The Red Cross is one of the partners in the project “Inclusive preschool education” which is realized by PI “Poletarac” Odzaci.

During this week, within the project, Red Cross Odzaci were realized 4 educational workshops called “Diffusion – we are learning about humanity” in PI “Poletarac”. The goal of these workshops is for children to get acquainted with the largest humanitarian organization, to learn what humanity is, why they should be humane and how to spread kindness and love with humanity.

One workshop was held in the facilities “Duga” in Backi Brestovac and “Carolija” in Deronje on April 26 and 27, while in the facility “Maslacak” in Bogojevo on April 28, 2021, two workshops were held.

The workshops are designed as joint activities of children who attend four-hour and short programs. The workshops were attended by 73 children, 4 educators and a pedagogical assistant.

Within the workshops, packages for personal hygiene were distributed to children from socially vulnerable groups. Funds for the purchase of these packages were provided by a grant the institution received within the project.

In the first half of April, another online training was held for the directors of preschool institutions to take the license exams. The content of the interactive, online training for directors is based on 16 topics within the four areas of competence of directors of institutions. Also, the program relies on the knowledge of participants in the field of education and care, cooperation with parents, understanding of inclusive policies and acceptance of inclusive values, as well as their experiences in applying inclusive practices.

Based on the evaluations of the participants, the topic that stood out as particularly important is “Leadership and change management in the context of preschool”. The reform of the educational system implies a series of systemic and functional changes, which are reflected in the management of institutions and the roles taken over by the directors of institutions. In this context, it is expected that directors, in addition to adequate education, must possess the ability to manage the institution and leadership skills. Basic competencies of management and organization include communication, planning, leadership, decision making. Leadership in management implies a high level of efficiency, flexibility, as well as pronounced social skills. Each of these segments was the subject of work on trainings so that after them the directors were trained for contextual analysis of the situation in institutions in order to plan changes. With the help of the digital tool Padlet, participants had the opportunity to express their opinion on the training.

In order to strengthen preschool institutions and principals as leaders and initiators of change, support in the form of training for initiating and leading change is planned by the end of this year, and it will be attended by about 1,300 principals and professional associates from all public primary schools.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development is improving the quality of the preschool system through Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Project. What activities are carried out?

In order to increase the availability of quality preschool education, we focused on building, adapting and equipping kindergartens and providing professional support to employees for the implementation of the new Preschool Curriculum Framework.

 In which municipalities are the capacities of preschool institutions expanding?

Works in Doljevac, Zitoradja and Sremska Mitrovica have been completed. In the upcoming period, we will continue the construction of facilities in Krusevac, Loznica and Merosina, with funds over 250 million dinars.

Tell us a bit more about improving the competencies of employees in the system of preschool education.

Through the Project, we realize trainings for employees in preschool institutions for the application of the new program concept “Godine uzleta”, for the use of digital technologies and for self-evaluation. By the end of the Project, it is planned that the trainings will include 12,000 educators and professional associates.

How do local governments participate in the Project?

The ministry provided 1.8m euros in financial support to 34 local governments. Thanks to intersectional cooperation of different services at the level of local self-government, such as preschools, health centers, centers for social work in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, we realized a large number of creative programs for parents and children, equipped rooms, purchased mini buses for transporting children from remote settlements. In this way, 2,500 children are included in the preschool education program for the first time. Despite significant improvements, it is necessary to continue activities to improve the inclusive practice of institutions and inform families about different types of support in the local community.

The city of Leskovac is another grant winner within the Project of Inclusive Preschool Education. With the help of funds from the grant program, the preschool institution “Vukica Mitrovic” together with its partners- the City of Leskovac, the Center for Social Work Leskovac and the Association of Parents “Ringeraja” developed a large number of activities whose implementation brought significant results in the previous period.

In the first place, the coverage of children with preschool education in rural areas has increased. In the village of Brestovac, two new groups were formed in which twenty children were enrolled. A group was formed in Turekovac, one group was formed with eighteen children enrolled, and the plan is to expand the group in the following period.

In order to improve the educational work with children that follows the children’s interests and the needs of the family, Leskovac strengthens the capacity of institutions and organizations to provide services to children from vulnerable social groups. In that context, the living space in the village of Brestovac (two groups) was adapted and equipped, and the space in the village of Turekovac (one group) was equipped. Necessary equipment as well as didactic materials for children’s stay have been provided. A free four-hour stay for children is realized every day. Also, partnership activities are being implemented in order to improve cooperation with parents.

The preschool institution, in cooperation with partners, improves the opportunities for development and learning of children from rural areas and Roma children through:

– informing and educating parents about their right to obtain free preschool services

– monitoring the needs of parents and children and the possibility of using the Romani language within the program

In accordance with the extraordinary circumstances, the cooperation with the family was improved through online communication and the Viber groups. In that way, we are working on getting parents familiar with the best educational approaches.

Conditions are created for children to stay, which will enable them to expand their experiences through the process of research and construction, and not exclusively through the linear acquisition of knowledge. Educators organize a space that exudes and reflects the atmosphere of having a choice to play in various spatial units. Children learn through interaction with the social and physical environment by constantly changing and adapting their previous experiences and knowledge. This approach is based on project-based learning involving children, educators, families and others. Such an organization allows children to be safe and to feel welcome and accepted.

A great contribution to the realization of project activities and sustainability of the program is given by all the mentioned actors.

The project “Dad, Mom, play with us” continued the realization of baby workshops in the kindergarten “Gorica” ​​in Sremcica.

For the needs of the realization of the baby program, a space called “Baby Center” was created. This center, in addition to the study room where baby massages and baby workshops are realized, also contains a space for early development, which we have enriched with various literature for parents.

The baby program in the kindergarten Gorica has so far been realized in three cycles and was attended by 18 babies and their families.

The implementers of the baby program are the nurse at the preventive health care Zivoslava Zivanovic, the nurse educator Natasa Macinkovic with the support of the psychologist, the mentor in the project Katarina DJuric, who is the author of the program.

We invite you to watch a short video created by Natasa Macinkovic, a nurse educator, posted below.