The city of Zrenjanin and its partners in the yard of “Petar Petrovic Njegos” elementary school realized a promotional activity called “Big and small – we will be friends”, where parents were informed about the project “Inclusive preschool education and care – With a smile in the kindergarten” and it was promoted the importance of early development, children’s learning and inclusion in the preschool education system. Kindergarten children aged three to six and a half, as well as children who were not enrolled in kindergarten, as well as a few parents, educators, and professional associates participated in the promotional activity. Children who are already in kindergarten told and showed other children what they do in kindergarten with their friends and teachers and why it is important for them to enroll in kindergarten as early as possible.

Red Cross volunteers demonstrated first aid for injuries, and medical staff from the “Dr. Bosko Vrebalov” Health Center gave children and their parent’s advice and educational material on the topic of healthy eating.

During the duration of the Project, the preschool institution has developed different programs in its offer, which differ in form, duration, and program orientation. The short program “Breathe Deeply” was realized in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the City of Zrenjanin, the City Museum, and “Luca Atelier”. The goal of the short program was for children to get to know their emotions, to learn to channel them through creative workshops, and to play roles. The short program contributed to the greater availability of preschool services and provided support to families to improve parental competence, with a special emphasis on the participation of both parents. The workshops “A little bit, I a little bit, you, and we will win” in the kindergarten “Bambi” and “Autumn is another spring, where every leaf is actually a flower” in the yard of the kindergarten “Bambi” were also realized. The workshops were carried out by educators and an expert associate pedagogue for art education from a preschool institution. The goal of the workshop “A little bit of me, a little bit of you, and we will win” was harmonizing one’s desires and needs with the desires and needs of others, willingness to receive and give, as well as creating compromises and encouraging collaborative relationships among children, and the goal of the workshop “Autumn is another spring, where every leaf is actually a flower” was to encourage children to research using natural materials as a means of artistic expression. Children were active at the workshops, had the opportunity to participate in activities together with their parents, researched, learned through research in a new environment, and learned through play. The workshops were also attended by children who had not been included in any of the programs offered by the preschool.

Through talking with parents, we came to the conclusion that the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care – With a Smile in Kindergarten” provides the opportunity for parents to learn and develop their competencies, as well as that they are satisfied with the new way of working in terms of offering different programs, increasing the coverage of children, by promoting an inclusive policy as well as cooperation with the local community.

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As part of the Education and Teaching Aids Fair, at the stand of the Ministry of Education on Tuesday, October 25, visitors had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the ongoing reforms within the preschool system through a rich program – workshops, presentations, video materials, videos, and skits upbringing and education, which are implemented with the support of the Inclusive Preschool Education and Care project.

The program was intended for children and parents, educators, and educational workers, and aimed to present and introduce novelties in the preschool education system in a simple and practical way.

Numerous preschool institutions took an active part in the stand. Three Belgrade preschool institutions – “Dr. Sima Milosevic”, “Vracar” and “11th April” – allowed visitors to attend, but also to get involved in the game and research in which children, parents, and teachers participated.

The stand was equipped with various materials, objects, and accessories for painting, drawing, sculpting, instruments, senso – perceptive tables, but also digital technology tools. Children and adults together, through play, explored colors, shapes, sound, and different materials, but also used bee bot robots and the possibilities to include them in their game.

At the stand, Jelena and Novak Djokovic organized a meeting and conversation with children from the preschool institution “Decji Dani” from Belgrade, from the municipality of Stari Grad. On that occasion, representatives of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, realized a workshop for parents “Ways of encouraging emotional literacy in children” and presented the “Support, not perfection” program.

Educators, professional associates, and the director presented the model of Joint learning through modeling, through an exchange in the kindergarten, which has developed an inspiring practice for learning. Everything was accompanied by a poster with photos from the kindergarten and a slide show through which the joint learning of children and adults in the center of the “Zemunski Biser” cluster was presented.

The program of support for preschool institutions in the introduction of the new program concept “Years of Ascension” was presented, as well as other support for improving the quality of preschool upbringing and education.

At the stand, visitors were directly presented with guides and manuals for practitioners in preschool institutions created for the support, and at the same time, the concept and importance of parenting fairs organized by the Ministry in cooperation with local governments were presented.

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In May 2021, the Ministry of Education concluded a Cooperation Agreement with the “Novak Djokovic” Foundation.

