The Young People’s Choir promotes “Preschool for all” campaign

BERANE/ANDRIJEVICA, Montenegro, 15 June 2015 – A performance by the children’s choir of the “Vasa Pavic” Music School and the outdoor preschool organized by the NGO “Pedagogical Centre” and the Faculty for Preschool Education, has gathered again children and parents in downtown Berane and Andrijevica.

In order to promote preschools as the best educational environment for children aged 3 to 6, UNICEF and the Montenegrin Ministry of Education launched "Preschool For All" campaign in the northern region of Montenegro, where the percentage of preschool enrollment rate is the lowest.

Ljilja Scekic, a parent from Berane, plans to enroll her children in kindergarten in September.  “UNICEF, which organized all this, motivated us a lot and pushed us even more to enroll our children to preschool, since it is so beautiful and creative.”

Jelena Curcic, a parent from Andrijevica, also understands the importance of going to preschool. “I think that it is really important for children to go to preschool because of socialization, personality, friendships, and their view on the future life and understanding the essence of life.”

A grandfather from Andrijevica, Rade Maslovaric, also supports going to kindergarten. “Children are bored with spending time only with grandparents, and they are happy when they are together with other children.

“Scientific studies worldwide show that good quality preschool education boosts the socio-economic development of the entire country, as it leads to better educational achievements, optimal child development and reduction of the unemployment rate. Children’s experiences also show us the importance of early enrollment of children in preschool.

“I learned rhymes and played a lot with my friends, and Vladana is my best friend. I liked to play in a small kitchen and I loved my teachers.”

“To draw, to play, to watch cartoons, everything.”

“I learned to count to ten in the kindergarten: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”

“My favorite meal in preschool are beans.”

More than 40 percent of parents who live in the north of Montenegro and whose children do not go to preschool say that their difficult financial situation is the main reason for not enrolling their children in preschool. The Study on investing in early childhood education, recently presented by UNICEF, recommends introducing a free preschool preparatory programme that lasts for three hours daily for every child and explains how to achieve this through spending the current preschool education budget more efficiently.

The Director of the preschool in Andrijevica Dobrasin Lalevic thinks that the introduction of a three-hour free preschool preparatory programme will increase the enrollment of young children in preschool. “We have many families that use family allowances. I hope that we will, through this initiative of UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, try to enroll all the children - at least in this free preschool preparatory programme.”

Lalevic recalled that enrollment in preschool is currently in progress and urged all parents to give their children the best start in life by enrolling them in preschool.