Minister of Education, Ph.D. Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, and the president of the temporary authority of the municipality of Cicevac, Mirjana Krkic, laid the foundation stone today for the construction of a new kindergarten in Cicevac. Approximately 175 million dinars will be invested in the new building, providing 200 new places for children, covering an area of about 1,360 m2. The completion of the works is planned for eight months.

“By constructing this new facility, we continue to implement our educational policy aimed at expanding the coverage of children through preschool education and care. We believe that supporting parents, local self-government, and our youngest citizens, especially those from socially sensitive groups, along with appropriate education and care, forms the foundation for a happy childhood and, consequently, a better future,” stated Minister of Education, Ph.D. Slavica DJukic Dejanovic.

Mirjana Krkic, the president of the temporary authority of the municipality of Cicevac, highlighted that the new kindergarten is being built after 70 years. “The construction of this new kindergarten will completely transform the landscape of preschool education and care for children in our municipality. Our youngest residents and their parents will benefit the most, and we hope this will contribute to the youth staying in Cicevac and its surroundings,” expressed Krkic, thanking the Government of Serbia, the Ministry of Education, and the World Bank for supporting the local self-government in its efforts to provide favorable conditions for the growth and development of the youngest citizens.

The Ministry of Education provides systematic support for improving the quality of the preschool education system in Serbia, increasing the coverage of children in preschool education, and enhancing the competencies of educators. This support was extended to the Cicevac Preschool and its staff through the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project. Training sessions were organized for educators, professional associates, and the director, along with a visit to the kindergarten cluster in Cacak, where experiences were shared. The kindergarten inclusive education team underwent training aimed at supporting the development of inclusive practices, while each educational group received manuals from the “Linije Leta” edition to aid in the quality implementation of the new “Godine Uzleta” program concept.

The construction of the new facility is part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care ” project, a collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the World Bank. The project aims to increase the inclusion of children in the system of preschool upbringing and education through the construction of new kindergartens and the extension of existing ones. Covering 23 facilities in 22 local governments, the project will provide a total of 11,000 new places for children. In addition to expanding the capacity of preschool institutions, the program pays special attention to improving the knowledge and skills of professional staff through mentoring support and training for approximately 12,000 educators, along with the implementation of the New Basics of the program. The total value of the project is 47 million euros.

You can see the photos here.

As part of the “Inclusive Preschool Upbringing and Education” project implemented by the Ministry of Education, with a loan from the World Bank, two classrooms were equipped in the municipality of Majdanpek, specifically in the elementary school “Branko Peric.” These classrooms are utilized by the preschool institution “Marija Muncan” for educational purposes.

The preschool institution “Marija Muncan” commenced its operations in 1970. Between 2015 and 2020, through collaborative efforts from the municipality of Majdanpek and the local community of Crnajka, classrooms at the “Branko Peric” primary school in the villages of Rudna Glava and Crnajka were renovated. These spaces are used by the preschool institution for educational activities with children from rural areas. The renovations included replacing carpentry, adapting space for sanitary facilities, painting workrooms, and furnishing them through the “Improvement of Population Policies in the Municipality of Majdanpek” project.

In 2022, additional space in the building in Rudna Glava at the “Branko Peric” Elementary School was provided to the preschool institution, adapted and transformed for the opening of a mixed educational group. As part of the “Inclusive Preschool Upbringing and Education” project, the Ministry of Education, from the World Bank loan, allocated funds and fully equipped two study rooms and corridors. This initiative will facilitate the enrollment of 34 preschool children from this neighborhood and surrounding towns.

In Majdanpek, Donji Milanovac, and separate classes in rural areas at primary schools, there are a total of 19 groups with 368 enrolled children in permanent forms of work, including full-day and half-day stays.

The rooms are equipped with furniture, toys, didactics, consumables, picture books, and books, carefully chosen to cater to the needs of the various age groups.

You can see the photos here.

As part of the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” implemented by the Ministry of Education, with a loan from the World Bank, 5 workrooms were equipped in PS “Neven” in Bajina Basta, Municipality of Bajina Basta.

Preschool “Neven” was founded in 1977.

The institution includes two buildings and 23 educational groups where 625 children stay. There are 135 children on the waiting list. Under the administration of PU “Neven” there are also two preparatory groups of preschool children, the so-called “Mala skola”, in two rural local communities and their work is organized in the premises of primary schools.

The Ministry of Education from the World Bank loan, through the ” Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project, allocated part of the funds and fully equipped 5 workrooms, which will enable the enrollment of another 90 children aged 1 to 6.5 years.

The rooms are equipped with furniture, toys, didactics, consumables, picture books and books, which were chosen with special attention to the needs of the age groups.

You can see the photos here.

The second Professional Consultation of deans and directors of faculties and colleges that educate teachers to work in preschool institutions was opened by the Minister of Education, Ph.D. Slavica DJukic Dejanovic, on November 2, 2023. The goal of this conference is to present activities and results on improving the initial education of educators for work in preschool units and to consider further directions of development.

At the second professional consultation of the deans and directors of faculties and colleges that educate teachers in Vrnjacka Banja, the Minister reminded that the new program concept “Godine Uzleta” has been implemented in all preschool institutions in Serbia since the last school year. The Ministry aims to improve the initial education of teachers through the Project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care ” and has initiated activities to enhance study programs.

