Friday’s protest against the adoption of destructive amendments to the law on kindergartens, which would gradually deprive children of subsidies if they attend private kindergartens, was attended by parents and children who attend private kindergartens from all over Slovenia. The protest was organised by the Association of Private Kindergartens of Slovenia in cooperation with an initiative of parents of children in private kindergartens and took place at 3 p.m. on Republic Square in front of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia.
The large gathering of parents, children, teachers, principals, and supporters of private kindergartens was addressed by Gregor Bezenšek, founder of the parents’ initiative, Taja Steblovnik, president of the Association of Private Kindergartens, Marko Bandelj, former politician, and others.
“We have gathered here today because we want more democracy, not more autocracy. Today we have gathered because we want more pluralism, not more uniformity, and today we have gathered to let this government, Mr Robert Golob, Minister of Education, Mr Vinko Logaj, and members of parliament know that there are many of us who disagree with their intentions. We are here to let them know that we are outraged and disappointed that the National Assembly is passing a harmful law on kindergartens, which we in the initiative call nothing less than a Trojan horse! We have gathered here today because we are hurt by injustice and because children are about to be deprived of their already acquired right to subsidies for attending private kindergartens, and because we are hurt that we, as parents, are about to be deprived of our right to choose. And today we are here because it pains us that we have entered a time when pluralism, equality, and democracy are under attack,” said Gregor Bezenšek.
“A government that passes a law that discriminates against children is not a government of the people. It is a government of ideology. A government that passes this law does not understand that children are sacred, that the family is the foundation of the nation, and that freedom of choice is the foundation of democracy. And let’s be clear once again! Private kindergartens are a cheaper, more rational, and also more professional choice. And so, Mr Robert Golob, where is the problem? Municipalities save money with them. The state gains from them. Children grow up in them with love, respect, and safety. They are professional, dedicated, and warm-hearted. And let ideology not cloud reason! And most importantly, children in private kindergartens do not threaten anyone! We are talking about a mere 5 percent of children! Instead of abolishing private kindergartens, abolish the norm + 2, i.e. two additional children in a group, as experts and the education and training union have also pointed out. If you abolish subsidies, private kindergartens will close and only be accessible to the wealthiest. This is true elitism. This is discrimination against children based on their parents’ wallets. Private kindergartens are not a luxury at the moment, and they should not become one! Honourable Members of Parliament, Minister, and Mr Robert Golob, today we are looking you in the eye. We ask you not to pass this harmful law that divides children. Do not pass a law that punishes children’s already acquired rights and freedom of choice. Do not pass a law that destroys the loving environments where children grow up to be happy people. Pass a law that unites. Pass a law that supports and allows a choice.”
“Private kindergartens are NOT profitable businesses; private kindergartens are non-profit, non-profit institutions that strive to create the best conditions for children through their dedicated and heartfelt work. We strive to make children feel good with us, and not just children, but parents as well,” said Taja Steblovnik. “With the new law, the state has put municipalities before children, the right to municipal autonomy before the rights of children and parents. Without subsidies, there is no choice! Subsidies are the RIGHT of children, not the right of municipalities. And we demand that these rights not be taken away from children! Private kindergartens employ more than 1,000 people. People in whom we have invested and whom we have educated, people with special skills. By passing this law, you will throw all of this away and send people out onto the street! I ask the ministry and the government: where is the greatest benefit to children here? Why are you changing a system that has been working well for 30 years? Do you have too many openings in public kindergartens? Abolish the flexible standard and enable quality work in the departments. In Slovenia, there is room for both municipal and private, non-profit kindergartens. We are all building a public network because we are implementing a publicly valid program! Our system is not comparable to other systems in the country. We are called private because the state requires it; we could just be called kindergartens or non-profit kindergartens, then we would probably be more acceptable. Dear members of parliament, who will decide on the future of preschool education on Monday, think carefully and answer with your heart: WILL I VOTE AGAINST THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN AND PARENTS AND IN FAVOR OF INTERESTS? Is it right to leave the choice to parents and not disrupt a system that works well? Is it right to stand up for children? OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR CHOICE! LET PRIVATE KINDERGARTENS CONTINUE TO OPERATE! LET US FULFILL OUR MISSION AND BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US!”
