There’s a preschool just outside my front door. Here, the preschools (‘kindergartens’) are mostly public. Based on where you live, you sign up, pay a very small fee, and your kids go to ‘kindergarten’ from breakfast till 5 or 6:00, if you wish. Alternatively, you can pick them up early, bring them home for lunch, or do the schedule any way you please. But, you’re assigned to the kindergarten nearest you.
So, I loaded up all 3 kids, bundled us all, and we walked over to the kindergarten outside my front door. Walking in, the gate was open and there were 2 classes outside playing – each with 1 teacher and about 25 kids. The disconcerting part was that as I walked around with my 3 kids, every single adult there looked at me and my kids with disgust. I don’t know why. But I have to say, I’m used to people at preschools or schools ‘faking it’ at the very least, showing kindness to children, and at least pretending that they like kids. That is, after all, why they work with children.
Who knows? Maybe people do that in a sense of commercialism – we have to earn your business by showing you how much we like your kids. Regardless of what drives it, it doesn’t exist here in Moldova. When I finally made it to the director’s office, she reluctantly agreed to speak Romanian to me (instead of Russian) but switched back to Russian every chance she got.
She stood aloof, annoyed by our very presence in her esteemed institution of education. An institution which, by the way, had most of the lights turned off, dark hallways, dirt covering the floor, and an awesome staff of equally annoyed women who seemingly hate children.
By my ‘review’ of the kindergarten outside our front door, you can probably gather that I decided not to send my children there. A moot point, really. When I asked the esteemed director if there were any openings her reply was roughly “For you? Hmph. No! What makes you so special?” I asked her where I can go to get my children on a waiting list to attend preschool somewhere. She reluctantly told me that while she isn’t all-knowing, it might help for me to go to my sector’s ‘office’, wait in line interminably (yes, this is really what she told me – sarcasm is hers), and then maybe they’ll get my kids on a list.
Honestly. This woman and her attitude barely fit in the same room. There are a few private schools here. I called one that was highly recommended and they’re closed for construction. Another is on vacation till next week. My search continues, and hopefully in the next week or two I’ll find something for the kids. They could use some social interaction, and preferably at a preschool that doesn’t think of kids as a nuisance.
Preschools « Enjoying the Journey said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:53 am
[...] the language, to prepare for regular school. If you’re interested, you can read about our adventure this morning at a preschool at my other blog. Anyhow, after being entirely frustrated there, I [...]
Sharon said,
March 3, 2009 @ 2:58 pm
I’ve read your blog for a while, but I don’t think I’ve ever commented. I’ve really been enjoying your recent posts, especially “Wanna Laugh.” My MIL is going to Armenia this summer, and I’ve sent her a few of your posts. Anyway, hope you and your family are settling in well.
Preschool « Mudlark Tales said,
January 15, 2010 @ 9:08 am
[...] different than our experience a year ago with a similar development. Love being back in the US of [...]