Hradec Králové will build a new modular kindergarten

Kindergarten in Modřice near Brno (photo: KOMA MODULAR CONSTRUCTION)

Hradec Králové - The city of Hradec Králové will build a new kindergarten for 50 children this year in the Kukleny district. The kindergarten, which will have two classes, is expected to help alleviate the current shortage of places. The modular building, including furnishings, playground, transport connection, and parking spaces, will cost ten million crowns excluding VAT, said the head of the investment department of the city hall, Valentýn Avramov, today to ČTK.
    The city expects to open the kindergarten on September 1. The assembly of the building should take about two months. Mayor Zdeněk Fink (Hradec Democratic Club) did not rule out that a similar model of relatively quick construction of kindergartens could be used in other locations in Hradec Králové in the future.
    Currently, there are about 2600 places in kindergartens in the city. After children transition to first grades and accounting for the new kindergarten in Kukleny, approximately 850 free spots should be available by September 1. However, interest in kindergartens is significantly higher. According to the head of the education department, Alena Synková, about 1300 applications are expected for the next school year.
    Among the applications, however, are also children who do not meet the admission requirements for kindergartens. For example, children who do not have permanent residency in Hradec will not receive places. Kindergartens will also not accept children of unemployed mothers who are on maternity leave with another child. For instance, last year, 257 children were not accepted under such conditions. Thus, there is a shortage of around 150 places for children who meet the admission requirements.
    The shortage of places in kindergartens is also being addressed by other cities. For example, in České Budějovice, the city hall wants to increase the capacity of kindergartens by 75 places to 2899 from September. Three new classes will be created by renovating the afterschool program of one of the primary schools at a cost of approximately 3.5 million crowns. The Brno city district of Královo Pole intends to build a new kindergarten for 100 children this year for 20 million crowns.