In response to the situation caused by Covid-19 and the impossibility of live training for the directors of preschool institutions, the team of CIP – Center for Interactive Pedagogy in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Institute for the Advancement of Education, with the support of the Inclusive Preschool Project has transferred the live training to a distance training format (online format). The training program aims to train candidates to improve the competencies of principals in accordance with the rulebook standards which prescribes the standards of competencies of directors of educational institutions and is a condition for taking the exam to obtain a license for directors of educational institutions. The training program is focused on an interactive approach and is conceived as an active, experiential, cooperative learning process, which enables mutual exchange of experience and learning.

The contents of the direct training are adapted for remote work with the help of Web 2 tools, which provides opportunities to use different formats, such as “room work”, online questionnaires, video presentations, padlet platform … The training took place through 8 online meetings and so far one group of directors had the opportunity to attend the entire training in online format in the period from 24 December 2020 to 24 January 2021.

After training, participants receive 32 hours of professional development program, and are obliged to (as in the case of live training) document the achievement of training goals by enclosing in their exam portfolio the results of research they will conduct and document the acquired knowledge and skills through products/tasks that they will realize after the training.

In order to evaluate the training program and its implementation, participants had the opportunity to express their opinion in the questionnaires created for the purpose of measuring trainees’ degree of satisfaction with the selection and implementation of topics that were chosen to prepare them for taking their license exam. Most of the participants are completely satisfied with the training, both in terms of content and topics, as well as the organization and manner of leadership by the trainers. Some of the participants’ observations are as follows:

– The choice of topics and content is relevant for the preparation of the license exam;

– The choice of topics/content and the way it all was conducted enabled me to learn and professionally develop;

– Activities within this training (knowledge tests, introduction to regulations, proposed professional literature) helped me to prepare well for the license exam;

– The training is conceived in an excellent, comprehensive and detailed manner and presented in a clear and understandable way;

– The training helped me improve digital competencies through the use of various digital tools;

– The general impression of the participants and program leaders is that the training took place in a pleasant, working atmosphere and quality exchange through cooperative learning.

The Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, Branko Ružić, stated that, thanks to the construction of new kindergartens and the adaptation of the existing ones, the number of places in kindergartens is expected to increase by more than 10,000.

“Preschool education should be available to every child. Increasing the number of places in kindergartens and the construction of new facilities will enable a large number of children, especially from socially and economically endangered social groups, estimated number thereof being almost 4,500, to get the opportunity to go to kindergarten, “said Ružić.

He said that the capacities have been expanded in preschool institutions in Doljevac, Žitorađa and Sremska Mitrovica, and that the construction of new kindergartens is planned in Krusevac, Loznica and Merošina, reports Beta.

Construction works in kindergartens will continue in Smederevo, Leskovac, Niš, Kragujevac, Prijepolje, Prokuplje, Vladičin Han, Tutin, Novi Pazar, Šid and Lebane.

Ružić has mentioned that the quality of preschool education will be improved by providing professional support to preschool institutions in the application of the new curriculum framework “Godine uzleta”.

More than 12,000 educators and expert associates in Serbia will be included in the training, he added.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, within the Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Project, has built new kindergartens, procured mini buses for transporting children and parents from remote settlements, organized trainings for employees in preschool institutions and local municipalities.

“Caring for children is a joint responsibility” is a project implemented by the municipality of Šid in partnership with the preschool institution Jelica Stanivukovic – Šilja, the Center for Social Work, the Red Cross and the Health Center Šid, and with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development.

The project started in October 2019 and will end at the end of September 2021.

“What prompted us to apply for this invitation is the official data of the Centre for Social Work, according to which the number of materially endangered families with children aged from birth to 6.5 is increasing and the fact that a very small number of these children are included in preschool education and care. The problem is big, because it happens that parents enrol their children in preschool groups at the age of six, where they come insufficiently socialized and thus not ready to go to school. It also happens that these children have a poor level of general knowledge, which adversely affects their progress in school, “said Branimirka Riđošić, project coordinator.

