No. 4

No 4
January 2014
Improvement of preschool education in Serbia
Improvement of preschool education in Serbia (IMPRES)
is a joint project of the Ministry of Education, Science and
Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia and the
European Union. The project is funded by the European Union
with 3,75 million EUR from the pre-accession funds. The purpose
of the IMPRES project is to strengthen the conditions of preschool
education for children, especially those from vulnerable groups,
through improvements in the quality of preschool programmes
and expansion of the capacities of preschool institutions. 15 pilot
municipalities are included in the project activities - PozarevacKostolac, Petrovac na Mlavi, Arandjelovac, Leskovac, Krusevac,
Razanj, Surdulica, Gadzin Han, Bela Palanka, Uzice, Tutin, Ruma,
Beocin, Sabac and Mali Zvornik.
Project is implemented by SOFRECO and its partners Early Years
and Internationaler Bund. Activities started in February 2011 and
will continue until May 2014.
Project funded by
the European Union
More children in
kindergartens
Everybody in playroom
Special programmes
in Sabac
Republic of Serbia
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
Happy days in
playroom
Eco-ethno center
near Beocin
Increased coverage of children
with preschool education in
Arandjelovac
Workshops for children
in Gadzin Han
Successfully developed
special programmes
in Leskovac
New programmes in Razanj
You can find more information about the project on www.impres.rs
Project Team
More children
in kindergartens
In
the last two years in many preschool institutions involved in the IMPRES
project specific and specialized programs for children from vulnerable
groups ages 3 to 5.5 are successfully implemented. Thus, more than 1000 children
who never had opportunities to be involved in preschool education got a chance
to stay in kindergartens and to socialize with their peers. Everybody gains children, parents and preschool teachers. All together they realized that with a
little effort and goodwill, a little more creativity and perseverance they created
opportunities for advancement of children who for many reasons where not
placed in kindergartens (children from poor families, Roma children, children from
remote and rural areas ...).
The IMPRES project developed these programmes depending on the needs of
family and the local community context.. Programmes are implemented as
playrooms, art, sports and other workshops. All children who want to be in
kindergarten are now included.
In some areas, mini-vans are taking children from home to kindergarten
and then back to home. These vehicles preschool institutions received
as EU donation through IMPRES project. Preschools involved succeeded
to establish cooperation with local communities; rural primary schools
have given rooms in which they place preschool programs and special
programmes. And, most importantly, the programmes are free of charge
in all environments and for all children.
Although legally binding and predicted, these programmes were not visible enough in
practice. Just like the children for which they are designed.
At the beginning, this change brought a lot of questions and concerns. Today satisfaction
appears. There are joys and pleasures of children, parents and professionals (teachers,
professional advisors, directors of institutions) which succeeded in changing themselves,
their work, institutions and system.
Happy days in
playroom
Children
from vulnerable
groups in municipality of Mali Zvornik are included in the special programmes that have been developed in the
preschool institution Crvenkapa in this town. In seven villages of the municipality, more than 50 children ages 3 to 5.5 participate in
daily activities in special programmes – playroom.
In the playroom, which takes place in the primary school in village Brasina, children are transported every day by mini-van donated by the European Union.
After two hours in playroom they are being transported back to their houses. Preschool teacher Natasa Ristic says that children quickly adapted and now other
parents also want to bring children in the playroom.
According to Olga Todorovic, Director of the preschool institution, children and parents are very satisfied with the activities and programmes which are now
taking place on a daily basis. “Crvenkapa has found its way to every child. In our municipality there is no “waiting list” to enroll preschool education and we are
trying to include all children in preschool education”, Todorovic says.
Preschool institution from Mali Zvornik was among the first to set up the realization of special programs for children from sensitive groups. Programs are open
to all children.
Eco-ethno center near Beocin
In
Banastor, a place near northern Serbian town of Beocin, in adapted
children make a lot of noise. In classroom adapted in eco - ethno
vulnerable groups ages 3 to 5.5 arrived to spend two hours. White
lers until they are ready to go back home.
spacious classrooms of local elementary school
center, with the nice view to Danube river, ten children from
mini-van was cruising a steady path and will wait for little trave-
Hourly travel in mini-van which was delivered to preschool institution as EU donation through IMPRES project is designed and transformed into a specialized
program. During the trip, children with their teachers talk about various interesting topics.
Second year, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays children are transported in the premises of a school - kindergarten “Labudic” where preschool institution Ljuba Stankovic from Beocin organized playroom. In a warm classroom they organized New Year show and then continued with regular workshop. In the
corner of a classroom real kitchen in ethnic style, on the other side there’s eco space - seeds of various plants, books about nature and animals...
Zdenka Rad, director of the institution said that the special programmes are taking place in six villages of Beocin municipality (Rakovac, Beocin village, Beocin,
Brasilia, Cerevic and Banastor).
“We managed to organize a traveling kindergarten, to open eco - ethno center and to include more than 20 children from villages in these programmes. With
support of the local government we will continue to work in the future because we see how these programmes helped children from villages to be involved
in kindergarten Programmes are free for all children“, says Zdenka Rad.
Special programmes
in Sabac
Special
programmes for vulnerable children
were successfully implemented
in the preschool institution Nase dete Sabac. In special
programmes - playroom “ Let’s start with three, let’s start
all” around 500 children ages 3 - 5,5 who had not been
involved in preschool education are now included in the
last two years.
