On June 14, 2024, State Secretary in the Ministry of Education Zoran Kasalovic and the Mayor of Merosina Sasa Jovanović ceremoniously opened a newly constructed kindergarten within the “Poletarac” Preschool Institution in Merosina. The new facility, covering an area of approximately 640m2 and funded with over 53 million dinars, will provide 80 new spots for children, organized into four groups.

“With the construction of this facility, we continue to implement our educational policy aimed at increasing the coverage of children through the preschool education system. The Ministry of Education supports parents, local government, and our youngest citizens because by investing in their education, we lay the foundation for a healthy and happy childhood, and consequently, a successful future,” stated State Secretary Zoran Kasalovic, emphasizing that the expansion of preschool institution capacities in Serbia is part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project supported by the World Bank.

Previously, as part of the Project, the Ministry of Education adapted six rooms for operation in five villages of the Merosina municipality, accommodating over 200 children in the preschool education system over the past four years. Free transportation has been provided for children from remote areas, and workshops have been organized for parents from socially vulnerable groups. Merosina received non-refundable funds totalling 7.3 million dinars for these activities.

“The Municipality of Merosina and the Poletarac Preschool Institution are honoured and pleased to open the new kindergarten in Merosina today with State Secretary in the Ministry of Education Zoran Kasalovic. The new “Poletarac” building eliminates waiting lists, facilitates and enhances children’s stay in the kindergarten, and allows parents to work with peace of mind, knowing their children are in good hands. It is our responsibility as the local self-government, together with the ministry, to continue implementing such successful projects and to improve conditions for young parents while encouraging natality,” stated Mayor Sasha Jovanović.

In addition to expanding capacities, the Ministry of Education pays special attention to improving the quality of the preschool education system. In line with this, training sessions have been conducted for employees within the preschool institution territory of the Merošina municipality. Visits to the cluster center in Pirot have been organized for educators, professional associates, and directors to exchange practical knowledge and experiences. The Inclusive Education Team has undergone training aimed at supporting parents and children. Additional funds amounting to approximately 225,000 dinars have been allocated to enhance the quality of the preschool education system, specifically for the acquisition of ICT equipment and low-mobile furniture.

The Ministry of Education is implementing the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project in cooperation with the World Bank, covering 23 facilities in the territory of 22 local self-governments. The Project aims to improve the quality of preschool upbringing and education, with a particular focus on increasing its accessibility to children from socially vulnerable groups and raising parents’ awareness of the importance of including children in the preschool education system from the earliest age. The total value of the project is 47 million euros.

You can see the photos here.

On Saturday, June 8th, the Parenting Fair was held for the second time at the “Dečija radost” kindergarten in Novi Pazar, with over 950 parents and children in attendance.

As part of the Inclusive Preschool Education and Care project, and under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, the first Parenting Fair in this city was organized last year, garnering significant interest from the broader community, especially families with young children.

Encouraged by the positive experience and the great interest of parents, particularly those from vulnerable social groups, for this type of direct communication and support from local institutions and organizations, the “Mladost” Preschool Institution from Novi Pazar organized the Parenting Fair again this year.

During the Parenting Fair, 15 workshops were held for parents and children, and various educational institutions, as well as local government institutions, were presented – including the “Mladost” Preschool Institution, elementary schools and kindergartens, the Novi Pazar Health Center, the Novi Pazar Psychologists Association, the Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities (MNRP), the Novi Pazar Center for Social Work, the “Stevan Mokranjac” Music School, the “Ras” Museum, the “Dositej Obradović” National Library, the Bosniak National Council, the Sports Association and School Sports Association of Novi Pazar, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Novi Pazar Police Department, and the “Duga” Center for Children and Youth.

The fair was visited by over 950 parents with children, including 178 fathers, 357 mothers, and 421 children. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about their parental rights and the services and support provided by the mentioned institutions in one place. Parents were able to enhance their parenting skills through various types of workshops and participate in different creative activities with their children.

Photos from the event can be viewed here.

The aim of holding the Parenting Fairs is to allow as many parents of preschool-aged children as possible to become familiar with the services and types of support provided to families by local institutions and organizations. Additionally, the fair is an opportunity to strengthen their parenting competencies through educational workshops and to learn, create, play, and have fun with their children by participating in creative and sports activities.

The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the World Bank, has so far organized six Parenting Fairs as part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project in Čačak, Sombor, Vranje, Loznica, Novi Pazar, and Kragujevac. Thanks to the good results and great interest from parents, some local governments have decided to continue organizing Parenting Fairs annually and to provide continuous support to families with young children.

The first traces of organized work with preschool children date back to 1930, when a kindergarten was established at the local primary school. More serious and organized work began on September 6, 1966, with the opening of a kindergarten at the First Primary School, marking the beginning of continuous organized preschool education in Gornji Milanovac. Finally, in 1972, the Assembly of the Municipality of Gornji Milanovac established the “Institution for the Care and Education of Children, Provision of Extended Stay, Accommodation, and Other Forms of Assistance to Primary School Students,” under the name “Miša Lazić.”

Since its founding, the institution operated in inadequate spaces at “King Alexander I” Primary School until the construction of the first building in 1972. The second organizational unit, Building II, was built in 1979. Building III was constructed in 1981, and an annex to Building I was added in 1984. On October 1, 2008, a new working unit, Building IV, was formed by adapting the so-called “Residence” space at “Momčilo Nastasijević” Primary School. Preschool education in Rudnik is conducted in a facility built in 1971 as part of “Arsenije Loma” Primary School in Rudnik. In Pranjani, the preschool education system began operating on October 1, 2002, using the space at “Ivo Andrić” Primary School, and since January 18, 2010, the kindergarten in Pranjani has been operating in a newly adapted space.

Educational work with children is organized in nursery groups for ages 1-2 and 2-3 years, as well as educational groups for ages 3-5.5 years, and mixed groups from 1-3 years and from 3 years until the start of the preparatory preschool program. The preparatory preschool program is part of the institution’s regular program (ages 5.5 – 6.5 years) and is conducted as either full-day or four-hour sessions. The working units are of a combined nature (nursery and kindergarten), except for the facility in Rudnik, which has a mixed group and another group in the preparatory preschool program, and Building IV, which is exclusively for children of preparatory preschool age. The total number of children enrolled in the kindergarten is 1320.

To ensure the quality of educational work, efforts are made to provide resources for adapting spaces and equipping kindergartens with furniture, didactic materials, toys, various equipment, experimental tools, audiovisual materials, literature, and ICT equipment. The resources for adaptation and equipping are provided with the help of the local community, creating didactic materials in the kindergartens involving children, educators, parents, and local community experts, as well as implementing numerous projects.

As part of the “Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care” project implemented by the Ministry of Education with the help of the World Bank, 4 classrooms have been adapted and equipped. In the kindergarten in Pranjani, 2 classrooms for children aged 3 to school age and 1 room for nursery-aged children were adapted and equipped, while one educational room was adapted in the facility at the primary school in Svračkovci.

The adaptation of the space included painting, replacing, repairing, and sanding parquet floors, painting radiators, and installing LED panels. In Pranjani, the carpentry in the mentioned three rooms was replaced. The classrooms were equipped with the most modern furniture, didactic materials, toys, picture books, and other materials needed for educational work. This has created an environment that allows children to grow and develop in a safe and stimulating setting, enabling them to explore, play, and learn with their peers.

The significance of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project, through which the classrooms at the “Sunce” Preschool Institution were adapted and equipped, is extremely significant as it improves the quality of work, increases the coverage of children, ensures the availability of preschool services, and creates equal opportunities for learning and development for all children.

You can see the photos here.

The roots of organized work with preschool children date back to 1968. On September 1, 1968, the first preschool group began operating at “Dobrila Stambolić” Elementary School with 30 children.

On the initiative of the Municipal Assembly and the Child Protection Institute of Svrljig, the “October 13th” Children’s Kindergarten was established in 1978. In 1993, the kindergarten was renamed the “Poletarac” Institution for Preschool Children, and in 2011, it became the “Poletarac” Preschool Institution.

Through the allocation of funds from the municipal budget, the implementation of projects and various programs supported by the ministries of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, UNICEF, the Center for Interactive Pedagogy, the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, and other collaborators, and the creation of various programs aimed at developing inclusive practices, the work of the institution has been enhanced.

Today, the institution serves 250 children aged 1 to 6.5 years. Educational and developmental work is conducted in 11 educational groups.

By participating in the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” program implemented by the Ministry of Education with the help of the World Bank, two classrooms in the separate facility in the village of Drajinac have been adapted and equipped. This marks another step toward achieving the goal defined in the Strategy for the Improvement of Preschool Education in the Municipality of Svrljig for the period 2020-2025 – increasing the enrollment of children aged 6 months to 5.5 years by enriching the offer of various quality programs, considering the needs of the family and local community, and developing partnerships with all relevant participants in the process of preschool education.

The adaptation of the space involved the renovation of toilets, flooring, smoothing and painting walls, replacing interior and exterior carpentry, and replacing outdated electrical installations. The classrooms have been equipped with modern furniture, didactic materials, toys, books, picture books, and other materials used in educational work.

You can see the photos here.

In 1858, the first organized kindergarten was established in what is now the city of Zrenjanin, while the modern preschool institution was founded in 1990.

Today, the Preschool Institution in Zrenjanin conducts educational work, care, health-preventive protection, social work, and nutrition for children aged 6 months to school age in 20 facilities. In the 2023/2024 school year, a total of 2655 children were enrolled, divided into 117 educational groups. The institution also includes an administrative building and one group in the children’s department of the Zrenjanin hospital.

To ensure the quality of educational work, efforts are made to provide resources for adapting spaces and equipping kindergartens with furniture, didactic materials, toys, various equipment, experimental tools, audiovisual materials, literature, and ICT equipment. The resources for adaptation and equipping are provided with the help of the local community, creating didactic materials in the kindergartens involving children, educators, parents, and local community experts, as well as implementing numerous projects.

As part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project implemented by the Ministry of Education with the help of the World Bank, 3 classrooms have been adapted and equipped. In the “Zvončica” kindergarten, 2 classrooms for nursery-aged children were adapted and equipped, and in the “Decča radost” kindergarten, one classroom for preschool-aged children was adapted and equipped.

The adaptation of the space included painting, replacing, repairing, and sanding parquet floors, painting radiators, and installing LED panels. The classrooms were equipped with the most modern furniture, didactic materials, toys, picture books, and other materials needed for educational work. This has created an environment that allows children to grow and develop in a safe and stimulating setting, enabling them to explore, play, and learn with their peers.

The significance of the ” Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project, through which the classrooms in the Preschool Institution in Zrenjanin were adapted and equipped, is extremely significant as it improves the quality of work, increases the coverage of children, ensures the availability of preschool services, and creates equal opportunities for learning and development for all children.

You can see the photos here.