“We carry out these activities in cooperation with representatives of higher education institutions that educate teachers and preschool institutions where teachers fulfill and further develop their complex professional roles. The Ministry’s intention is, through the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care”, to provide technical assistance to higher education institutions for the evaluation, reform, and harmonization of teacher education programs. This is done with the aim of aligning the study programs with the competency standards for the teaching profession and the new concept of preschool education and care,” said the minister.

Professional counseling of faculty deans and directors of colleges that train educators to work in preschool is organized by the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” Project. This project provides support to the Ministry of Education in implementing the program concepts of “Godine Uzleta” and improving the fairness, availability, and quality of preschool education.

The gathering was attended by directors, deans, and professors of higher education institutions that implement study programs for initial teacher education, representatives of the National Accreditation Body and the Accreditation Commission, representatives of the National Education Council, trade unions, professional associations, as well as students and teachers from preschool institutions.

During the two-day consultation, Ph.D. Zivka Krnjaja from the Department of Preschool Pedagogy, Department of Pedagogy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, spoke about the change in the relationship between theory and practice in the initial education of educators and presented final recommendations. These recommendations aim to adapt the study program/course in accordance with the Competency Standards for the profession of educators and their professional development, and the Basics of the preschool education program. They also emphasize the realization of professional practice in the training room in cooperation between the higher education institution and the preschool institution.

Ph.D. Lidija Vujicic from the Center for Childhood Research at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka, spoke about the integration of theory and practice in the initial education of teachers at their faculty and the activities of the Center for Childhood Research. The participants had the opportunity to learn about the process of transforming practice at the University of Rijeka, which focused on a competent educator.

Zorica Kovacevic, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Belgrade, and Assistant Ivana Dimitrijevic from the College of Vocational Studies for Educators and Business Informatics – Sirmium in Sremska Mitrovica, spoke about their experiences in piloting the “PROTOTIP” model for the realization of student practice in the training room in cooperation with a preschool institution. Practitioners from Kindergarten “Zvezdica,” PU Sremska Mitrovica, and Kindergarten “Mali princ,” PS “Bosko Buha,” Palilula, shared their experiences in piloting the “PROTOTIP” model, and students also provided insights into piloting this model.

The pilot model “PROTOTIP” aims to develop an approach to learning through the unity of theory and practice in the initial education of teachers. It also seeks to connect the quality of initial education of teachers with the development of the quality of practice in kindergarten. The goal can be achieved through restructuring the existing way of realizing student practice in the study program and through the joint action of higher education teachers, students, and practitioners on the initiated changes in the practice of the kindergarten in accordance with the current concept of the Foundations of the “Godine Uzleta” program.

In the continuation of the consultation, Ph.D. Aleksandar Stojanovic from the Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Belgrade led a panel discussion on the possibilities, challenges, and solutions for the implementation of recommendations at universities and colleges. Panel participants, in addition to experts from the project, included Ph.D. Irena Ilic Golubovic from the Faculty of Pedagogy in Jagodina, Slobodanka Radosavljevic, president of the Association of Serbian Educators, Svetlana Radovic from the College of Vocational Studies for Teacher Education in Novi Sad, Branko Boskovic from the National Body for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education, and student Andjela Milic from the Faculty of Teacher Education at the University of Belgrade. During the panel discussion, it was noticeable that all higher education institutions are motivated to continue working on improving the quality of the initial education of teachers. Activities to enhance and modernize the initial education of teachers, initiated by both the Ministry and higher education institutions, are synchronized and in synergy. They are guided by a common goal, which is to create a competent educator for the 21st century.

Ph.D. Vesna Colic, a professor of vocational studies at the Vocational College of Teacher Education in Novi Sad, provided an overview of the Standards for Accreditation of study programs in the light of a content analysis of the alignment of content and outcomes in key subjects of study programs that educate teachers with the Standards of Teacher Competence. She announced consultations with members of the Accreditation Commission through which proposals for the revision of Accreditation Standards would be reached.

The impression of the participants in the consultation is that through discussions, they contributed to charting a further path of change that strengthens the community of 16 colleges and universities that educate educators as a strong training ground for further joint reflection and change management.

The Ministry of Education, as part of the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care,” with the financial support of the World Bank, provides support for the improvement of the initial education

You can see the photos here.

As part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project implemented by the Ministry of Education, with a loan from the World Bank, one study room was equipped in Preschool “Priboj” within the municipality of Priboj.

The municipality of Priboj, situated in southwestern Serbia within the Zlatibor district, saw the establishment of its first children’s institution after the war, coinciding with Priboj’s development into a significant industrial center. The inaugural kindergarten was affiliated with the “FAP” factory. The newly founded institution commenced operations on January 1, 1975. The local self-government is the founder of Preschool “Neven” in Priboj, currently catering to 615 children across three kindergartens, with an additional 68 children on the waiting list.

On this occasion, a room specifically designed for children aged 1 to 3 has been equipped, aiming to alleviate the number of children on the waiting list. The room is furnished with carefully selected furniture, toys, didactics, consumables, picture books, and books, all chosen with special attention to meet the needs of this age group.

You can see the photos here.