As part of the project of the Ministry of education, science and technological development “Inclusive preschool education and care”, and as part of the system support for preschool institutions in Serbia in the process of implementing a new program concept, creating space and a realistic program in accordance with the new Basics of the preschool education program “Godine uzleta”, were printed in a circulation of 10,600 copies and distributed PU: Kindergarten layout guide and Developing an integrated approach to learning through themes/projects with children.

The manuals belong to a series of manuals and guides under the common name “Linije leta”, which were prepared at the Institute for Pedagogy and andragogy of the Faculty of philosophy, University of Belgrade, and the publisher is the Ministry of education, science and technological development.

The Handbook on the specifics of strategies of educators in developing programs in accordance with the age of children, which belongs to the same “Linije leta” series, will soon be printed in the same circulation and distributed to preschool institutions, which completes the support for practitioners in preschool institutions, when it comes to developing resources – professional materials aimed at supporting the implementation of the program Basis of the “Godine uzleta”.

The manuals were printed in a circulation that allows it to be received within every public preschool institution: all professional associates and all trainers / mentors for the Fundamentals program, as well as almost every educational group. In the event that each group does not receive a distributed printed copy, preschool institutions also received a PDF version of the handbook.

Also, the manuals will be delivered to all faculties, secondary and higher schools that educate teachers, as well as teachers who implement the preparatory preschool program in the organization of elementary schools.

You can view the guide for decorating the space in the kindergarten here.

You can see the guide for developing a topic / project with children here.

The First Vice-President of the Government of Serbia and the Minister of education, science and technological development Branko Ruzic today, with the ceremonial signing of the contract, announced the equipping of five new kindergartens – cluster centers in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Pirot, Loznica and Cacak. The value of the contract is 21 million dinars, and the funds are provided as part of the Project “Inclusive Preschool Education”, which the Ministry is implementing in cooperation with the World Bank. The entire amount will be earmarked for the purchase of furniture, teaching aids and ICT equipment.

“Kindergartens – cluster centers are one of the measures by which we create conditions for improving the quality of pre-school education and provide support to educators and strengthen their competencies for the implementation of the program “Godine uzleta”, said Minister Branko Ruzic and announced that the Project also provided additional funds for equipping 107 preschool institutions with sets of low mobile furniture and ICT equipment in the amount of one million euros.

Professional visits of employees from other preschool institutions in Serbia will be organized in kindergartens – centers of the cluster, for the purpose of education, in order to ensure the further development of quality practice, exchange of experience and realization of one-day professional meetings. Educators from kindergartens – cluster centers are trained to conduct professional exchanges, and continuous professional support from the Institute for Pedagogy and Andragogy is provided.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development within the Project “Inclusive preschool education” provides support to peeschool institutions in the introduction and implementation of the new Foundations of preschool education and care “Godine uzleta”.

In addition to equipping kindergartens – cluster centers, the support includes training for 14.000 educators, mentoring support for 168 kindergartens, production and printing of six different manuals, worth 4.300.000 euros. In addition to the Project, the Ministry provides 11.000 new places for children in kindergartens throughout Serbia through the construction, extension and adaptation of kindergartens.

As a part of the project of Inclusive preschool education, which is realized by the Ministry of education, science, and technological development in cooperation with the World Bank, the signing of the contract announced the construction of two new kindergartens in Radinac near Smederevo and Sid.

Contracts signed by Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of education, science and technological development Branko Ruzic, Mayor of Smederevo Jovan Bec and Sid Municipality President Zoran Semenovic will provide 390 new places for children, 250 of them in Radinc near Smederevo and 140 in Sid.

The total value of the two investments is about 300m dinars, of which about 169m dinars will be allocated for a facility in Radinc near Smederevo, covering an area of about 1600 square metres, while about 131m dinars have been allocated for kindergarten in Sid and will cover an area greater than 1100 square metres.

Minister Ruzic reiterated that one of the ministry’s strategic goals is to increase capacity in preschool education and education institutions, and added that building new kindergartens, as well as raising the quality of education and care at all levels, meets the objectives of education policy. Ruzic stressed that support for the development and upbringing of children is extremely important for their further education.

The planned deadline for completion of these two facilities is one year.

The project “Inclusive preschool education and care”, works on expanding capacity and increasing the inclusion of children in preschool education and care, with an emphasis on children from sensitive social groups, through the construction of new and expanded and adaptation of existing preschool institutions, on raising the quality of preschool education and care through the introduction of new basics of the program, as well as improving the knowledge and skills of professional staff through mentoring support and training for about 12,000 educators. An important aspect of the programme is the inclusion of children from an early age, as well as sensitizing and educating parents on this issue.

1. THE CITY OF SABAC LAUNCHED A COMMUNITY KINDERGARTEN INSPIRED BY THE CULTURAL SIGHTS OF MISAR

Misar is a suburban settlement in the town of Sabac in the Macvan district. During the duration of the project “Support to children and families from vulnerable social groups in providing equal opportunities for learning and development”, we visited all families with children of preschool age. Due to the impossibility of transportation from the remote hamlet to the nearest kindergarten group, children up to 5 and a half years old mostly do not stay in the same one.

With this project, we designed the activity “Kindergarten in the community” in which we ensure greater accessibility to preschool education and care programs, especially for children from socially sensitive groups.