Programmes are held in 47 villages of the municipality
of Sabac in the premises of village schools and local
communities that have been adapted and customized
to work with children. “Developing these programmes
we have increased the coverage of children with
preschool education by 10% and thus we included
children from rural areas in kindergarten”, says Marica
Vuletic, director of the preschool institution.
Everybody in
playroom
In
premises of the new kindergarten of preschool institution
Poletarac from Ruma (EU donation through IMPRES project)
twice per week the playroom is organized for children, parents and
teachers. The playroom is organized for children from vulnerable
groups ages 3 to 5.5 who have never been included in preschool
education. Together with their parents they spend two
hours of socializing in various activities.
Five year old girl says she wants every day to come to
kindergarten because it is “nice to be with children”. Like
this girl, other children also didn’t have many opportunities
to be included in kindergarten although some of them live near to
the kindergarten.
Specific and specialized programs (playrooms, reading rooms) are
carried out in 15 villages in the municipality of Ruma. In these
programs 229 children are included, which represents 43 % of the
children from rural areas included in preschool education.
Preschool institution has established good cooperation with local
community and has managed to develop these programmes for the
benefit of children, parents and preschool teachers. Programmes
are free for all children.
The preschool institution established successful
cooperation with the local self-government. According to
Ana Marinkovic, Head of Department of Social Services
in Sabac municipality, municipality will continue to
support programmes that have been initiated during the
implementation of the IMPRES project.
Successfully developed special
programmes in Leskovac
They
happily entered with their parents into kindergarten. Although previously not included in preschool education,
more than 150 children ages 3 to 5.5 from Leskovac and villages in this
municipality are now included in the preschool education.
In the kindergarten “Cvrcak” in Leskovac in preschool institution “Vukica
Mitrovic” placed in the center of town, about 30 children are coming in
the playroom three times per week. Proud grandmother says that she
brings her granddaughter to play with peers. She will come to
pick her up after two hours when programme ends. Sometimes,
she says, she stays with her as well as other parents in playroom.
Increased coverage of
children with preschool
education in Arandjelovac
More
than 100 children ages 3-5.5 participated in preschool
education through special programmes developed in
preschool institution Duga in Arandjelovac over the past year and half.
Children from vulnerable groups (rural areas) who never had any opportunities to be included in kindergartens, through these programmes
- playroom “Let’s play” are now included in preschool education.
Programmes are organized three times per week (three hours) in premises of the primary schools in villages of Vencani, Bukovik, Stojnik and in
other villages where classrooms are adapted and customized to work for
children. Special programs are also organized in the primary school in the
city center where another group of children was formed. Even while living
in the city centre, children were not previously included in kindergarten.
The parents are satisfied with the developed programmes and point out
that children are happy and they quickly adapted. For some of them this
is the first time to spend time with their peers. Preschool teachers who
are working with children included in the programmes said they quickly
adapt and spend their time playing and having fun. Programs are free to
all children.
Tatjana Kolic, psychologist and coordinator for development of special
programs in PI “Duga” said that coverage of children with preschool education increased 10 % thanks to these programmes. She stressed that PI
is hoping that the local government will continue to support these programs in the future.
In small towns of Vucje at the premises of the
local kindergarten special programs for 30
children are also organized. Another seven
groups of children were successfully organized
in the villages in the municipality and more than 150
children are now covered with preschool
education.
In preschool institution “Vukica Mitrovic”
in Leskovac more than 30 years “Kindergarten in nature” programmes exist. Teachers
are proud to point out that they have kept
the old tradition, and with new activities managed to
introduce the kindergarten to children who have never had a chance to be there.
New prefabricated structure is delivered to preschool institutions as part of EU donation under the IMPRES project and will
soon start working. In new activities other children will be included.
Workshops for children
in Gadzin Han
At
preschool “Prva radost” in Gadzin Han 17 children ages 3 to 5.5 who have not been previously
involved in preschool education are now coming to the kindergarten . They are all together
involved in special programs (playroom) which is organized in the primary school in nearby village as
well as in kindergarten in Gadzin Han. Programmes are in place since last year.
In this small town near Nis, with ten thousand inhabitants in the foothills of Suva Planina, with two
mini-vans, which the preschool institution received as an EU donation for transportation of children who
have not been involved in preschool education within the IMPRES project, children are taking to kindergarten for two hours of play and socialize with their peers. After two hours children are transported
back to their homes.
The local government has supported preschool in implementation of these programmes. The municipality is faced with a
sharp drop in new born rate which is also evidenced by
the small number of children involved in the programmes. According to Biljana
Milojković, Director of preschool institution, programmes are open to all children and are free.
During implementation of the IMPRES project, preschool institution has achieved good cooperation with the preschool
institution from Razanj in exchanging experiences in implementation of these programmes.
New programmes in Razanj
The
mini-van transports ten children ages 3 - 5.5 who have never been involved in preschool education in kindergarten “Leptirici” in Razanj. The playroom where they stay with teachers twice per week during two hours is organized for them. Children socialize and play, and then are transported to
their homes, accompanied by teachers. Mini-van is EU donation under the IMPRES project.
A specialized programme (physical education programme) was recently organized in kindergarten. In this programme 23 children from the group for preparatory preschool programme are included. Professor of Physical Education, a mother whose child goes to kindergarten is volunteering and playing with children.
In this small town in the south of Serbia, 55 km from Nis, ten thousand
inhabitants are faced with a declining birth rates in the entire municipality and thus with a declining number of children enrolled in kindergarten.
Nevertheless, preschool institution developed special and specialized
programs for kids who are growing in this municipality.
This publication has been produced with the assistance from the European
Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the
IMPRES Project and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European
Union.