Ilsur Metshin thanked everyone who took part in the campaign “Help to get ready for school”

(KZN.RU, August 28, Alsu Safina). September 1 is a landmark event especially for first-graders, so this holiday should leave the warmest memories. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, expressed this opinion today on the Business Monday.

In this academic year, more than 120 thousand students will sit at school desks in the capital of the republic, about 15 thousand of them are first-graders. In addition, 68 thousand children will cross the threshold of preschool institutions, 15 thousand of which – for the first time.

According to the Mayor of Kazan, the importance of September 1 was also seen in the mood of teachers who took part in the city's August conference of educators. “I want to express respect to our teachers and directors. This is a special category of people that educate our children and do it professionally, with love for children”, said I. Metshin. “We are proud of our teachers. We wish that this holiday should leave the warmest and best memories, especially for first-graders”.

The Mayor drew attention to the fact that several years ago the material and technical equipment of schools “was unworthy of the high title of the capital of the RT”. “Thanks to the President of the RT for accepting the program in 2012, due to which we have repaired 134 schools”, said the Mayor. “There is not a single school which we haven’t visit, attended events, saw the beginning and completion of the overhaul, held meetings with voters. The difference is huge”.

This year, the overhaul was carried out in 13 schools and 9 kindergartens for a total of 526 million rubles, as well as current repairs in 201 educational institutions for a total of 136 million rubles. In addition, the overhaul of the Center for Additional Education of Children “Zarechie” in the Kirovsky district was held in the amount of 81 million rubles.

I. Metshin noted that the work on capital repair of schools continues, in addition, the construction of new schools is carrying out. Thus, 2 new schools for 1224 pupils each will open their doors on September 1: the polylingual gymnasium №180 and the multi-profile school №181. According to the Mayor, this is a long-awaited event for residents of micro-districts. “We deliver two schools, two more are under construction and kindergartens are being built as well. It's worth a lot”, believes I. Metshin. I. Khadiullin, the head of the Education Department, said that 3 kindergartens are expected to be delivered before the end of 2017 on Ershova Street, Mamadyshsky highway, and the Yubileynaya station for 900 children.

Nevertheless, the construction of new schools cannot yet fully improve the situation with the second shifts in Kazan, the Mayor added. “But we will believe in the best”, he said. According to I. Metshin, the biggest overload on schools in Tatarstan is in Kazan. I. Khadiullin cited the following data: every tenth Kazan pupil is forced to study on the second shift, and it tends to grow. In the new academic year, about 16 thousand children will study in the second shift in 58 schools.

I. Metshin drew attention to the fact that work in the Kazan schools is conducted in other directions. Another 4 educational institutions will be ready to accept children with disabilities at the beginning of the school year: the school №65, kindergartens № 67 and 376, the music school №14. The head of the Education Department said that ramps were installed here, the bathrooms were restored, and lifts were installed. In total, the adaptive environment was created in 61 institutions in the city. In addition, resource classes for children with autism spectrum disorder in schools will be open in schools №1, 65, 97, 156, and 168.

I. Metshin asked to pay special attention to the united schools. “We launch this as a pilot project. We have studied the experience of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities and we are working for the interests of children. I asked the directors of the united schools to get acquainted with the pupils and the parents on September 1.

The Mayor also thanked those who supported the Kazan children in the framework of the charity campaign “Help to get ready for school”. School bags were given to 1805 children. “There is still time until September 1 to get involved in this work”, he added. The Mayor expressed gratitude to the participants of the campaign.