The Public Defender of Georgia addressed the Mayor of Akhmeta Municipality with a recommendation to take timely and complex measures for the improvement of situation in kindergartens.

The monitoring carried out by the Public Defender's Office showed that situation in the kindergartens of the villages of Kistauri and Zemo Khodasheni, as well as Akhmeta kindergartens N5 and N6, is quite difficult; learning environment is inadequate; the kindergartens lack safety, physical-infrastructural and hygienic conditions. In particular:

• Often, children's beds are located in damp and damaged rooms; the number of beds is not enough and children have to sleep on chairs or mattresses on the floor;
• Sanitary-hygienic situation in the kindergartens is not adequate; children and staff have common toilets; hot water is supplied only in winter, meaning that children mostly have to wash hands with cold water;
• In one of the kindergartens, the administration has repeatedly found rodents, reptiles and insects. In general, none of the kindergarten has a proper yard;
• Children have no access to sufficient and safe educational materials, new toys or visuals;
• The kindergartens lack staff and are in need of additional teachers and nurses;
• Children's groups are not enough and, in some cases, children of different ages have to study together in one group, which hinders the quality of preschool education.

The recommendation of the Public Defender is to urgently improve the physical environment in kindergartens, equip them with necessary inventory and adapt the buildings to the needs of children.