elena, missed out because there was no preschool in the village at that time,” said Hasmik Kochinyan, mother of a preschooler Garnik.
Caption: Silvia Mestroni, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Armenia noted that UNICEF attaches great importance to enabling trusted support for parents and caregivers to succeed in raising their children.
In 2012, the UN General Assembly marked June 1 as the Global Parents Day to honour and celebrate caregivers throughout the world. Parenting is too big job for parents and caregivers to do alone. They need support to give their children the best possible start in life.
“UNICEF attaches great importance to enabling trusted support for parents and caregivers to succeed in their most precious task of all – raising their children. Strengthening services for early childhood education and development is one key part of this support. We work with central and local governments, civil society and other partners to promote children’s but also parents’ and caregivers’ access to early learning services focusing on small rural villages that are often deprived of this opportunity,” said Silvia Mestroni, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Armenia.
Quality pre-primary education is the foundation of a child’s journey: every stage of education that follows relies on its success. Yet, more than 200,000 children of preschool age in Armenia, of which around 60,000 in rural communities, are not included in preschool services. By the end of 2023, UNICEF will work with partners to establish 10 more alternative preschools in other rural communities of Armenia and will continue to collaborate with the Government and partners to ensure that children are given a fair start in education. This intervention is contributing to the GoA plans for expanding access to early learning services through renovation and construction of 500 kindergartens.
