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Payments for private kindergartens are tightened, in 3 years it has increased by 45%

Payments for private kindergartens are tightened, in 3 years it has increased by

After the COVID-19 pandemic, private preschool institutions (kindergartens) have increased their prices, just as the prices of all services and goods in the country have increased.

According to "Monitor" field observations, costs vary according to cities or areas, but usually start from 170 euros to 550 euros.

For families who have two or more children in private nurseries, the cost has become unaffordable. Thus, state gardens still suffer from overcapacity, despite the investments of recent years.

Another factor that determines the price is the institution, e.g. in case it is a preschool facility with little experience, located in the middle of different neighborhoods or in case it is about kindergartens within the structures of experienced schools. As strange as it may seem to us, another factor that determines the price is the curriculum. If the kindergarten applies methods such as Montessori, the well-known philosophy of parenting, founded in the 19th century, or if they are international kindergartens, they have higher costs.

According to Numbeo.com, on average, an Albanian parent who has a child in a private nursery or kindergarten pays 173.13 euros per month. The tariff increase in Albania has been more significant than in other Balkan countries. Compared to the period before the pandemic, the increase in Albania was 45%, while in other countries the increase was 10-20%.

Parents pay other expenses for kindergarten activities, in some cases uniforms as well as teaching aids and books, which usually cost more than the monthly fee.

The increase in kindergarten fees adds to the burden on parents who already have problems with rent or credit, but some parents say they have no choice but to send their children to kindergarten while they work. According to them, the ideal is for one parent's salary to exceed the cost of kindergarten for 1 or 2 children.

On the other hand, private schools and van drivers say that although they do not want to burden parents, the increase in fees is inevitable as they too are forced to throw extra money in every sector: salary, energy, fuel, food, cleaning.

According to Numbeo.com, in a regional comparison, Albania has the cheapest fees in the Balkans for private gardens. On average, an Albanian parent who has a child in a private nursery or kindergarten pays 173.13 euros per month, but the fee increase in Albania has been more significant than in other Balkan countries. Compared to the period before the pandemic, the increase in Albania was 45%, while in other countries with an increase of 10-20%, for average prices.

Those who pay the most for this service in the Balkans seem to be Serbian parents. For their child who receives care in a private kindergarten, they pay an average of 267.12 euros per month. Following in terms of cost, Macedonia with 234.32 euros/month, Bosnia and Herzegovina with 174.72 euros/month./Monitor

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