ASPECTS OF OPENING A PRIVATE KINDERGARTEN

Abstract

Today, there are a number of private kindergartens in Ukraine that provide quality educational services and serve as a worthy alternative to state-run kindergartens, which can be particularly difficult for parents to enrol in due to long waiting lists and additional requirements. In view of this, there is a growing demand for new private kindergartens given their popularity. Therefore, it was important to investigate the legal aspects of opening a private kindergarten. This issue is not sufficiently studied by scholars, so it was necessary to conduct our own research. The purpose of the article is to analyse the main provisions defining the legal aspects of establishing a kindergarten. First of all, the article provides a detailed definition of a private kindergarten as a privately owned institution of pre-school education and upbringing which belongs to the All-Ukrainian Union of Private Institutions of Ukraine and which provides education and upbringing of a child aged 1.5 to 6 years inclusive. The author examines the peculiarities of the status of a private kindergarten and important aspects of its functioning. Unlike a public kindergarten, a private kindergarten is distinguished by the fact that it is privately owned, and the education and upbringing of children in such a kindergarten is carried out on a private basis. It is determined that the main legal acts regulating its functioning and which should be taken into account when establishing it are the Constitution of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine ‘On Education’, the Law of Ukraine ‘On Preschool Education’ and the Basic Component of Preschool Education. It is established that in order to establish a private kindergarten, a person must have the status of an individual entrepreneur or have a registered legal entity - in any case, the main activity must be the provision of educational services. In addition, licensing of educational activities of a private kindergarten is required. The author analyses the provisions of the current legal acts regulating the relevant aspects of establishing such an educational institution. Thus, these legal conditions are mandatory when establishing a private kindergarten. Otherwise, a person has no right to provide educational services of this kind. The study made it possible to identify all the legal aspects of establishing a private kindergarten which must be observed.