Tuition fees for kindergartens will be revised according to their star rating. The fee will be increased by 15.5%, 17%, 18.5% and 20% for 0, 1, 2 and 3 stars respectively. The rating is not permanent as evaluation is carried out annually.
The fee structure for all kindergartens will be announced next week, said Habibollah Masoudi Farid, deputy of social affairs at the State Welfare Organization (SWO).
Tuition fees vary for each province based on their economic conditions, city or urban area where the preschool is located. However, the hikes will be equally applied on the basis of the inflation rate which reached 15.5% this year (started March 21), he said, reports ISNA.
Fees are set by provincial welfare associations and kindergarten societies after taking social and economic criteria of each province into account.
The official pointed to the subsidies paid by the SWO to kindergartens and said, 30% of expenses of preschools are provided by the SWO. About $15.1 million is allocated to kindergartens this year, of which $3.9 million is earmarked for three of the lowest income areas in remote regions.
There are 7 million children under the age of 7 in Iran, of whom 10% attend kindergartens. About 100 kindergartens are established every year, 45% in rural areas. Considering the critical role of preschools in children’s intellectual, social and emotional development, it is crucial that high quality services and learning experiences be offered at kindergartens.
