As part of the project “Inclusive preschool education and care” of the Ministry of education, science and technological development, in the working year 2021/22. year workshops were held in Balicevac (Merosina municipality) for children aged 3 – 5,5 years who do not attend kindergarten. Namely, Balicevac is one of the 7 inhabited places in the municipality of Merosina, in which the Ministry of Education’s Grants program is implemented, with the aim of providing local services for children and parents from vulnerable social groups. Considering the great interest and satisfaction of parents and children with this program, as well as the large number of children of preschool age who cannot access kindergarten due to distance, an initiative was launched to expand the Preschool Network “Poletarac” Merosina, by opening another educational group in Balicevac.

The local self-government, as the founder of preschool institution, adopted this initiative by the decision of the Merosina Municipal Assembly, which facilitated the availability of preschool education and care for families with children of preschool age and at the same time ensured the sustainability of the project results of the Ministry of education.

On 06.07.2022. year the new educational group “Leptirici” in Balicevac for children aged 3 – 5,5 years officially started its work on a half – day stay. Thus, preschool “Poletarac” Merosina received another educational group, which increases the coverage of children of this age and ensures the availability of preschool education and education for children from remote settlements.

The local project, which is financed by the Ministry of Education from the Grant funds (grant funds in the amount of about 47,000 euros), is coordinated and workshops with children are held by teacher Milena Jocic, who will continue educational work with children in the newly opened group in Balicevac after the end of the project.

The opening was attended by the President of the Municipality of Merosina – Sasa Jovanovic Deputy President – Emilija Petkovic, Oliver Ilic – President of the Municipal Assembly of Merosina, Violeta Paunovic – Deputy President of the Municipal Assembly of Merosina, Director of Elementary School “Jastrebacki Partizani” – Boban Radenkovic as well as Nena Marinkovic, Educational Advisor of SM Nis. On that occasion, the officials wished the employees of preschool “Poletarac” a lot of success in their work, and the children a lot of play, fun, socializing and learning.

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Tutin, 12.07.2022. – Today, with the laying of the foundation stone, in the presence of the First Vice-President of the Government of Serbia and the Minister of education, science and technological development, Branko Ruzic, and the President of the Municipality of Tutin, Salih Hot, the beginning of the construction of a new kindergarten in Tutin, in the village of Svracice, was announced.

“By building a new object, we support the preschool institution and the local self-government, all with the aim of increasing the inclusion of children in preschool education and care, which is one of the strategic goals of our Ministry. We are achieving our goal by increasing the capacity to accommodate children, not only here in Tutin, but in 22 other local governments throughout Serbia,” said Minister Branko Ruzic.

The new kindergarten will cover about 1000 m2 and will provide an additional 100 places for children of preschool age. The value of the investment is about 94 million dinars, and the completion of the works is scheduled for April 2023.

As part of the project “Inclusive preschool education and care” implemented by the Ministry of education, science and technological development in partnership with the Novak Djokovic Foundation from the loan of World Bank, 3 more study rooms in the territory of the municipality of Raska were adapted and equipped.

Preschool “Veselo detinjstvo” in Raska has been making great efforts for years to include as many children as possible in preschool education. Recently, preschool education in the municipality of Raska is completely free, so the interest of parents in enrolling their children is increasing.

The great need for capacity expansion has arisen especially in recent years due to the opening of factories and the retention of young families both in the villages and in the city. This climate is also characterized by developed tourism due to the nearby mountains of Golija and Kopaonik, which is considered one of our biggest tourist attractions.

In all forms of the Institution’s work this year, 822 children were included, classified into 39 groups. Special attention is paid to providing support to children from vulnerable social groups.

Elementary school “Raska” in the village of Milatkovic, near Raska, gave the use of 3 study rooms to the preschool institution. The local self-government provided funds for mechanical works, while the Novak Djokovic Foundation and the Ministry of education, science and technological development through the project “Inclusive preschool education and care” adapted and completely equipped the building.

The works involved the replacement of floors, walls, ceilings, joinery, lighting, as well as the installation of air conditioning. New, adapted rooms (two mixed and one preschool group) are fully adapted to the needs of children and educators and follow the new basics of the preschool education program.

In addition to the furniture that was selected and adapted to each age group, the rooms are equipped with new toys, carpets, lazy bags, easels for painting, books and necessary consumables.

In this way, we have enabled the joint forces for a large number of families to remain in the countryside and for their children to have the same quality conditions for early education as in the cities.

In the new groups on the territory of the Raska municipality, 60 new children aged 3 to 7 years were enrolled and the premises were adapted and equipped in accordance with the needs of our youngest residents.

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