EXPANDED CAPACITIES FOR 160 NEW PLACES IN TWO KINDERGARTENS IN KRUSEVAC

In the presence of Minister of the Interior Bratislav Gasic, the president of the temporary authority of Krusevac, Jasmine Parulovic, and Vesna Zivkovic, the director of PU “Nata Veljkovic,” Minister of Education Dr. Slavica Djukic Dejanovic solemnly opened the reconstructed and extended kindergartens “Golub mira” and “Labud” in Krusevac today, providing 160 new places for children.

The reconstruction and extension of both kindergartens, with a total investment of 58.5 million dinars, provided 80 new places for children, divided into 4 groups in both kindergartens. Additionally, an extra space with a total area of 1200 square meters was created. The Ministry of Education allocated more than 7.5 million dinars for equipping both buildings with didactic material.

The Ministry of Education is implementing systemic support for improving the quality of the preschool education system within the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care.” Training for the implementation of the new program concept was organized for the employees of the Preschool in Krusevac. Additional training and the exchange of knowledge and experience were also organized during visits to the clusters in Cacak and Pirot. The inclusive education team underwent training aimed at supporting the development of inclusive practices.

To enhance the quality of the preschool education system, additional funds were invested in the purchase of ICT equipment, worth more than 1.5 million dinars, and around 913 thousand dinars were provided for the purchase of low mobile furniture.

The funds from the project “Podrska deci i pododici – dobrobit za buducnost” are intended for adapting, renovating, and equipping two rooms with furniture and didactic material. They also support educational work with preschool children in the village of Veliki Siljegovac and the suburban settlement of Citluk, with a predominantly Roma population. This grant financed the formation of three new mixed groups of children in rural areas and the establishment of a Mobile Counseling Center in cooperation with a Preschool, a children’s dispensary, and the Center for Social Work. A passenger vehicle was purchased for the needs of the Mobile Counseling Center.

Through the program “Klub za decu i roditelje – Razigrano popodne,” implemented in the kindergartens “Neven” and “Pcelica” in the territory of the city of Krusevac, the competencies of children and parents, as well as other legal representatives, are strengthened through participation in workshops, forums, excursions, and visits to the theater. A total of 966 children are involved in these activities, and the number of parents, other family members, and legal representatives is almost 1400.

Over the past four years, during the implementation of the project, 318 children from Citluk, Veliki Siljegovac, and Konjuh were included in various programs, and 636 parents were supported through the project in various ways.

The construction of new facilities and investment in the quality of preschool education and training are part of the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Training,” which the Ministry of Education is implementing with the support of the World Bank, in cooperation with local governments. An important aspect of the program is the inclusion of children from sensitive social groups in the system of preschool education and care from the earliest age, as well as the sensitization of parents and employees on this issue. This project will cover 23 facilities in 22 local governments, providing 11,000 new places for children, and over 20,000 educators have undergone training and mentoring support. The total value of the project is 47 million euros.

You can see the photos here.