The subject of the Agreement was joint involvement in adaptations/renovations and furnishing of existing premises in public property, for the needs of preschool education.

For this purpose, the Ministry allocated 2 million euros from the World Bank loan, and it was planned to dedicate at least 100 rooms for educational work by the end of 2022.

It started from the assumption that by renovating and equipping free classrooms in rural schools or local communities, and common rooms at preschool institutions, with relatively small investments and in a relatively short period of time, we can get a significant number of new places. This idea bore fruit.

Now, as the year 2022 draws to a close, it is clear that this partnership has exceeded its own plans and expectations. Through the joint efforts of the project team of the ministry and the team of the “Novak

Djokovic” Foundation, in less than a year and a half, over 130 rooms in 30 cities and municipalities across Serbia were opened for use. By the end of the year, about 30 more rooms are expected to be handed over, all within the originally planned budget.

Cities and municipalities in which the adaptation and/or equipping of new premises for educational work was financed:

1. City of Belgrade, Municipality of Vracar, PU “Vracar”, Kindergarten “Vracarac” (6 rooms)

2. Municipality of Svilajnac, PU “Decja radost”, kindergarten in Kusiljevo (3 rooms)

3. City of Belgrade, Municipality of Stari Grad, PU “Decji dani”, kindergartens “Lola” and “Leptiric” (4 rooms)

4. Municipality of Obrenovac, PU “Perka Vicentijevic” (8 rooms)

5. Municipality of Nova Varos, PU “Pasa i Nataca” (3 rooms)

6. Municipality of Doljevac, PU “Lane” (4 rooms)

7. Municipality of Vladicin Han, PU “Pcelica” (3 rooms)

8. Municipality of Raca, PU “Nasa radost” (9 rooms)

9. City of Belgrade, Municipality of Cukarica, PU “Cukarica” ​​(13 rooms equipped)

10. Municipality of Apatin, PU “Pcelica” (1 room)

11. Municipality of Cajetina, PU “Radost” (4 rooms)

12. Municipality of Batocina, PU “Poletarac” (1 room)

13. Municipality of Pecinci, PU “Vlada Obradovic Kameni” (10 rooms equipped)

14. City of Belgrade, Municipality of Zemun, PU “Dr. Sima Milosevic” (3 rooms furnished)

15. Municipality of Zagubica, PU “Poletarac” (3 rooms)

16. City of Pancevo, PU “Decja radost”, kindergarten “Ljiljan” (2 rooms)

17. Town of Pancevo, a village of Dolovo, elementary school “Aksentije Maksimovic” (3 rooms)

18. Municipality of Sjenica, PU “Maslacak” (7 rooms equipped)

19. The City of Sremska Mitrovica, PU “Pcelica” (4 rooms furnished)

20. Municipality of Vlasotince, PU “Milka Dimanic” (3 rooms)

21. Municipality of Velika Plana, PU “Decje Carstvo”, a village of Bresje (1 room)

22. Municipality of Velika Plana, PU “Decje Carstvo”, Veliko Orasje village (2 rooms)

23. City of Dimitrovgrad, PU “8. September”, Kindergarten “Pcelica” (3 rooms)

24. The City of Nis, settlement Novo selo, JPU “Pcelica” (5 rooms furnished)

25. Municipality of Raska, PU “Veselo detinjstvo”, village of Milatkovice (3 rooms)

26. Municipality of Brus, PU “Pahuljice”, Zlatari village (1 room)

27. Municipality of Opovo, PU “Bambi” (2 rooms)

28. Municipality of Vladimirci, PU “Suncokreti”, a village of Debrc (3 furnished rooms)

29. Municipality of Bac, PU “Kolibri”, Bodjani village (1 room)

30. Municipality of Pozega, PU “Olga Jovicic Rita”, Zdravcici village (2 rooms)

31. City of Belgrade, Municipality of Novi Belgrade – Bezanijska kosa, PU “11th April” (13 rooms equipped)

You can see the photos here.

In the framework of the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MPNTR) with the support of the World Bank, within the framework of goal 2.3 Improvement of the system of evaluation of the quality of preschool Education and Care, a project task related to Improvement of the process is foreseen self-evaluation in preschool institutions. The Center for European Policies (CEP) was engaged to implement the project task, which was defined in cooperation with MPNTR and the Institute for Evaluation of the Quality of Education and Training (ZVKOV).

