State to help increase kindergarten capacity for additional 17,000 children

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday that the state will finance the construction, expansion, reconstruction and equipment of 259 kindergartens, in which HRK 1.28 billion (€170 million) will be invested and which will make it possible to enrol an additional 17,000 children.

Plenković said this while presenting with Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs the results of a call for applications that is part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan regarding the equipping of preschool institutions, published in late April.

He said that this was the biggest investment so far in kindergartens.

All cities and municipalities that have not managed to apply for funding or whose applications have not been accepted will have the possibility to apply in a second call for applications, to be published by the end of the year, for which an additional HRK 340 million has been secured.

90% of preschool children to be covered by kindergarten system

"A total of HRK 1.6 billion will be allocated for preschool education and 22,500 new places in kindergartens," he said, noting that that way 90% of preschool children would be covered by the kindergarten system.

"In the period from 2016 to 2026, the total investment will amount to HRK 3.62 billion," he said.

Fuchs said that under the first call HRK 1.28 billion had been allocated, of which HRK 848.1 million for construction, HRK 364.9 million for expansion, HRK 58.8 million for reconstruction and HRK 8.6 million for renovation.

Projects were submitted by 126 municipalities, 76 cities and one county.

Based on the submitted and approved applications, the state will finance the construction of 123 new kindergartens, expansion of 98 kindergartens, reconstruction and equipment of 29 existing facilities to be converted to kindergartens, and the renovation and equipment of nine kindergartens.

Fuchs said that this would help reduce the number of cities and municipalities which did not have a single kindergarten.

Text: HINA

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