Preschool
Preschool teaches young Roma children the basics of discovering life and learning by playing.
In preschool we establish a meaningful relation with the children.
It is our wish the children will join the other programs Laleaua Ministry offers.
Our goal
The goal of the preschool is to teach the disadvantaged Roma children of the Boziaş district in Târnăveni the basic principles of life. The motto of the preschool is : Living is learning. Learning by playing in a warm and safe environment. A place where children are welcome and loved. During the first years of their lives many of these children are deprived of much and are often part of instable families. Compared to children from more stable families, they therefore miss a lot in their development.
In preschool children learn to play and interact properly. They learn using the toilet, washing their hands and brushing their teeth. Sitting still and listening are also a big challenge for these children. The teachers have to have a lot of patience.
We believe good education is of great value for solving the problems of disadvantaged children. Preschool is the first major step! In it a foundation laid for life.
History
In April 2002 Laleaua Ministry opened the doors of the preschool, which started with eight children. By using a van which picked up the children in their neighbourhood this number tripled. At the moment the preschool has been accredited, and annually 30 to 35 children are welcomed. The foundation started with one female teacher and a cook. Now the preschool employs four people: two teachers, a cook and a housekeeper.
The preschool is the perfect means to establish a relationship with the Roma children. We hope the children will join other programs after they leave preschool.
A survey by Oscar Lewis shows the first seven years of a child’s life are crucial to be able to overcome poverty in its future life. Preschool is essential in achieving this.
What does the timetable look like?
7:30-8 am: picking up the children
8-8.30 am: learning personal skills
8.30-9 am: time to play/first activity the children have chosen
9-10 am: breakfasting together
10-11 am: training various skills
11-12 am: sports and time to play/ second activity the children have chosen
12-1.30 pm: taking the children home
Wish to know more?
Children who have finished preschool perform considerably better in elementary education. Here a clear difference with children who did not attend preschool can be found. On top of this, preschool pupils more frequently attend elementary education.
Annually on average 30 to 35 children are registered. Not all children actually attend school, but fortunately most children attend regularly.
Children learn by the interaction between themselves and the environments they grow up in: parents and other family member, educators, and also their physical environments. Children from a low socioeconomic background often have a backlog in their development because of this.
Improved living conditions of the Roma start with sound education for the children. Education gives access to full participation in society. No education means no chance to get a diploma, which often leads to illiteracy, independency and little security regarding income.
If parents have not been educated themselves, they will not likely stimulate their children to go to school. Parents are not focussed on the future, but rather adjusted to daily survival. Without concrete results, parents often stop the education of their children altogether. When these children become parents themselves, they do not have to offer their children much.