With the mobile counseling center (which is also one of the project activities), we mapped all the children in the settlement and visited families whose children do not go to any kindergarten. We determined their interest and announced a teacher and van transport that will gather them in the settlement and drive them to the places marked on the cultural map of the city.

Children have the opportunity to get to know the local history, customs and traditions of Mishar as an important historical place in an authentic way. The community kindergarten aims to gather preschool children from 3 to 5,5 years old, twice a week during May and June 2022. Gifts and means of work were provided for the children from the funds of the project. An educator with many years of experience in short programs was hired. Free transportation was provided by the preschool institution “Nase dete”. We received support from the local population as well as from the local association “Misar”.

2. MOBILE SCHOOL OF PARENTING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE CITY OF SABAC

In order for children to reach their full potential, they need to have a warm and supportive relationship with their parents, quality nutrition, protection from disease, an opportunity for early learning and a safe and stimulating environment for growth and development.

Aware of the importance of early development and the need for support and encouragement from institutions and experts who work with children and families, we designed the Mobile School of Parenting project activity within the project “Supporting children and families from vulnerable social groups in providing equal opportunities for learning and development”.

The mobile team was formed to deal with the education of parents in the rural area on the territory of the town of Sabac. The topics we cover are focused on prevention – healthy lifestyles and healthy child development. During June 2022, we implemented three mobile schools where experts from the Center for Social Work “Sabac” spoke about the importance of parenting, as well as medical nurses who work in the Patronage Service of the “Dr. Draga Ljocic” Health Center.

Based on the tour of the field where we spoke with the families, potential users of the project, this time we organized the meeting in the available spaces in Miokus, Petlovaca and Prnjavor.

3. JUNE IS THE MONTH OF FATHERS

As part of the project “Support to children and families from vulnerable social groups in providing equal opportunities for learning and development”, a program dedicated to fathers and their role in children’s development was implemented. Through the education of the first folklore steps, in cooperation with the House of Culture from Prnjavor, all participants of the workshop showed why they are super dads.

With this project, we brought together the fathers of Prnjavor and achieved the set goal of supporting families for the development of parental competences.

With the funds of the Grant, candy for children and t-shirts for dads were provided, as well as refreshments for all participants, and everything was organized in the joint cooperation of the employees of the kindergarten “Kolibri” and the Cultural Center from Prnjavor.

The goal of the project is to empower parents and families of children of the youngest age, i.e. from birth to starting school, to create conditions for the holistic development of children by raising awareness of the importance of stimulation in the period of early development at home and by providing access to appropriate services in the community.

You can see other photos here.

By decision of Minister of education, science and tehnological development, professional development program for employees in preschool education entitled: Years of Ascension “Joint Learning by Modeling – JLM” Horizontal learning of practitioners in PVO program basics – Training,  will recieve the status of public importance.

The Institute of Pedagogy and Andragogy of the University of Belgrade / Faculty of Philosophy has developed training for those responsible in changing practice in school institutions within the framework of component 2 of the project inclusive preschool education. The training for the horizontal learning of practitioners is based on theoretical positions aligned with the concept of PVO program basics – Annual Ascents. The training represents a significant form of professional development of practitioners and a contribution to their professional development as reflective practitioners.

The goal of the training is to empower practitioners for joint learning with colleagues  in PVO program basics. 

Specific training objectives:

1. 1. Empowerment of practitioners , who developed quality practice in the application of  PVO program basics – Years of Ascension, for continuous building of reflective practice through horizontal learning.
3. 2. Supporting practitioners, who developed quality practice based on the PVO program basics – Years of Ascension, to organize one-day professional visits with practitioners from other preschool institutions as a form of horizontal learning.
5. 3. Understanding the potential of horizontal learning in the professional development of practitioners.

The authors of the training are: prof. Dr. Dragana Pavlovic Breneselovic and prof. Dr. Zivka Krnjaja – University of Belgrade /Faculty of Philosophy.

Training for 90 practitioners (nurse educators, educators, professional assistants, directors) from preschool institutions “Radosno detinjstvo” from Novi Sad, “Dr. Sima Milosevic” from Zemun, “Moje detinjstvo” from Cacak, “Cika Jova Zmaj” from Pirot and “Bambi” from Loznica, which are cluster centers in the application of the “Joint learning by modeling – JLM” model, was realized during May 14 – 15 and May 28 – 29, 2022.

In order that the kindergarten centers of the cluster could establish and develop quality practice, but also strengthen their competences to realize one-day accredited professional meetings for colleagues from other preschool institutions, the Institute for Pedagogy andragogy continuously provides support to educators in developing quality practice. Also, through the project, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development additionally equipped the kindergarten centers of the cluster with low mobile furniture and ICT equipment. In the following period, equipping with didactic tools will be implemented.

According to the developed plan of visits with the aim of horizontal learning, from September 2022, trained practitioners – leaders from the cluster centers will realize one-day accreditation of expert meetings for colleagues from all public preschool institutions

Knowing that practitioners learn best through quality professional exchanges with fellow practitioners, we expect that visits to cluster centers in the coming period will further strengthen preschool institutions to develop quality practice in accordance with the program basics.

You can see other photos here.