Preschool education is the right of every child, which is implemented by the relevant preparatory institutions, but can be carried out by parents independently in the domestic environment.
According to statistics, in Russia, about a third of families do not have the opportunity to raise a child in state preparatory organizations. Therefore, pre-school education in our country is one of the priority tasks of youth policy.
The history of the formation of the system of preschool education in Russia
Following the European states, at the end of the 19th century, preparatory educational institutions began to appear on domestic open spaces. The first free
kindergarten in our country was organized in 1866 in the city of St. Petersburg. At the same time, private preparatory institutions for intellectual children began to arise.
In the first half of the 20th century, the educational program of preschool education in Russia was already quite developed. Access of the population was opened to the whole mass of paid and free preparatory organizations. Several kindergartens were constantly operating in the country, the organization of which was close to the modern level.
Preschool education in Soviet times
The first program, according to which all state kindergartens were supposed to work, was adopted in 1934, and already starting in 1938 the main tasks of such institutions were determined, the structure of institutions was formed, the postulates of the functioning of kindergartens were documented, and guidelines for teachers were introduced.
In the 40s of the last century, preschool education reached an unprecedented scale at that time. Over two million children across the country have access to free training.
In 1959, completely new institutions of preschool education appeared in the form of a nursery. Parents could send here children of their own age from 2 to 7 years old, thus shifting the task of educating state teachers to the shoulders and freeing up free time for working.
A comprehensive reform of the education system, which was carried out in our country from the late 80s to the mid 90s of the last century, led to the formation of the "Concept of preschool education." The document contained several fundamental principles that teachers should follow in the process of raising children:
- Humanization - the development of industriousness, respect for the rights of other people, love for the family and the world.
- Personality development - strengthening the physical and mental health of the child, help in comprehending the basics of mental and labor activity.
- Individual and differential education - the development of a child’s inclinations, teaching children based on their personal interests, capabilities and abilities.
- Deideologization - the disclosure of universal values, the rejection of a specific ideology in the implementation of general education programs.
Budgetary institutions
Non-profit organizations established in accordance with a decree of the authorities and local self-government bodies to provide services to the population in the field of preschool education are recognized as budget organizations. The property of such institutions is rightfully owned by the state, but is entrusted to the leadership of the educational institution.
State kindergartens are funded from the budget in the form of subsidies. Such organizations are not prohibited from doing business if the receipt of income is aimed at achieving the goals for which the institution was created.
Autonomous Institutions
The system of preschool education implies the possibility of organizing autonomous institutions. This category includes institutions created by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to provide educational services.
Autonomous kindergartens are financed from the personal funds of the founder, through subventions or subsidies. Services to the population here can be provided both on a paid and free basis. The property of autonomous institutions is assigned to the management and is entrusted to an independent disposal.
Tasks of modern preschool educational institutions
Currently, there are such tasks of the functioning of organizations of preschool education:
- strengthening the mental and physical health of children, protecting the life of pupils;
- ensuring social and personal growth, development of speech abilities, satisfaction of aesthetic needs;
- raising children on the basis of age-related characteristics, the development of love for the world, respect for the freedoms and rights of others;
- interaction with parents, providing methodological and advisory assistance to young families.
Preschool teacher
The main task of the teacher is the development of the original individual personality of the child, the disclosure of the basics of the perception of the world, the formation of values in relation to nature, society.
The teacher in the system of preschool education should have the following qualities:
- developed thinking, long-term and operational memory;
- high emotional stability, objectivity of assessments, tact and morality;
- empathy for the environment, exactingness;
- the presence of creative abilities;
- ability to quickly switch attention;
- kindness, tolerance, justice, initiative.
Types of modern DOW
Given the need to work with individual age groups and the specific orientation of the education of individual babies, the following varieties of preschool educational institutions are distinguished:
- Traditional kindergarten - implements generally accepted programs for the training and education of children.
- Kindergarten for young children - prepares children from 2 months to 3 years old. He is responsible for creating optimal conditions that contribute to the early socialization and adaptation of babies to the world.
- Kindergarten for children of older, pre-school age - implements the main educational program, as well as teaching children 5-7 years old in special groups, which provide equal opportunities for subsequent successful education at school.
- Kindergartens of health improvement and supervision - not only the preschool program is being implemented here, but also preventive, health and sanitary-hygienic works are being carried out.
- Compensating institutions - the main emphasis is on the qualified correction of mental and physical disabilities of pupils.
- Kindergarten with a priority for a specific type of activity - in addition to general education, teachers satisfy the cognitive, personal, social, aesthetic and artistic needs of children.
Finally
Despite a fairly developed system of preschool
educational institutions, the improvement of pedagogical personnel and the formation of personal qualities of educators based on considerations of humanistic psychology remain an acute issue in our country.
Full-scale disclosure of pedagogical potential, increasing the competence of educators, self-education, modernization and development of the system of children's preparatory institutions - all these are among the most pressing problems in the field of preschool education.