Duchnevič vetoes the council’s decision – seeks to return higher compensations to private kindergartens
A month ago, after submission, the council approved the proposal initiated by the mayor R. Duchnevičius to compensate the attendance of children living in this district in non-state educational institutions that run pre-school and pre-school education programs with the mentioned amount. However, this Monday, the representatives of the Lithuanian Polish Election Action – Union of Christian Families (LLRA-KŠS), which has a majority in the council, decided in the final vote to reduce the compensation almost five times – to 25 euros.
“The compensation of 120 euros was one of the many measures that we have planned in order to improve and expand the availability of educational services in the Vilnius district. With this amount, we wanted to maintain competitiveness with the applicable compensation in Vilnius, where parents declare their place of residence because they cannot get a kindergarten for their child with us. We calculated that 120 euros would be an effective amount – it would ease the financial burden on the parents of our district, the municipal budget would increase due to the collected larger part of the GPM”, emphasizes R. Duchnevič.
According to the mayor, it is important that the awarding of the compensation determined for the child’s parents (guardians) must have a direct impact on the children’s interests, that is, their ability to attend pre-school and pre-school education institutions.
According to R. Duchnevičius, the compensation of 25 euros proposed by the council members is only declarative, objectively incompatible with increasing the availability of educational services, ineffective and economically unreasonable, and does not really solve the problem.
In addition, the council voted for the 25 euro compensation to be applied only Vilnius district municipalities for educational institutions operating in the territory. In the opinion of Mayor R. Duchnevičius, this provision discriminates against children and restricts their rights. He offers compensation if the child attends a kindergarten in the territory of another municipality.
“We appreciate the institutions operating in our district, all of them contribute to the district’s prosperity and better quality of life for people. However, the institutions must ensure that the best interests of the children of our district are taken into account when making decisions. In this case, children are prevented from receiving the same service – pre-school or pre-school education – under equal conditions. This not only restricts the child’s right to attend the chosen educational institution, but also violates the child’s legitimate interests to receive the same education and training services guaranteed by law. The most important thing is that the children of our districts have a real opportunity to attend kindergarten”, emphasizes R. Duchnevič.
The mayor states in the ordinance that according to the legal regulation adopted by the council, certain groups of persons are treated differently: compensation is awarded for the maintenance and care of preschool and pre-school age children in a non-state educational institution, if the child attends a non-state educational institution providing preschool and/or pre-school education services in the Vilnius district in the territory of the municipality. However, if the child attends the same institution in the territory of another municipality, compensation is not granted. The question arises, are the boundaries of the territorial municipality more important than the interests of the children?
According to the mayor, granting or not granting compensation depends only on the territorial affiliation of the educational institution, therefore children who are in the same legal situation (having the need to attend a non-state educational institution providing preschool and/or pre-school education services), but attending kindergartens located in the territories of other municipalities, are treated differently , ie discriminated against.
2023 of the Education Department of the Vilnius District Municipality Administration. September 7 according to data, as many as 610 children did not enter preschool and/or pre-school education programs in the Vilnius district. Among them, there are 165 children whose place of residence is declared in the Vilnius District Municipality and 445 children whose actual place of residence is the Vilnius District Municipality, but the declared place of residence is not in the Vilnius District Municipality.
Thus, preschool and/or pre-school education is not provided for 165 children living in Vilnius district municipality.
The next council meeting is scheduled for October.