Dagestan:social modernization

Ahead of the 1st of September the head of Dagestan, Magomedsalam Magomedov, stated: “Due to the republic's financing last year, 10 schools, 9 gyms and 7 kindergartens were built. This year we plan to build 11 schools and 4 gyms. And this work will be continued in the republic, as we have serious problem of lack of places for pupils in schools: 850 schools (54% of all schools) are working on a double- and triple-shift basis.”

However, it is obvious that the republic's budget cannot solve the education modernization problem alone. The social load on the republic's budget is heavy, and Makhachkala hopes to cope with it through federal programmes and development of the private education sector. Private education can be a profitable busines, if investors get benefits and motivation within the framework of priority investment projects.

Of course, to improve living standards the authorities have to improve quality of service. Providers of the main kinds of services – education and medical – are the state and natural monopolies in Russia. Moreover, the quality of the services is falling year by year. Tiny sums are spent on supporting educational and medical facilities in Dagestan. And even this financing is wasted. The pace of social infrastructure renewal doesn’t correspond to the scale of population growth.

Meanwhile, there are no laws or benefits for attracting investors to develop private medicine and education. According to experts, about 50 schools should be built every year. At the moment more than 500 schools out of 2000 are in a dilapidated condition and another 500 are in a state of failure.

Furthermore, development of private healthcare and education can lead to the elimination of corruption. Parents will have a choice in which school they want to send their child.

Today some people in Dagestan say that local residents and businessmen should invest money in the social sphere too. They invest money in mosque building, and school building is also pleasing to God, they point out.

Musa Musayev, Makhachkala. Exclusively to VK.