Comenius Foundation for Child Development
Encyclopedia
The Comenius Foundation for Child Development, or Comenius Foundation for short (Polish: Fundacja Rozwoju Dzieci im. Komeńskiego, or Fundacja Komeńskiego), is a children's welfare non-governmental organisation based in Warsaw
, Poland
, established in September 2003. The Foundation's goal is to provide equal educational opportunities to children aged 3-5 years, particularly in rural areas of high unemployment, in response to a dramatic decline in preschool education
services in Poland. Only 38% of children aged 3-5 attended pre-school
, which means that some 750,000 children in this age group is left out of pre-school care. In rural areas the attendance figure is below 10%. This is the worst result in the whole European Union
.
The Foundation organises and conducts training for teachers, school and kindergarten headmasters, teachers and local educational authorities.
The Foundation's "Where There Are No Pre-schools" programme aims at helping rural communities to develop new models for early-childhood education, based on local financial resources. A pilot scheme was set up in 28 rural communities
, where 75 Early Childhood Education Centres have been set up, with over 800 children. Educational activities are provided by teachers trained by the Comenius Foundation to use the project approach in the classroom. The local authorities cover the costs of the teachers' salaries and the premises, whereas the Foundation is responsible for financing the teacher training, monitoring the quality of teaching and setting up local libraries. An external evaluation of the programme, commissioned by the Foundation, will enable modification while the programme is being implemented.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, established in September 2003. The Foundation's goal is to provide equal educational opportunities to children aged 3-5 years, particularly in rural areas of high unemployment, in response to a dramatic decline in preschool education
Preschool education
Preschool education is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero and three or five, depending on the jurisdiction....
services in Poland. Only 38% of children aged 3-5 attended pre-school
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, which means that some 750,000 children in this age group is left out of pre-school care. In rural areas the attendance figure is below 10%. This is the worst result in the whole European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
The Foundation organises and conducts training for teachers, school and kindergarten headmasters, teachers and local educational authorities.
The Foundation's "Where There Are No Pre-schools" programme aims at helping rural communities to develop new models for early-childhood education, based on local financial resources. A pilot scheme was set up in 28 rural communities
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
, where 75 Early Childhood Education Centres have been set up, with over 800 children. Educational activities are provided by teachers trained by the Comenius Foundation to use the project approach in the classroom. The local authorities cover the costs of the teachers' salaries and the premises, whereas the Foundation is responsible for financing the teacher training, monitoring the quality of teaching and setting up local libraries. An external evaluation of the programme, commissioned by the Foundation, will enable modification while the programme is being implemented.
External links
- Comenius kindergartens
- Information about the "Where There Are No Preschools" programme from Bernard van Leer FoundationBernard van Leer FoundationThe Bernard van Leer Foundation funds and shares knowledge about work in early childhood development. The foundation was established in 1949 and is based in the Netherlands....