Boarding schools to be abolished by 2012

Boarding schools operating in Azerbaijan will be abolished over the next five years.

The Azerbaijan Ministry of Education and the Open Society Mental Health Initiative organization of the Open Society Institute (OSI) – Assistance Foundation (SOROS) signed on Monday an agreement on a pilot project in this regard.

The project called “The community initiative for everyone” envisions abolishing 54 nursery and boarding schools operating in the country and giving 17,000 children to families.

The project inked within the state program on giving children to families and an alternative care is estimated at $1.5 million. The OSI has allocated the required sum on conditions that the funds are not allocated for repair-construction operations in boarding schools and employment of people.

The Ministry plans to sign with the organization another pilot project which envisions directing the children given to families to vocational schools after they leave secondary ones.*