By signing the contract with the Government of the Republic of Serbia on December 21, 2023, the construction of four new kindergartens was announced in Kragujevac, Cacak, Alibunar, and Pecinci in 2008. The contracts were signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Slavica DJukic Dejanovic, the acting head of the City Administration for Development and Investments of Kragujevac, Dejan Ruzic, the deputy mayor of Cacak, Vladan Milic, the president of Alibunar municipality, Zorana Bratic, the president of Pecinci municipality, Sinisa DJokic, and representatives of contractors.

The construction of these four new kindergartens will provide a total of 690 new places for preschool-aged children, with a total investment value exceeding 510 million dinars.

The new kindergarten in the Kragujevac settlement of Erdec will provide 270 places for children, covering an area of 1,700 square meters, with an investment of about 200 million dinars.

For the new kindergarten in Cacak, over 110 million dinars have been allocated, providing 120 new places for children divided into six groups, covering an area of approximately 1,200 square meters.

In Alibunar, the construction of a new kindergarten will provide 220 new places for children, divided into 11 groups, with the facility covering about 1,450 square meters. The investment for this project is approximately 156 million dinars.

The extension of the existing facility in Pecinci will provide an additional 80 places for children divided into four groups, with the facility covering an area of about 560 square meters. The investment for this extension is valued at over 45 million dinars.

“By building new facilities and upgrading existing ones, the Ministry of Education continues to work towards fulfilling its strategic goal, which is the expansion of capacity and the improvement of the preschool education system at all levels.” With the signing of this agreement, we will provide 690 new places, and our ultimate goal is to offer 11,000 new places for children through the construction and adaptation of 23 kindergartens in 22 local governments, stated Minister of Education, Dr. Slavica DJukic Dejanovic. She also emphasized that these activities are part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project implemented by the Ministry of Education in cooperation with the World Bank and with the support of local governments.

Minister DJukic Dejanovic highlighted that inclusion is a crucial aspect of the project, with special funds allocated to improving the quality of the preschool education system. Training for employees of preschool institutions in Kragujevac, Cacak, and the municipalities of Alibunar and Pecinci is also provided.

Dejan Ruzic, Acting Mayor and head of the City Administration for Development and Investments of the City of Kragujevac, expressed delight at the news of the new kindergarten in Erdec, addressing the long-standing issue of insufficient capacity for children in preschool institutions in the city.

Vladan Milic, Deputy Mayor of Cacak, expressed gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Education for providing another kindergarten in a rural area, benefiting 15 local communities. He acknowledged the importance of the project for both children and parents and emphasized the effort made by the City of Cacak to ensure favorable conditions for the kindergarten’s construction.

Zorana Bratic, President of the Alibunar municipality, stated that the construction of a new kindergarten in Banatski Karlovac would resolve the long-standing problem of accommodation and residence for children in the area. She expressed gratitude to the government and the Ministry of Education for providing funds to improve the quality of services at the “Poletarac” Alibunar Preschool.

Sinisa DJokic, President of the Pecinci municipality, highlighted the municipality’s efforts to ensure sufficient kindergarten capacities in all 15 settlements, expressing thanks for the support from the Ministry of Education in addressing this important local issue.

The “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” program, encompassing the construction and adaptation of kindergartens, focuses on expanding capacity and enhancing the quality of preschool education. Special attention is given to the introduction of new program basics, improving the knowledge and skills of professional staff through mentoring support, and providing training for employees. The program emphasizes inclusion, particularly for children from socially vulnerable groups. The total value of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project is 47 million euros.

You can see the photos here.

The new kindergarten of the “Nasa radost” preschool institution, providing 300 new places for children, was officially opened on December 8, 2023, in the Radinac settlement in the presence of Minister prof. dr Slavica DJukic Dejanovic and the president of the temporary authority of the city of Smederevo, Jasmina Vojinovic.

The construction and equipping of the new 1,600 m2 kindergarten were financed by the Ministry of Education with the support of the World Bank through the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” with 198.7 million dinars.

Minister of Education Slavica DJukic Dejanovic pointed out that the opening of another new kindergarten confirms that dedicated work is being done to create conditions for greater inclusion of children in the system of preschool upbringing and education. She also emphasized that the Ministry of Education pays special attention to the inclusion of children from vulnerable social groups.

“In Smederevo, 120 children from sensitive social groups, predominantly of Roma nationality, are included in the system of preschool education and care, while the number of such children in Serbia is about 4,000,” stated DJukic Dejanovic. She explained that the city of Smederevo received grants of 6 million dinars for these activities aimed at better integrating families and children of the Roma population into the preschool education system.

These funds were utilized to form three groups working with children in the settlements of Vranovo, Osipaonica and Papazovac. A vehicle was provided to transport children from distant places, along with a mobile team and IT equipment for workshops. Two rooms for working with children were renovated, furniture and didactic material were purchased, two groups were formed to work with parents, and professional support was provided by speech therapists and special education teachers. Additionally, professional training was provided for 31 teachers.

Jasmina Vojinovic, president of the temporary governing body of the city of Smederevo, highlighted that with the opening of this facility in Radinac, the so-called “waiting lists” have been reduced to a minimum, as the new kindergarten has a capacity of about 300 children. “In this way, the local self-government provides support for parenting and wants to contribute to the improvement of the future demographic image of Smederevo.”

“The newly opened kindergarten welcomes not only children from Radinac but also children from the surrounding villages of Mihajlovac, Vrbovac, Lipe, Vranovo, as well as parts of the city,” said Vojinovic.

She mentioned that the completion of the kindergarten in Skobalje and the opening of the kindergarten in Drugovac are planned for the next period, which will enable even greater coverage of children.

The construction of new facilities and investment in the quality of preschool education and training are part of the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care,” which the Ministry of Education is implementing with the support of the World Bank, in cooperation with local governments. An important area of the program is the inclusion of children from vulnerable social groups in the system of preschool education from the earliest age. This project will cover 23 facilities in 22 local governments, providing 11,000 new places for children, and more than 25,000 educators have undergone training and mentoring support. The total value of the project is 47 million euros.

You can see the photos here.