Improvement of preschool education in Serbia

No 4 January 2014

Project funded bythe European Union

Republic of SerbiaMINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Improvement of preschool education in Serbia (IMPRES) is a joint project of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia and the European Union. The project is funded by the European Union with 3,75 million EUR from the pre-accession funds. The purpose of the IMPRES project is to strengthen the conditions of preschool education for children, especially those from vulnerable groups, through improvements in the quality of preschool programmes and expansion of the capacities of preschool institutions. 15 pilot municipalities are included in the project activities - Pozarevac-Kostolac, Petrovac na Mlavi, Arandjelovac, Leskovac, Krusevac, Razanj, Surdulica, Gadzin Han, Bela Palanka, Uzice, Tutin, Ruma, Beocin, Sabac and Mali Zvornik.

Project is implemented by SOFRECO and its partners Early Years and Internationaler Bund. Activities started in February 2011 and will continue until May 2014.

You can find more information about the project on www.impres.rsProject Team

Eco-ethno center near Beocin

Workshops for children in Gadzin Han

New programmes in Razanj

Everybody in playroom

Special programmes in Sabac

Increased coverage of children with preschool education in Arandjelovac

Successfully developed special programmes

in Leskovac

Happy days in playroom

More children in kindergartens

http://www.europa.rs/en.htmlhttp://www.mpn.gov.rs/?lang=sr-YU

In the last two years in many preschool institutions involved in the IMPRES project specific and specialized programs for children from vulnerable groups ages 3 to 5.5 are successfully implemented. Thus, more than 1000 children who never had opportunities to be involved in preschool education got a chance to stay in kindergartens and to socialize with their peers. Everybody gains - children, parents and preschool teachers. All together they realized that with a little effort and goodwill, a little more creativity and perseverance they created

opportunities for advancement of children who for many reasons where not placed in kindergartens (children from poor families, Roma children, children from

remote and rural areas ...).

The IMPRES project developed these programmes depending on the needs of family and the local community context.. Programmes are implemented as

playrooms, art, sports and other workshops. All children who want to be in kindergarten are now included.

In some areas, mini-vans are taking children from home to kindergarten and then back to home. These vehicles preschool institutions received as EU donation through IMPRES project. Preschools involved succeeded to establish cooperation with local communities; rural primary schools have given rooms in which they place preschool programs and special programmes. And, most importantly, the programmes are free of charge in all environments and for all children.

Although legally binding and predicted, these programmes were not visible enough in practice. Just like the children for which they are designed.

At the beginning, this change brought a lot of questions and concerns. Today satisfaction appears. There are joys and pleasures of children, parents and professionals (teachers, professional advisors, directors of institutions) which succeeded in changing themselves, their work, institutions and system.

More children in kindergartens

Children from vulnerable groups in municipality of Mali Zvornik are included in the special programmes that have been developed in the preschool institution Crvenkapa in this town. In seven villages of the municipality, more than 50 children ages 3 to 5.5 participate in daily activities in special programmes – playroom.

In the playroom, which takes place in the primary school in village Brasina, children are transported every day by mini-van donated by the European Union. After two hours in playroom they are being transported back to their houses. Preschool teacher Natasa Ristic says that children quickly adapted and now other parents also want to bring children in the playroom.

According to Olga Todorovic, Director of the preschool institution, children and parents are very satisfied with the activities and programmes which are now taking place on a daily basis. “Crvenkapa has found its way to every child. In our municipality there is no “waiting list” to enroll preschool education and we are trying to include all children in preschool education”, Todorovic says.

Preschool institution from Mali Zvornik was among the first to set up the realization of special programs for children from sensitive groups. Programs are open to all children.

Happy days in playroom

In Banastor, a place near northern Serbian town of Beocin, in adapted spacious classrooms of local elementary school children make a lot of noise. In classroom adapted in eco - ethno center, with the nice view to Danube river, ten children from vulnerable groups ages 3 to 5.5 arrived to spend two hours. White mini-van was cruising a steady path and will wait for little trave-lers until they are ready to go back home.

Hourly travel in mini-van which was delivered to preschool institution as EU donation through IMPRES project is designed and transformed into a specialized program. During the trip, children with their teachers talk about various interesting topics.

Second year, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays children are transported in the premises of a school - kindergarten “Labudic” where preschool institu-tion Ljuba Stankovic from Beocin organized playroom. In a warm classroom they organized New Year show and then continued with regular workshop. In the corner of a classroom real kitchen in ethnic style, on the other side there’s eco space - seeds of various plants, books about nature and animals...

Zdenka Rad, director of the institution said that the special programmes are taking place in six villages of Beocin municipality (Rakovac, Beocin village, Beocin, Brasilia, Cerevic and Banastor).

“We managed to organize a traveling kindergarten, to open eco - ethno center and to include more than 20 children from villages in these programmes. With support of the local government we will continue to work in the future because we see how these programmes helped children from villages to be involved in kindergarten Programmes are free for all children“, says Zdenka Rad.

Eco-ethno center near Beocin

In premises of the new kindergarten of preschool institution Poletarac from Ruma (EU donation through IMPRES project) twice per week the playroom is organized for children, parents and teachers. The playroom is organized for children from vulnerable groups ages 3 to 5.5 who have never been included in preschool education. Together with their parents they spend two hours of socializing in various activities.

Five year old girl says she wants every day to come to kindergarten because it is “nice to be with children”. Like this girl, other children also didn’t have many opportunities to be included in kindergarten although some of them live near to the kindergarten.

