On Saturday, June 8th, the Parenting Fair was held for the second time at the “Dečija radost” kindergarten in Novi Pazar, with over 950 parents and children in attendance.

As part of the Inclusive Preschool Education and Care project, and under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, the first Parenting Fair in this city was organized last year, garnering significant interest from the broader community, especially families with young children.

Encouraged by the positive experience and the great interest of parents, particularly those from vulnerable social groups, for this type of direct communication and support from local institutions and organizations, the “Mladost” Preschool Institution from Novi Pazar organized the Parenting Fair again this year.

During the Parenting Fair, 15 workshops were held for parents and children, and various educational institutions, as well as local government institutions, were presented – including the “Mladost” Preschool Institution, elementary schools and kindergartens, the Novi Pazar Health Center, the Novi Pazar Psychologists Association, the Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities (MNRP), the Novi Pazar Center for Social Work, the “Stevan Mokranjac” Music School, the “Ras” Museum, the “Dositej Obradović” National Library, the Bosniak National Council, the Sports Association and School Sports Association of Novi Pazar, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Novi Pazar Police Department, and the “Duga” Center for Children and Youth.

The fair was visited by over 950 parents with children, including 178 fathers, 357 mothers, and 421 children. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about their parental rights and the services and support provided by the mentioned institutions in one place. Parents were able to enhance their parenting skills through various types of workshops and participate in different creative activities with their children.

Photos from the event can be viewed here.

The aim of holding the Parenting Fairs is to allow as many parents of preschool-aged children as possible to become familiar with the services and types of support provided to families by local institutions and organizations. Additionally, the fair is an opportunity to strengthen their parenting competencies through educational workshops and to learn, create, play, and have fun with their children by participating in creative and sports activities.

The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the World Bank, has so far organized six Parenting Fairs as part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project in Čačak, Sombor, Vranje, Loznica, Novi Pazar, and Kragujevac. Thanks to the good results and great interest from parents, some local governments have decided to continue organizing Parenting Fairs annually and to provide continuous support to families with young children.

The first traces of organized work with preschool children date back to 1930, when a kindergarten was established at the local primary school. More serious and organized work began on September 6, 1966, with the opening of a kindergarten at the First Primary School, marking the beginning of continuous organized preschool education in Gornji Milanovac. Finally, in 1972, the Assembly of the Municipality of Gornji Milanovac established the “Institution for the Care and Education of Children, Provision of Extended Stay, Accommodation, and Other Forms of Assistance to Primary School Students,” under the name “Miša Lazić.”

Since its founding, the institution operated in inadequate spaces at “King Alexander I” Primary School until the construction of the first building in 1972. The second organizational unit, Building II, was built in 1979. Building III was constructed in 1981, and an annex to Building I was added in 1984. On October 1, 2008, a new working unit, Building IV, was formed by adapting the so-called “Residence” space at “Momčilo Nastasijević” Primary School. Preschool education in Rudnik is conducted in a facility built in 1971 as part of “Arsenije Loma” Primary School in Rudnik. In Pranjani, the preschool education system began operating on October 1, 2002, using the space at “Ivo Andrić” Primary School, and since January 18, 2010, the kindergarten in Pranjani has been operating in a newly adapted space.

Educational work with children is organized in nursery groups for ages 1-2 and 2-3 years, as well as educational groups for ages 3-5.5 years, and mixed groups from 1-3 years and from 3 years until the start of the preparatory preschool program. The preparatory preschool program is part of the institution’s regular program (ages 5.5 – 6.5 years) and is conducted as either full-day or four-hour sessions. The working units are of a combined nature (nursery and kindergarten), except for the facility in Rudnik, which has a mixed group and another group in the preparatory preschool program, and Building IV, which is exclusively for children of preparatory preschool age. The total number of children enrolled in the kindergarten is 1320.

To ensure the quality of educational work, efforts are made to provide resources for adapting spaces and equipping kindergartens with furniture, didactic materials, toys, various equipment, experimental tools, audiovisual materials, literature, and ICT equipment. The resources for adaptation and equipping are provided with the help of the local community, creating didactic materials in the kindergartens involving children, educators, parents, and local community experts, as well as implementing numerous projects.

As part of the “Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care” project implemented by the Ministry of Education with the help of the World Bank, 4 classrooms have been adapted and equipped. In the kindergarten in Pranjani, 2 classrooms for children aged 3 to school age and 1 room for nursery-aged children were adapted and equipped, while one educational room was adapted in the facility at the primary school in Svračkovci.

The adaptation of the space included painting, replacing, repairing, and sanding parquet floors, painting radiators, and installing LED panels. In Pranjani, the carpentry in the mentioned three rooms was replaced. The classrooms were equipped with the most modern furniture, didactic materials, toys, picture books, and other materials needed for educational work. This has created an environment that allows children to grow and develop in a safe and stimulating setting, enabling them to explore, play, and learn with their peers.

The significance of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project, through which the classrooms at the “Sunce” Preschool Institution were adapted and equipped, is extremely significant as it improves the quality of work, increases the coverage of children, ensures the availability of preschool services, and creates equal opportunities for learning and development for all children.

You can see the photos here.