Insufficient number of educators, too large educational groups in kindergartens and too many children per educator remain key challenges when it comes to improving and ensuring the quality of early and preschool education and upbringing.
This was evaluated in the Report on the implementation of the Action Plan for 2023 for the implementation of the Strategy of Early and Preschool Education in Montenegro for the period from 2021 to 2025.
In that document, it is emphasized that the activities defined by the Early and Pre-School Education Strategy are implemented according to the expected dynamics, with "understanding and adaptation to needs due to political and managerial changes that require adjustments and that slow down structural processes".
"Also, the constant change of members of the Working Group for monitoring and implementation of the Strategy has made it even more difficult to implement certain activities and to monitor and report on what has been achieved. Although the report is intended to cover the year 2023, and due to the omission of the previous management structure, it was not reported for the years 2021 and 2022, the period from 2021 to 2023 is covered here. Dominantly, under the coordination of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and the Institute of Education, 29 activities were implemented, of which 19 were completed, while 10 activities are in progress or are being continuously implemented - 24 percent, and 12 unrealized activities are noted in the document. , published on the website of the Government of Montenegro.
The report emphasized that one of the goals is to increase the number of children in kindergartens.
"In order to achieve this operational goal, it is necessary to implement the following key benchmarks that would contribute to the expansion of existing capacities - increasing capacity in public preschool institutions, adapting public-local spaces, a long-term capacity expansion plan, which will include innovative and socially responsible options and strengthening awareness of the importance of including children in early and preschool learning programs," the document states.
However, educational authorities stress that demographic changes and population migrations remain a key challenge.
"So we have an overbooking of positions in the central and southern regions. Rigid tender procedures, as well as the inability to find contractors for reconstructions and adaptations, also pose challenges," the report emphasized.
When it comes to spatial capacities, the educational authorities detect "a particularly challenging situation on the coast".
For this reason, it was assessed in the document, it is necessary to "continue the construction of new preschool institutions, especially in the central and southern parts".
"It is necessary to work on the adaptation of existing spaces and the expansion of educational groups. Special attention should be paid to potential cooperation with the private sector in terms of expanding the capacity to provide preschool education services in their facilities, in order to assess the feasibility and concrete modalities of cooperation with the private sector. Also, we should go in the direction of private-public partnership with private preschool institutions and think about the subsidies that exist in neighboring countries", the document states.
Due to the expansion of the capacity of preschool institutions, the report states, in the coming period it will be necessary to hire a larger number of educators.
"In the coming period, a plan should be made to increase the number of educators and professional associates, by changing the enrollment policy at the Faculty of Philosophy, i.e. by increasing the number of students at the department. In addition, the possibility should be considered to enable graduated specialists who have acquired professional qualifications to be employed in preschool institutions under certain conditions", the report recommended.
Also, we should go in the direction of private-public partnership with private preschool institutions and think about the subsidies that exist in neighboring countries, the document states.
It was emphasized that "the piloting of the new preschool education and upbringing program" is in progress.
"...And in order for the program to be implemented, all institutions need to provide funds for staff training. Better cooperation between institutions is needed, especially cooperation with the Faculty of Philosophy regarding changes in initial education, as well as student training for the implementation of the new program, which will be implemented in preschool institutions. The system of professional training for teachers should be harmonized with the EU framework, but also with the new plan and program, and after the professional training concept is developed, the necessary financial resources for its implementation should be provided", the document concludes.
Bonus video:
