Remennikova believes that, should closed nurseries be sold, the proceeds should be channelled into modernising existing ones

Hanna Remennikova, a councillor on Mykolaiv City Council. Photo: NikVesti

Hanna Remennikova, a member of the Mykolaiv City Council, believes that if some nurseries are closed down and subsequently privatised, the proceeds should be channelled into modernising existing facilities.

She made this statement in a comment to NikVesti.

According to her, the issue of reducing the network of nurseries should be approached with caution, as the city may face a shortage of places again in the future.

«We must be very careful about this, because we expect children to be born. If children arrive tomorrow, where will we place them? But the nurseries that are being closed down now cannot be fitted with shelters. At present, nurseries without shelters are very dangerous, and presumably no parent would send their child there. We will hear from Lychko. We are interested in where the children who attended those nurseries will go next,» noted Hanna Remennikova.

At the same time, Hanna Remennikova admits that some of the institutions which use budget funds inefficiently may still be closed — however, the decision must be made taking into account the needs of each district.

«I believe that some nurseries, which really do nothing but drain the budget, should be closed. We need to take a very clear approach. We need to assess whether there are enough nurseries in the district. This is not a simple matter; it cannot be resolved in five minutes,» explained the councillor.

In addition, she proposed that, in the event of such facilities being sold, the proceeds should be channelled towards improving conditions in those nurseries that will continue to operate.

«I put forward a proposal today at the faction meeting that if we sell them, we should use the money to modernise the remaining nurseries. Because we have no canteens, no proper playgrounds, no repairs, no windows — nothing. So that the money doesn’t just disappear, but goes towards refurbishing all the existing nurseries,» she noted.

Why does Mykolaiv want to close three nurseries?

The Mykolaiv Education Department has initiated a decision to close three nurseries: №104 (a nursery on Torhova Street in the Korabelnyi district), №128 (a nursery-kindergarten at the junction of Mariupolska and Pavlo Skoropadskyi Streets (formerly Admiral Makarov Street)) and №138 (a nursery-kindergarten on General Popel Street in Balabanivka). The official reason is the lack of and impossibility of installing shelters. This means that if the motion is passed at the session, there will no longer be such educational establishments in Mykolaiv, and their total number will decrease.

During the committee meeting, the chair of the education committee, Hanna Nord, stated that it is the institutions themselves that are being proposed for closure, whilst the buildings will remain the property of the city.

And following the closure of the three pre-school educational establishments, initiated by the Mykolaiv Education Department, the Municipal Property Management Department and the City Council will decide how to use them.

What do city councillors think about the closure?

Councillor Olena Kiseliova supported the rationale behind closing the preschools, stating that it is not cost-effective for the city to maintain them. She says that there is a broader issue behind the closure than the fact that they lack shelters and it is impossible to build them there. During the war, the institutions have been idle, but all this time it has been necessary to maintain the buildings and staff.

Councillor Artem Iliuk stated that he could support the legal closure of the three kindergartens, but said he would not support the subsequent privatisation of these buildings.

Tamila Buhaienko, former deputy mayor of Mykolaiv, also commented on the Education Department’s proposal to close the three nurseries. She believes this could lead to a shortage of places in pre-school facilities once the war ends. Councillor Tetiana Dombrovska also spoke out against the proposal.