Kindergarten groups for children under two years of age will be established in every district of Belarus starting March 1.
Starting March 1, kindergarten groups for children under two will be established in every district of Belarus. This was announced by Albina Davidovich, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for General Secondary and Preschool Education and Head of the Preschool Education Department at the Ministry of Education.
The regions are currently rapidly assessing the need for places for children under two in preschool institutions. “Previously, we focused more on the age category of children over two, as parental leave is provided until the child reaches three years of age. This ensured that we primarily met the need for preschool institutions when mothers return to work. Preschool education is not mandatory in our country—families are given the opportunity to raise their children independently before they start school. But family needs are changing—more and more mothers want to return to work earlier, and family circumstances require placing a child in preschool not only for short-term placement but also for longer periods. We take all of this into account and are now focusing on this area. The relevant organizational work is already underway in the regions at our direction,” said Albina Davidovich.
In Belarus, the law enshrines the right to enroll children under two in kindergartens. “Appropriate groups can be created for them, and such children can also be placed in mixed-age groups. At the beginning of this year, 335 groups for children under two were already operating in 318 educational institutions. In accordance with the decision of the Board of the Ministry of Education, this work will continue. And starting March 1, we plan to open at least one such group in every district of the country. Of course, we will take into account the actual needs of parents. Perhaps in some places, two groups will open, in others, one. In rural areas, the system of mixed-age groups is more developed, and places for such children will be provided in these groups,” the deputy head of the main department reported.
A Ministry of Education representative emphasized that the system is ready for this process. “Such groups are already operating in kindergartens across the country, and the environment for children there is being created in accordance with legal requirements. Regarding personnel, the ministry’s board resolution instructed education development institutes to organize appropriate work with educators through advanced training courses and methodological associations. However, the preschool teacher training system devotes a significant portion of its focus to the education and development of young children,” Albina Davidovich added.
By 2025, more than 90% of children were enrolled in preschool education. Currently, there are more than 3,600 kindergartens, crèches, and child development centers operating in the country, educating approximately 321,000 children.