The aim of the activities within this project task is to improve the process and practice of self-evaluation by strengthening the competencies of practitioners who are recognized as key actors in the process of changing practice in accordance with the starting points of the program conception of preschool Education and Care (PVO). In this sense, it is important to ensure a common understanding of the cycle and the role of self-evaluation in the development and change of kindergarten practice, and the Project provides various types of support:

• – prepared resources for self-evaluation of the work of preschool institutions (proposed instruments – checklists for self-evaluation team members, questionnaires for educators and nurse educators, focus groups/interviews with educators, parents, professional associates, director, a proposal of questions for consultation with children);

• – a Guide for self-evaluation of PU was created (10,600 copies are being printed, of which almost every group in all public PUs will have its own copy of the guide);

• – one-day training for self-evaluation teams of public PUs (completed during June and September);

• – mentoring support for self-evaluation teams of all public preschool institutions throughout the entire cycle of self-evaluation during the working year 2022/23. years;

Based on the decision of the Minister, the one-day training for self-evaluation of the quality of the work of preschool institutions was placed on the list of programs of public interest and as such is free for all participants.

The training leaders form a team of 30 practitioners who have been previously trained to conduct training for self-evaluation of the work of the PU and provide mentoring support during the entire cycle of self-evaluation.

During June, 11 training sessions were held with around 300 participants from 77 preschool institutions, and during September, an additional 7 training sessions were held for teams from 84 PUs, with around 200 participants. The hosts were preschool institutions that provided their space for the implementation of the training (except for a few that were implemented in vocational training centers). The training was evaluated by the participants as very useful, applicable, and educational because it provided useful information and guidelines for further work on the self-evaluation process, as well as concrete proposals, explanations, and recommendations for further work.

Mentoring support to self-evaluation teams of public PUs is currently underway (since October 1) and will last throughout the entire self-evaluation cycle, until June 2023.

In November, there will be 3 trainings for about 100 educational advisors from all school administrations in the territory of the Republic of Serbia with the aim of empowering them to provide support to practitioners in PU in accordance with the new program concept.

The city of Sombor with its partners PU “Vera Gucunja”, the Center for Social Work, the Red Cross Sombor, and the Association for Support of Persons with Autism “Maslacak” implements the project “Everyone in Kindergarten”, which is supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and the World Bank. The project, with the co-financing of the City of Sombor, enabled the complete adaptation and furnishing of the space in the kindergarten “Suncica” in Backi Monostor for the purpose of opening a new educational group, thereby improving the provision of holistic and high-quality preschool services, including the area of ​​health care, early detection of changes in behavior and development, as well as stimulation in the period of early development.

The goal of the project is to improve the availability of preschool institutions for children from socially vulnerable groups, to contribute to equity through achieving equal opportunities for learning and development of children from vulnerable social groups, as well as providing support to families for the development of parental competence.

A new educational group was opened in the “Suncica” kindergarten in Backi Monostor, which includes 23 children from socially sensitive groups. In addition to regular educational work adapted to the needs of each child, project partners implement activities both with children and with parents with the desire to strengthen families from socially and economically disadvantaged social groups and provide children with the opportunity for quality integrated development. The little ones from the group showed great interest and desire to explore and learn, as well as to socialize with their friends.

Support in their growing up, in addition to the family, is now provided by experts from various fields, who believe in children’s capacities to actively participate in their learning and development. In addition to the teacher, there is also a Roma coordinator with the children in the group, who provides support to children who speak only the Romani language. In this way, we achieve justice in education and upbringing, and children are happy to get involved in activities and contribute to the work.

The beauty of diversity is also reflected in the cooperation between the three educational groups, as many as the “Suncica” kindergarten, where every day the children socialize with each other, learn from each other, play, and support each other. Everyday smiles on children’s faces indicate to us that children in kindergarten feel satisfied, happy, fulfilled, and accepted, that they build relationships of trust, respect, closeness, and friendship, which is one of the most important goals we strive to achieve.

Both the local community and the parents of the children in the group support us in all of this. With their suggestions and ideas, they enrich the projects that are implemented in the kindergarten, include them in the activities that are implemented by the project partners, and, together with the teachers, motivate the children to stay and actively develop in the kindergarten.

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