Specific and specialized programs (playrooms, reading rooms) are carried out in 15 villages in the municipality of Ruma. In these programs 229 children are included, which represents 43 % of the children from rural areas included in preschool education.

Preschool institution has established good cooperation with local community and has managed to develop these programmes for the benefit of children, parents and preschool teachers. Programmes are free for all children.

Special programmes for vulnerable children were successfully implemented in the preschool institution Nase dete Sabac. In special programmes - playroom “ Let’s start with three, let’s start all” around 500 children ages 3 - 5,5 who had not been involved in preschool education are now included in the last two years.

Programmes are held in 47 villages of the municipality of Sabac in the premises of village schools and local

communities that have been adapted and customized to work with children. “Developing these programmes we have increased the coverage of children with preschool education by 10% and thus we included children from rural areas in kindergarten”, says Marica Vuletic, director of the preschool institution.

The preschool institution established successful cooperation with the local self-government. According to Ana Marinkovic, Head of Department of Social Services in Sabac municipality, municipality will continue to support programmes that have been initiated during the implementation of the IMPRES project.

Everybody in playroom

Special programmes in Sabac

More than 100 children ages 3-5.5 participated in preschool education through special programmes developed in preschool institution Duga in Arandjelovac over the past year and half. Children from vulnerable groups (rural areas) who never had any op-portunities to be included in kindergartens, through these programmes - playroom “Let’s play” are now included in preschool education.

Programmes are organized three times per week (three hours) in prem-ises of the primary schools in villages of Vencani, Bukovik, Stojnik and in other villages where classrooms are adapted and customized to work for children. Special programs are also organized in the primary school in the city center where another group of children was formed. Even while living in the city centre, children were not previously included in kindergarten.The parents are satisfied with the developed programmes and point out that children are happy and they quickly adapted. For some of them this is the first time to spend time with their peers. Preschool teachers who are working with children included in the programmes said they quickly adapt and spend their time playing and having fun. Programs are free to all children.

Tatjana Kolic, psychologist and coordinator for development of special programs in PI “Duga” said that coverage of children with preschool edu-cation increased 10 % thanks to these programmes. She stressed that PI is hoping that the local government will continue to support these pro-grams in the future.

They happily entered with their parents into kindergarten. Al-though previously not included in preschool education, more than 150 children ages 3 to 5.5 from Leskovac and villages in this municipality are now included in the preschool education.

In the kindergarten “Cvrcak” in Leskovac in preschool institution “Vukica Mitrovic” placed in the center of town, about 30 children are coming in the playroom three times per week. Proud grandmother says that she

brings her granddaughter to play with peers. She will come to pick her up after two hours when programme ends. Sometimes,

she says, she stays with her as well as other par-ents in playroom.

In small towns of Vucje at the premises of the local kindergarten special programs for 30 children are also organized. Another seven

groups of children were successfully organized in the villages in the municipality and more than 150

children are now covered with preschool education.

In preschool institution “Vukica Mitrovic” in Leskovac more than 30 years “Kindergar-ten in nature” programmes exist. Teachers

are proud to point out that they have kept the old tradition, and with new activities managed to introduce the kindergarten to children who have nev-er had a chance to be there.

New prefabricated structure is delivered to preschool institu-tions as part of EU donation under the IMPRES project and will

soon start working. In new activities other children will be included.

Increased coverage of children with preschool education in Arandjelovac

Successfully developed special programmes in Leskovac

This publication has been produced with the assistance from the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the IMPRES Project and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

At preschool “Prva radost” in Gadzin Han 17 children ages 3 to 5.5 who have not been previously involved in preschool education are now coming to the kindergarten . They are all together involved in special programs (playroom) which is organized in the primary school in nearby village as well as in kindergarten in Gadzin Han. Programmes are in place since last year.

In this small town near Nis, with ten thousand inhabitants in the foothills of Suva Planina, with two mini-vans, which the preschool institution received as an EU donation for transportation of children who have not been involved in preschool education within the IMPRES project, children are taking to kin-dergarten for two hours of play and socialize with their peers. After two hours children are transported

back to their homes.

The local government has supported preschool in implemen-tation of these programmes. The municipality is faced with a

sharp drop in new born rate which is also evidenced by the small number of children involved in the programmes. According to Biljana Milojković, Director of preschool institution, programmes are open to all chil-dren and are free.

During implementation of the IMPRES project, preschool institution has achieved good cooperation with the preschool institution from Razanj in exchanging experiences in implementation of these programmes.

Workshops for children in Gadzin Han

New programmes in Razanj

The mini-van transports ten children ages 3 - 5.5 who have never been involved in preschool education in kindergarten “Leptirici” in Razanj. The play-room where they stay with teachers twice per week during two hours is organized for them. Children socialize and play, and then are transported to their homes, accompanied by teachers. Mini-van is EU donation under the IMPRES project.

A specialized programme (physical education programme) was recently organized in kindergarten. In this programme 23 children from the group for prepara-tory preschool programme are included. Professor of Physical Education, a mother whose child goes to kindergarten is volunteering and playing with children.

In this small town in the south of Serbia, 55 km from Nis, ten thousand inhabitants are faced with a declining birth rates in the entire municipali-ty and thus with a declining number of children enrolled in kindergarten. Nevertheless, preschool institution developed special and specialized

programs for kids who are growing in this municipality.