Only 46 percent of children part of pre-school education, further efforts needed in sector
Skopje, 28 October 2024 (MIA) - Further efforts are needed for the development of pre-school education and the country must invest in both access and quality, said Steffen Hudolin, Head of Cooperation in the EU Delegation to the country, at Monday's final conference of a project on raising the quality of pre-school education and care.
"Regarding access, despite the recent progress of enrollment of children aged 3-6, the 46-percent mark is still very low, considering that the EU has set the goal at 96 percent. We are aware that children from higher-income families will most probably go to pre-school. Only four percent of Roma children attend pre-school education, and it should be accessible to all, regardless of the parents' income," said Hudolin.
He added that kindergartens should have an opening for all children, coming from both urban and rural environments.
"This does not mean that new facilities are a must, but a revision of the existing ones in order to optimise the network of schools and kindergartens. Rational numbers should be the priority, because if we have too many children in classrooms then learning is much harder, and if the groups are smaller, teachers can work individually with children," said Hudolin.
On the curriculum, he said it should not be static but undergo permanent change, revision and upgrade, while teachers should attend continued trainings, be transparent and have the appropriate tools that would help them adapt to the children's needs.
Minister of Social Policy, Demography and Youth Fatmir Limani said the project has been effective in the work of kindergartens, while hoping that trainings, manuals and draft-amendments to the law would serve as a good foundation for practical implementation lead to a higher quality of kindergarten services.
"Various forms of professional training of staff have been implemented in kindergartens, with the aim of ensuring a unified approach that will lead to positive effects in all job positions but also in the institution as well," noted Limani.
Photo: MIA
