The Ministry of Education will finance the construction of three more kindergartens as part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” Project – in Aleksandrovac, Cacak, and Prijepolje, the Minister of Education Branko Ruzic announced today in the Government of the Republic.

To realize the projects, the Minister of Education Branko Ruzic signed agreements on cooperation with the mayor of Cacak, Milun Todorovic, the president of the municipality of Aleksandrovac, Mirko Mihajlovic, and the president of the municipal of Prijepolje, Drago Popadic.

“The Ministry of Education continues to implement a policy focused on increasing the inclusion of children in the preschool education system. By signing today’s contract on the building of three new kindergartens, we are creating the conditions for the admission of 500 more children to the preschool education system. With this, we provide concrete support to the local self-government, i.e. the local community in those areas,” said Minister Branko Ruzic.

More than 110 million dinars have been allocated for the construction of a new garden in Cacak, which will cover about 1200m2 and provide 120 new places for children will be divided into the sixth group.

“With the great support of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, we will finally be able to boast of another kindergarten in our city, which will belong to the preschool institution “Moje detinjstvo”.

We will build a completely new facility in Zablace, which will have room for 120 children. Children from Zablace, Jezevica, Viljuša, Baluga, Vapa, Mršinac, and surrounding villages will be able to attend this kindergarten. It is precisely the wish of the local self-government that children from rural and urban areas have the same conditions in kindergartens and schools. What we do for our youngest fellow citizens is our greatest pride, and this is just one more in a series of activities of the city government for better conditions for all children in our city,” said the mayor of Cacak, Milun Todorovic.

With the construction of a new kindergarten in Aleksandrovac, which will cover more than 1,530 m2, conditions will be created for admission to the preschool education system of 180 children, who will be divided into 9 groups. The value of the investment is about 180 million dinars.

“On behalf of the citizens of Aleksandrovac, I thank the Government of the Republic of Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic, and the Ministry of Education for this capital investment for the municipality of Aleksandrovac, which solves the perennial problem of many children’s waiting list for admission to kindergarten,” said the president of the municipality of Aleksandrovac, Mirko Mihajlovic.

The new kindergarten in Prijepolje will provide 200 new places for preschool children, which will be divided into 10 groups and will cover more than 1350m2. More than 140 million dinars will be invested in the construction of the new facility.

“The construction of a kindergarten in Bostane is of multiple importance for us. Bearing in mind that the municipality of Prijepolje is devastated, with significant migration, this project creates the conditions for a better quality of life for our citizens. By building a kindergarten, new jobs will be created, the waiting list for kindergarten will be shortened, parents will be able to perform their work tasks better, and our youngest fellow citizens will have a carefree stay in a modern kindergarten. I especially emphasize that this is the construction of the first building of public importance in the last 30 years,” said the president of the municipality of Prijepolje, Drago Popadic.

The Ministry of Education, with the support of the World Bank, implements the Project “Inclusive preschool education and care” through which it invests in the construction and extension of kindergartens, and adaptation of space in local self-governments, which provides 11,000 new places for children.

Through this Project, the construction of 12 kindergartens was built or started – in Sremska Mitrovica, Zitoradje, Doljevac, Merošina, Loznica, two in Kruševac, Vladicin Han, Prokuplje, Tutin, Smederevo, Šid. Construction will soon begin in Novi Pazar, Petrovac na Mlava, and Kragujevac.

The project “Inclusive preschool education and care”, in addition to expanding the capacity of preschool institutions pay special attention to the improvement of preschool education and care through the introduction of the New Foundations of the Program, as well as the knowledge and skills of professional staff through mentoring support and training for educators. An important aspect of the program is the involvement of children from an early age.

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The Minister of Education, Branko Ruzic, opened today the professional consultation of deans and directors of faculties and colleges that educate teachers. He said that the Ministry, as part of the reform processes in the system of preschool upbringing and education, which were initiated by the introduction of the Foundations of preschool upbringing and Education program “Godine uzleta” provides support for improving the initial education of educators.

Minister Ruzic pointed out that measures and initiatives implemented by higher education institutions within their competencies are supported, and they concern the harmonization of study programs with competence standards for the professional conception of upbringing and education.

He reminded that since September 1 of last year, all preschool institutions and elementary schools that implement the preparatory preschool program, work according to the programs following the new program concept of “Godine uzleta”.

“We have started significant changes that are reflected in the quality of the preschool education program. That is why it is important to share the values ​​and vision of the further development of the preschool education system, to understand the complexity of changes and processes, to combine knowledge and experience of positive practice, and solve challenges together. On these challenges, we have the opportunity to learn, to change, to cooperate in research, and to cooperate in the interest of children.

The Ministry of Education, recognizing the key role of practitioners, educators, and professional associates in building the quality of practice of preschool education and education, through the “Inclusive preschool education and care” project, initiated activities to improve the initial education of educators.

With that point in mind, an analysis of the study programs at six faculties and 10 colleges was carried out and a draft of recommendations was prepared for adapting the study program/subject by the new Foundations of preschool education and the new Competency Standards for the teaching profession and its professional development. Given the importance of student practice in preparing future students for the professional role of an educator, a Practice Model was developed and piloted with two higher education institutions and a preschool institution, with recommendations that contribute to changing the relationship between theory and practice in the initial education of educators.

The draft of these recommendations was created in close cooperation with representatives of higher education institutions that educate teachers and preschool institutions where teachers fulfill and continue to develop their complex professional roles.

Minister of Education Branko Ruzic announced today the construction of three new kindergartens – in Novi Pazar, Leskovac, and Cicevac, as part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and care” Project.

“With the construction of these three new kindergartens, the conditions will be created for the admission of 590 children to the preschool education system, for which approximately 577 million dinars will be reserved. Supporting the development and education of children from the earliest ages is our priority,” said Ruzic.

He said that so far within this project, which the Ministry of Education is implementing in cooperation with the World Bank, 12 kindergartens have been built or started, while in the coming period, in addition to these three, work on the construction of kindergartens in Kragujevac and Petrovac na Mlavi will also begin.

“With this project, the construction of new kindergartens, the extension and adaptation of existing facilities throughout Serbia, we provide 11,000 new places for children,” said the minister.

The new “Naše dete” children’s institution in Novi Pazar will have 270 new places for preschool children. In the new facility in Leskovac, 120 new places will be provided. With the construction of the new “Carolija” kindergarten in Cicevac, the conditions will be created for admission to the preschool education system of 200 more children.

The contract with Minister Ruzic was signed today by the mayor of Leskovac Goran Cvetanovic, the mayor of Novi Pazar Nihat Biševac, and the president of the municipality of Cicevac Mirjana Krkic.

You can see other photos here.