NEWSROOM

Although pre-school education is one of the most important stops in the developmental journey of children, at least 175 million children in the world today do not have access to pre-school education. At the points where education is reached, many international institutions are working to guarantee quality education. A Special Place Schools Network, which was established in Turkey last July, is also working to ensure that pre-school education is qualified and complete.

*** This release is originally published in Turkish.

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ISTANBUL (TR) - The foundations of learning are largely built in the first years of life and before primary school. That's why the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals include providing quality early childhood development, care and preschool education to all children by 2030. However, according to UNICEF data, half of the world's pre-school children, namely at least 175 million children do not have access to pre-school education. In Turkey, according to the Ministry of National Education data, the schooling rate remains at 29.77% at age 4, while it rises to 83.41% at age 5. It is 98.44% in the age range of 6-9, which includes primary school.

While the access to pre-school education worldwide is so low, there are many practices that aim to make institutions do quality work at points where education can be accessed. Founded in 1892, Childhood Education International contributes to the quality and completeness of pre-school education in more than 40 countries with its International Codes of Ethics. A Special Place Schools Network (Özel Bir Yer Okullar Ağı), on the other hand, is working to implement this international approach in our country by creating an innovative model. Established in July 2022, the network invites pre-primary education institutions in Turkey, which have 1 million 885 thousand 4 students in pre-school education, according to MEB data, for International Code of Ethics accreditation.

Learning environment that supports 21st century skills

Stating that preschool education institutions are redesigning their learning environments according to the International Code of Ethics, Academic Director of A Special Place Schools Network, Bilge Çakır, said, “While doing this, we take care to create environments that support 21st century life skills, creative, energetic, peaceful, fun and reveal talents. We act in cooperation with educators, administrators and parents while taking children into our focus.” Expressing that they act with the motto "Now it's time to get on the field", Bilge Çakır said, "As A Special Place Schools Network, with the pre-school education institutions included in the network within the framework of the International Code of Ethics accreditation, four main topics are professional commitment, pedagogical practice, community participation and global sensitivity. We are working under it,” he added.

Working with pre-school education institutions

Bilge Çakır, Academic Director of the A Special Place Schools Network, who said that they act together with many preschool education institutions from Samsun to Ankara, from Şanlıurfa to Manisa, told that the network met with pre-school education institutions in Turkey and said, “In this process, efforts are made for our children to reach quality education. We meet learning comrades who spend time and money, and as we realized how crowded we are, we increased our faith and determination, we gained strength from them.”

It touches all stakeholders in the ecosystem

Pointing out that they are working in collaboration with Öncül Kindergarten, İzci Kindergarten, Bebe Forest House, Aslan Kindergarten, Dreams Town Kindergarten, Tino Nursery School, Acıbadem Özel Bir Yer Kindergarten, Remida Transformation School, Öykü Island and YÖM Kindergarten, Bilge Çakır concluded: “We organize International Codes of Ethics trainings with academic and administrative staff in educational institutions that are stakeholders of the A Special Place Schools Network. We conduct interviews with parents about parental involvement in the preschool period. We are happy to learn by touching all stakeholders in the ecosystem, while creating a learning environment that considers the best benefit of children.”