Research and analyses - Research and analyses completed

The period between 2006 and 2010 is for the Małopolska Region a time of dynamic growth of the primary education dissemination. At the beginning of this period only 43% of children aged 3-5 years participated in various forms of pre-school activities, while in December 2010 this figure was already 64%. However, in comparison to other European Union countries (also in comparison to other former Soviet bloc countries), the rate of participation in primary education is still very low.

The increase of the value in this indicator in the Małopolska Region had no balanced character. One can observe a significant disparity among urban communities, which was maintained during the considered period. Despite the fact that in 2010 in urban areas there were about 85% of children enrolled in primary education, in the rural areas this percentage was still less than half.

In 2006, on the map of Małopolska, the two "white spots" could be observed and they were indicating a cluster of municipalities with a low degree of dissemination of pre-school education. The smaller “spot” included the northern part of the region, the greater - the part in the south: Orava, Podhale, the area of Nowy Sącz. According to the statistical data, in the period 2006 - 2010, the first of these "spots" was almost completely filled. It was more difficult to eliminate the low level of dissemination of primary education occurring in the southern Małopolska - in 2010 there were still many communities, where, except for some branches of kindergarten at the elementary schools, no outside forms of pre-school education operating in the surroundings were available.

In the Małopolska Region, in 2010, for every 100 children aged 3-5, there were about 76 places in kindergartens, nursery points and pre-school assemblies (facilities) on average. It should be again noted that a significant disparity among urban and rural areas is still visible - in the municipalities, for each 100 out of 3-5-year-old children, there were 108 places on average, in rural communities – only about 51. The available places in these facilities are covered in almost 100%, however the rate of filling seats remains at a similar level since 2006 and does not depend on the type of municipalities (the figure is similar for all types of areas: municipalities, rural and urban-rural). There are few municipalities where the available places are filled in less than 90%. However, in many communities the facilities are overcrowded and are attended by more children than the declared number of places is (in extreme cases up to 50-80% more).

Making a comparison between places available in pre-school facilities of all kinds and the current, as well as the predicted number of children aged 3-5 in years 2012-2013, it can be observed that, assuming the situation in which every parent decides to send his 3-5-year-old child to some kind of pre-school facility, over 1,6 thousands of places would be lacking in the whole region. Furthermore, due to the larger current number of children aged 0-2 that those aged 3-5, in 2013 this rate of deficit of available places can rise up to nearly 29 thousands. In the above-mentioned situation, the highest would be the number of places lacking in rural areas (over 19 thousands).

The projects undertaken within the framework of the Human Capital Operational Programme for 2007-2013 9.1.1 Priority IX significantly contribute to the increase of the dissemination of preschool education in the various communes of the Małopolska Region. By 2010, 103 preschool institutions in 47 municipalities received the financial support for 63 projects. The total amount of support granted reached over 60 million zł. In comparison to the municipal expenditures on preschool education in the years 2007-10 (nearly 1.5 billion zł) in the whole voivodeship, these funds seem to be relatively low (approximately 3%). However, at the level of individual municipalities, it happened that the support under the HC OP was many times higher than its own resources intended for primary education.

By 2010 three contests within the Sub-measure 9.1.1 as been written out: two in 2008 and one in 2010. Starting from the second contest of 2008, the access criteria were defined the way that prevented the use of the support unless the community’s diffusion rate of pre-school education was less than 30%. Additionally, there were added some strategic criteria referring to conferring points for lower index values of the pre-school education diffusion (below 20% and less than 10%). Municipalities with the lowest propagation of preschool education were therefore strongly preferred.

Promoting preschool education by local municipalities in the Małopolska Region includes various forms of support aimed at both parents benefitting from preschool education, as well as those whose children do not go to kindergartens. The principal activities include financing pre-school institutions, which is often associated with the need to seek external funding sources, such as through writing projects under the OP HC. Moreover, it happens that the municipal authorities ensure the delivery of children to the facilities, provide meals, tours, or additional activities. Promoting pre-school education takes place also by directing messages to the families who do not send their children to kindergarten through different promotional campaigns, or at the meetings of the municipalities.

