//Programs // Current // Where There Are No Pre-schools

 On average, only one in every three children aged 3-5 year attends pre-school in Poland. In rural areas this figure is three times lower: merely 13.5 per cent of all rural children in that age group are pre-schoolers. Elsewhere in Europe there is a much better understanding of the need to support early childhood development. In Ireland, Belgium and Hungary every child aged 3-5 goes to pre-school. Children who do not attend pre-school develop at a slower pace, learn social skills later and are less confident, which has an adverse effect on their academic performance.
This is why we have created “Where There Are No Pre-schools,” a programme that helps communities to build new, flexible early childhood services for children aged 3-5. Under the programme, Pre-school Centres are being opened to improve learning opportunities for rural children.

2006/2007 saw new communities join in the programme. At present there are 74 Centres operating in 28 communities and benefiting over 800 children.
Depending on the availability of space, the Centres are housed in community centres, schools or library facilities. The children take part in classroom activities a few hours a day, three or four days a week, under the guidance of teachers trained by the Foundation. Parents also play a prominent role: they participate in classroom activities and share ideas.
Local authorities provide the funding for the Centres’ resources and the teachers’ salaries. The Foundation pays the costs related to teacher training, teaching quality monitoring, and publications (also those available to parents). Local Co-ordinators, trained by the Foundation, are responsible for monitoring the quality of classroom activities