Results of Support to Preschool Institutions through the Project

Preschool institutions in Serbia have made significant progress in the quality of their work and in implementing the Preschool Curriculum Framework “Years of Ascent”, according to a study conducted as part of the Ministry of Education’s Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care project.

The quality assessment results indicate an improvement in the achievement level of standards across all four domains of preschool quality. The highest improvement was recorded in Domain 1 – Educational Work and Domain 4 – Management and Organization, while slightly lower results were noted in Domain 2 – Support to Children and Families and Domain 3 – Professional Learning Community.

The study was conducted on a representative sample of 190 preschools within 25 preschool institutions, using an external evaluation methodology defined by the Rulebook on Quality Evaluation of Educational Institutions. In addition to direct observation of educational practices, institutional documents were analyzed, and more than 2,000 parents, 1,500 educators, as well as representatives from management and local communities were surveyed.

“Years of Ascent” is a new curricular concept and an important reform impulse in the field of early childhood education and care. The development of the new framework was approached systematically and strategically, drawing from contemporary theoretical knowledge, international education policy documents, and best practices from Serbia and abroad. As of September 1, 2022, all preschool institutions and primary schools implementing the preparatory preschool program are required to develop their educational p…

To prepare institutions for implementation, the Ministry of Education, with the support of the Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care project, provided comprehensive support to all preschool institutions for the adoption of the new framework.

Over a period of three years, training was organized for more than 23,300 educators, professional associates, and directors. A mentorship system was developed through which 90 mentors supported 162 public preschool institutions, professional development models and peer exchange platforms were established, and seven manuals/guides covering various topics were created.

Additionally, with the project’s support, the Ministry of Education provided technical assistance for the evaluation, reform, and harmonization of educator training programs, and contributed to the improvement of accreditation standards for study programs in early childhood education. This support enabled higher education institutions to align their study programs with professional competency standards and the principles of the new preschool framework.

The Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care project, with a total value of 47 million euros, is funded through a World Bank loan. With the support of this project, new preschool facilities are being built and existing ones expanded, while practitioners’ competencies for implementing the new curriculum are being strengthened through improved professional development, enhanced quality evaluation mechanisms, and support to initial educator education.

The complete study can be read here.