Endogenous initiatives aimed at promoting and supporting the pre-school education are most often taken by parents of children attending kindergartens. The directors of kindergartens show that each year increases the involvement of parents in preschool life. There are most actions undertaken in order to participate in various events (e.g. in Christmas meetings, in celebrations of the Mother's Day, etc.), as well as activities of self-organization of events and celebrations (such as bonfires, trips). An important initiative undertaken by parents living in municipalities where no pre-school education establishments are provided, is the pressure on municipal authorities to open this type of facility. The co-operation of kindergartens and local associations and foundations is being accomplished in much lesser extent. It consists mainly in providing to pre-school facilities nursery rooms at the ceremony, allowing kindergarten to participate in events such as harvest festival, organizing activities for preschoolers (performances, playing, learning songs) by different associations.

Barriers to send a child to kindergarten can be divided into mentality/ psychological and financial barriers. Their accumulation occurs in rural areas. The psychological barriers include the custom of not sending a child to kindergarten as well as the reluctance of parting mother and child. Parents do not benefit from pre-school education establishments, as they often earn money working in agriculture around the house. They are therefore able to simultaneously care for their children. Moreover, they are not aware of the development benefits for the child resulting from staying under the kindergarten care. The financial barriers are less significant and have been largely eliminated through the implementation of the OP HC projects. It is therefore important to maintain the effects of these actions.

Despite the emerging barriers, each year the preschool education institutions managers observe the growth of interest in pre-school education. The motivators diagnosed in this study are provided by legal regulations, undertaking work by both of parents and a desire to prepare the child to the educational process. The parents are persuaded by both: campaigns organized by the municipality or kindergarten, as well as a positive feedback from neighbors and family.

The individual interviews respondents (parents) in most cases indicate the need for kindergarten places in educational establishments. This applies especially to those who were sending or who want to send their 3-year-old children to preschool facilities. In the current school year, there was a lack of places for this age group, as these children were accepted as last.

The increasing involvement of parents in the life of kindergartens, as mentioned above, translates into increasing demands for quality of services offered by institutions of preschool education. In terms of classes, the parents' expectations focus on conducting by an establishment some standardized extra-curricular activities, such as dance or language classes, as well as organizing tours and trips to allow a direct observation of phenomena and things that children learned in kindergarten. Great importance that parents / guardians give to these occupations is confirmed by their statement that they are ready to pay for this type of trips and tours. Similar comment applies to the case of general development activities. Parents often ask directors to organize in kindergarten various classes, which will be paid for by the parents.

The parents evaluate in a different manner the way the different forms of preschool education work. Best rated are the facilities financed by the HC OP, as, because of the considerable financial outlay and nearby creation time, they meet the expectations of parents, both in appearance and equipment, as well as in offer including additional classes and leisure activities (e.g. excursions). The least favorable opinions regard the branches of pre-school facilities functioning within primary schools. Mainly because they do not offer the possibility of leaving a child in an institution for more than 5 hours a day and do not have an extensive background in the form of toys and games for children. Also, the parents are not pleased with the fact that there are often conducted mixed age groups - a total of 5 and 6-year-olds. For most parents, it is important that the facility was located near their place of residence. Of great importance is also the satisfaction of a child attending kindergarten. This helps to adopt to the new reality.

As a result of examinations carried out, there have been diagnosed following activities, which use will contribute to further increase of the rate of the education spread in the Małopolska Region:

• In the conducted information campaigns aimed at the growth the rate of the pre-school education dissemination should be involved the people of the community sending children to kindergarten, the church, a local newspaper. In addition, encouraging parents to send their children to preschool education institutions should be diversified by encouraging participation in open days and events organized by the nursery for both, children and parents.
• It is necessary to increase the promotion and educational activities for raising funds under the OP HC for financing education in the municipalities, which, despite the low rate of participation in primary education, do not lead kindergarten co-financed by the ESF.
• It is necessary to designate the strategic criteria of the cooperation between municipalities in the implementation of projects concerning the creation of kindergartens funded by the OP HC. Adding to the strategic criteria the level of the index for filling the places or indicator to determine the lower limit for the fulfillment giving the right to qualifying applications for funding. Recommendation applies to the future programming period.
• It is important to promote the cooperation of municipalities in encouraging private investors to set up nursery schools (especially in communities with low value of the index of pre-school education dissemination).
• The priority of sending children in institutions providing care for longer than five hours a day should be ensured for families in which both parents take the work as well as for working single parents.
• Conducting ongoing monitoring of real interest of parents in the preschool education. For the current control of the situation, the best solution would be the transfer of the information on the number of children, conducting by the preschool facilities, which they failed to accept (name, surname, age, city and municipality of residence). The system would verify, whether he or she did not get in to another nursery, and where in the neighborhood there are still places available.

The report is available in the Polish version.