“At Friday’s protest, the initiative of parents of children in private kindergartens, together with the Association of Private Kindergartens of Slovenia, sent a message to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Ministry of Education to leave children in private kindergartens alone and to immediately withdraw the abolition of co-financing for children in private kindergartens from the legislative process. We strongly oppose the fact that political and ideological battles are being fought on the backs of children and parents.
Consequently, we strongly and vehemently oppose the planned amendments to the Kindergarten Act, which provide for the gradual abolition of subsidies for children attending private kindergartens and, as a result, the closure of most private kindergartens in Slovenia. These planned legislative changes are a great injustice and a major step backwards in the field of preschool education in our country.
Instead of investing in improving the quality and expanding the choice of preschool education, the state is doing the opposite. By discontinuing funding for children in private kindergartens, it intends to severely limit choice, while at the same time, the closure of private kindergartens will also reduce the quality of preschool education in Slovenia. Children in private kindergartens, who currently number around 5,000 or 5.8 percent of all children enrolled in kindergartens, do not pose a threat to anyone. It is therefore completely incomprehensible that the Slovenian government wants to take away their right to attend kindergarten. The planned legislative changes are extremely harmful and discriminatory and grossly interfere with the rights of parents and children. They introduce a state monopoly in the field of preschool education, which is truly absurd in a democracy.
The legal changes, which are already in the parliamentary adoption process, are a Trojan horse and will lead to the strengthening of elitism in Slovenia, where the free choice of kindergarten will become a privilege of only the wealthiest. The current system is socially oriented and socially just, as every parent has the opportunity to choose a kindergarten for their child, but after the change in the law, this option will be gradually phased out. The consequences of the amendment will thus affect the socially vulnerable the most and will lead to a deepening of differences and stratification in society, starting with our youngest members.
The current system of subsidies for children attending kindergarten has been working well for 30 years and allows parents to choose the kindergarten they consider most suitable for their child. Under Article 34 of the Kindergarten Act, all parents are entitled to a subsidy for part of the cost of kindergarten, regardless of whether their child attends a public or private kindergarten. This system is also in place in most of the most advanced and developed European countries, where a significantly higher percentage of children attend private kindergartens than in Slovenia, but this does not bother anyone, and no one would even think of abolishing it. On the contrary, these countries welcome this option, as they are aware that private kindergartens add value to the system and are even more cost-effective for the state. In Slovenia, too, the cost of subsidies for children in private kindergartens is lower than for children attending public kindergartens.
Paradoxically, the current system of financing preschool education was established in 1996 by the government led by Janez Drnovšek. The Minister of Education and Sport at the time, Dr Slavko Gaber, played a key role in this, working with experts who systematically established the field of education and training in the early years of the independent Republic of Slovenia. This historical information clearly shows that private kindergartens are not a political-ideological project, but were created as part of a comprehensive system of kindergartens that was formed in the centre-left political arena, which makes it all the more absurd that the current centre-left government is dismantling this system.
This week, the Left party (Levica) even tabled an amendment calling for the complete removal of Article 34 of the Kindergarten Act. In practice, this means that they want to completely abolish all funding for children in private kindergartens, including those that operate according to special educational principles, such as Montessori and Waldorf. This is an extremely dangerous statist move, which is a serious cause for alarm and deep concern. This is exactly the worst-case scenario that we have long predicted and feared the most – a scenario that could destroy diversity and choice in Slovenian preschools and severely affect many families and children.
Although we at the Association of Private Kindergartens of Slovenia and the initiative of parents of children in private kindergartens have long strived to establish a constructive dialogue with the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Slovenia, this has not happened. Our arguments and proposals have not been heard or taken into account, so we have decided to hold a protest rally.
The proposed amendment to the Kindergarten Act neglects and restricts 1,100 children in private kindergartens who are included in the publicly valid program and 2,400 children who attend kindergartens with a concession. The abolition of private kindergartens will also leave more than 800 employees in these kindergartens without work. Under the proposed law, kindergartens without a concession will only be eligible for co-financing until the end of August 2035. However, the consequences of such a regulation will be felt several years earlier. For a child who would start attending such a kindergarten in 2030 or 2031, the last year of kindergarten attendance would no longer be co-financed.
Today’s protest is therefore a protest in defence of the acquired rights of children in private kindergartens and their parents, and a protest in defence of a high-quality preschool education system in Slovenia based on freedom of choice, equality, diversity, and social justice.”
C. Š.