Due to all this, this Project of Inclusive Preschool Education and Care envisages numerous workshops, both with children and their parents, numerous public campaigns on the importance of early childhood development, health care, as well as appropriate community services available to them, and about which they are not sufficiently informed. As a large number of them are not able to attend certain events, which are planned to be organized in Šid, a van was provided through the project, which solved the issue of transporting children and parents from rural areas. The vehicle was delivered on February 28, 2020, and on that occasion, the representative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Sanja Štrbac Musmar, handed over the keys of the 17 seat van.

The epidemic caused by the corona virus affected the realization of the project, because gathering a larger number of people indoors was not possible. Planned workshops and large educational public campaigns were cancelled, but the project team managed to timely inform parents about the project “Caring for children is a shared responsibility” through home visits and point out the importance of early development. The educators worked with the children through Viber groups and established regular contact with the parents. All parents’ doubts were answered over the phone and instructions when working at home were given. Epidemiological measures to combat the coronavirus had to be respected, but this did not prevent the project team from changing the dynamics of the implementation of activities and organizing work with children in the way that the current situation allows. Educators from rural areas and Šid worked with children who have previously attended primary schools, as well as with children from materially endangered families. Their commitment has increased the coverage of children from materially endangered families with preschool programs and services within preschool education.

“We hope that the end of the epidemic is in sight and that everything will soon return to normal, so that gatherings of children and parents, workshops, public campaigns and everything that is planned within the project will be feasible.” We believe that this project will contribute to equalizing opportunities for learning and development of children from vulnerable social groups, that parents will be shown the need for early development of children and the importance it will have for their future, and that the institutions participating in this project will strengthen their capacities for providing this type of services”, said Branimirka Riđošić, project coordinator.

In the municipality of Krupanj, within the “Mobile School of Parenting”, creative-educational workshops were held for children and parents within the Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Project in cooperation with partners from the Health Centre from Krupanj and the Red Cross.

Workshops for educators, children and parents were held in Bela Crkva and Kostajnik. The goal of the workshops was for parents to get even more familiar with didactic materials and their production. On that occasion, the educators informed the parents about the entire process of making toys, after which the parents started making them independently. Toys made by parents will be used when working with children with a special emphasis on the development of fine motor skills in children. Their statements speak about how they felt and what impressions they had:

Mama A.S. – “This workshop in cooperation with educators is very important for both educators and us parents because it gives us an insight into the work of educators in kindergarten with children, their work and commitment. These workshops should become a norm. “

Mama G.V. – “In a positive and relaxed atmosphere, educators and parents together participated in creating materials for working with children who will actively acquire new knowledge through the application of these toys.”

Educator Danka Pajić presented her view of the workshop – “Personally, I was more than delighted with the fact that all parents came prepared for the workshop, with a lot of their materials, full of ideas about what can be done to provide better conditions and working materials for children.”

In Brštica, dentist Predrag Radić from the Health Centre held an educational lecture for parents and children on proper tooth brushing and on that occasion he demonstrated how to brush teeth correctly. He also gave some advice to both children and parents what foods children should avoid. After the lecture, the children were given special gifts (toothbrushes and toothpaste). The children really liked attending the workshop together with their parents, and they stated the following:

Child K.G. “I like being with my mom and dad and grandma because it’s a lot of fun.”

Child P.P. “I like them to come because it’s nice and I can be here with my mom.”

The municipality of Vladimirci is one of the municipalities that received grants in the second round for the implementation of various activities through the Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Project. Through this project, the Municipality of Vladimirci in cooperation with local partners: Preschool Institution “Suncokreti” Vladimirci, Red Cross Vladimirci, Centre for Social Work of the Municipality of Vladimirci and Health Centre Vladimirci will provide children from socially vulnerable groups with equal opportunities for learning and development.

The project is being implemented in the Municipality of Vladirmici under the name “My kindergarten – kindergarten for all children” and will last 3 years, the first year of its implementation including a total of 25 children from the following settlements: Zvezd, Mehovine, Krnić and Vladimirci.

In order to better implement the project, all partners involved in the project will work to inform the parents better about the importance of their children’s involvement in the process of preschool education through field visits, parent meetings, distribution of information brochures to parents, availability of information on local sites and media, through workshops with parents, also through increased coverage of children from socially vulnerable groups who will attend preschool institution through free transportation, free textbooks, free snacks, shopping for clothes and shoes, children’s shows, performances and workshops, children’s trips.