Kindergarten 'Vučko' opened in Dobrinja: New capacity for 75 children in the preschool education system

(Patria) - The kindergarten "Vučko", a new organizational unit of the Public Institution "Djeca Sarajeva", has been opened in the Dobrinja settlement, expanding the preschool education capacities in the Novi Grad Sarajevo Municipality.

The opening of the kindergarten was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by KS Prime Minister Nihad Uk, Minister of Education Naida Hota-Muminović, Mayor of Sarajevo Samir Avdić, Mayor of Novi Grad Sarajevo Municipality Semir Efendić, and acting Director of the Public Institution "Djeca Sarajeva" Amela Buljubašić.

The kindergarten has a space of approximately 500 m2, which has been adapted and equipped for preschool education needs in accordance with pedagogical standards.

After verifying that all prescribed conditions were met, the Ministry of Education of KS issued consent for the kindergarten to operate and registered it in the Register of Preschool Institutions.

The adaptation of the space, valued at approximately 600,000 KM, was financed by the Novi Grad Sarajevo Municipality and the City of Sarajevo.

The kindergarten's operation is organized into three educational groups: two for children aged three to six years and one nursery group for children aged one to three years, with a total capacity of approximately 75 children.

Prime Minister Uk stated that the expansion of preschool education capacities is the result of continuous work on improving the accessibility of kindergartens for children and parents.

- When we took responsibility for leading Sarajevo Canton, we found over 600 girls and boys on waiting lists for kindergarten. That was a clear signal that we had to act quickly and decisively.

We eliminated waiting lists through a combination of measures: by introducing subsidies for children attending private kindergartens, but also by simultaneously expanding the capacities of public kindergartens, through adapting existing spaces and building new facilities.

During this period, we opened seven new kindergartens: Umihana Čuvidina, Vjeverica, Bulbuli, Ljiljani, Ljubičica, Agan Bostandžić, and today Vučko, thereby significantly increasing preschool education capacities - said Uk.

Minister Hota-Muminović emphasized that improving the accessibility of preschool education is one of the important priorities of educational policy in Sarajevo Canton.

- In Sarajevo Canton, over ten thousand children attend preschool institutions, making us leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This result is the fruit of continuous cooperation among all levels of government and joint investment in expanding capacities - both through the public institution "Djeca Sarajeva" and through the Sarajevo Canton Government program that supports children attending private preschool institutions.

We will continue to expand capacities and increase the enrollment of children in preschool education - stated Hota-Muminović, adding that preschool education is the first step in the educational journey of every child.

Acting Director of the Public Institution "Djeca Sarajeva" Amela Buljubašić said that this institution is continuously working on expanding the network of preschool capacities, and that children will start attending the "Vučko" kindergarten on Monday.

- The "Vučko" kindergarten is currently filled with two educational groups, while it is planned that from September of the next school year, operations will be organized through three educational groups, with a capacity of approximately 77 children - stated Buljubašić.

In Sarajevo Canton, preschool education is currently provided through 41 organizational units of the Public Institution "Djeca Sarajeva" and 70 private preschool institutions, with the total number of children included in the system exceeding 10,000.