Teacher training key to initiative’s success

SARAJEVO // Supporting children with disabilities is at the forefront of efforts to improve preschool education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Complementing the services provided by Unicef and Dubai Cares, Edus, a local NGO, is training teachers and parents to provide better education for youngsters.

The project works with schools that take in children with learning disabilities and other conditions such as autism, and ensures they are given the tuition needed to progress through the education system.

“Teachers come to us from all over the country,” said Nirvana Pistoljevic, manager of Edus. “Kids come and my teachers work with them for five hours, and in that time we can do training as well. Right now we are focusing on basic intervention in schools.

“Education is very low in Bosnia and teachers often lack basic skills. So the training is just to identify the needs of the children and basic intervention and building blocks.”

The initiative is essential to the success of any preschool programme that hopes to cater for children with disabilities or learning difficulties.

An official said that to make the most of the Dubai Cares and Unicef project, there must be a long-term view to improvement.

“If finance stops there is a problem because it does not transfer to sustainable activities,” said Dr Goran Cerkez, assistant federal minister of health.

“It must be integrated into the system. It is good to have short first phases of programmes but after evaluation it is good to continue until you integrate into the system.

“This cannot be changed in just one or two years. We must change the way we think about this work. Children must be the focus.

“Teachers cannot just be teachers, they must be able to detect problems.”

Dr Cerkez said he hoped a longer-term programme could be produced with Unicef and Dubai Cares to provide a sustainable example of proper preschool education.