Blulink supports the PedaKos project

Blulink supports the PedaKos project

PEDAKOS – PRESCHOOL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE FOR KOSOVO

Blulink again this year decided to support a project of RTM Reggio Emilia, an association that has been carrying out solidarity projects around the world for many years. This year’s project is located in Kosovo and originates from RTM’s 20-year presence in the country and from a Feasibility Study conducted in Kosovo coordinated by RTM and carried out by a mixed team composed of 6 experts in pedagogy, training, early childhood education service management and integration in the Western Balkans.

Context

In Kosovo, more than 90 percent of licensed preschools are located in urban centers, and the majority of them (about 65 percent) are privately run. Although preschool development is listed as a national priority, the Ministry of Education’s capacity for governance of the sector is still limited.
Consultations during the feasibility study revealed a deep concern about the poor quality of preschool education. This element was also noted by several international studies.

The project addresses 3 specific needs and problems:

  1. Weak professional skills of preschool staff.
    Preschool directors and educators have dated or low-quality training. Modern pedagogical materials are lacking, and opportunities for further education are scarce and expensive.
  1. Top-down educational methods.
    Preschools use “imported” learning methods that put discipline and learning obligation at the center. Consequently, teaching activities, materials and educational spaces are rigid, repetitive. Family participation is very weak: parents conceive of the school as a “parking lot” aimed at preparing children for elementary school.
  1. Public-private antagonism.
    The relationship between the public and private sectors is ineffective because it is based on the defense of vested interests. Private individuals see the relationship with institutions as useless because of the limited public funding available.