INCLUSIVE EDUCATION TEAMS IN 155 PUBLIC PRESCHOOL INSTITUTIONS WERE TRAINED

Within the framework of component 2 of the project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care”, support is provided through various activities to improve the inclusive approach to developing a realistic program.

As one of the types of support for 809 participants from 155 public Preschool institutions (members of teams for inclusive education, professional associates, and PI directors) in the period May – June 2023, the training Quality education and care for all children was implemented.

The training is a shortened and adapted version of the unique design Modules for training teachers in the field of inclusive education (UNICEF 2015). The author of the program is Judith Hollenweger. Adaptation of the scenario for training in Serbia was carried out by Gordana DJigic and Olja Jovanovic. Gordana Djordjevic and Jasmina Vuletic aligned the training with the Basics of the Program to implement the training within the Inclusive Preschool Education and Care project and after its pilot implementation for a group of participants from all professional associations.

This training aims to help the participants systematize their previous experiences and knowledge about inclusive education into a conceptual map that will represent a framework for further development and improvement of quality inclusive educational practice, both in their work and through exchanges with preschool teachers, institutions with which they are in the project together, as well as other preschool institutions.

• 

It is expected that after the two-day training, the participants will be able to:

– systematically plan and improve quality education for all children in their institutions, relying on relevant concepts, principles, and theoretical models, and

– participate in monitoring, evaluating, and providing quality guidelines for solving practical problems and improving the practice of educators in the institutions where they work, based on relevant concepts, principles, and theoretical models.

The training is designed to guide participants through the following topics:

–  Building common understanding: basic concepts and principles of inclusive education;

– Different environments carry different potentials/barriers to development and learning;

– Educational policies as a framework for the action of practitioners;

– Competences and beliefs of educators as a significant factor in the development of inclusive education;

– Learning involves participation in a learning community;

– How and where children learn is as important as what they learn;

– Learning from the perspective of lifelong learning;

This requires trainees to be familiar with:

1) the basic principles and assumptions on which inclusive education is based, i.e. education that includes and enables the well-being, involvement, and learning of all children;

2) the importance of participation, the limitations of participation, and the planning of changes that will enable the child’s participation in the process of upbringing and education;

3) legal regulations at the international and national level as a basis for the actions of practitioners;

4) the profile of a teacher competent for inclusive education;

5) situational approach to the educational process, i.e. how the behavior of educators affects the behavior of children and with planning and creating a stimulating environment for all children.

A group of 58 training leaders selected from among interested training leaders/mentors for the Fundamentals of Air Defense Program was trained during two trainings for training leaders (ToT) held in Belgrade on April 27-28 and May 8-9, 2023. In the period from May 22 to June 9, 809 members of Teams for Inclusive Education (TIO) from 155 public preschool institutions participated in 29 trainings organized throughout Serbia. Each preschool institution received the number and structure of participants based on data on the structure of employees and TIO members, to ensure the participation of various profiles (management, professional associates – psychologists, pedagogues, speech therapists, nurses, educators, special education teachers, pedagogical assistants).

In addition to training, the improvement of inclusive practice is also supported through the participation of all public preschool institutions in the implementation of the model of horizontal exchange of practitioners – the Community of Professional Learning. In the context of the implementation of this model, all kindergartens – the core of change – analyzed their inclusive practice based on the offered scenarios, then shared their insights with colleagues from other PUs and created action plans for improving and changing practice.

Additionally, The Kindergarten stories of good inclusive practice are being prepared by PU “Djurdjevdan” Kragujevac, PU “Nada Naumovic” Kragujevac, “Decija radost” Cuprija, PU “Bambi” Kula, PU “Nase dete” Sabac, and PU “Radost” Novi Banovci. It is planned that The Kindergarten stories of good inclusive practice will be available as a learning resource for all practitioners on the Learning Passport platform.