Kindergarten in Pušča: example (development) of intercultural approach to education of preschool children

Pričujoče diplomsko delo z naslovom Vrtec na Pušči: primer (razvoja) interkulturnega pristopa k vzgoji predšolskih otrok v teoretičnem delu predstavlja zgodovinski oris Romov od izvora, selitvenih tokov iz Indije na evropska tla (in nenazadnje tudi v Slovenijo) do zakonskih podlag za vključevanje romskih otrok v sistem javnega šolstva. V drugi polovici teoretičnega dela diplomskega dela na osnovi zgodovine delovanja, razvoja in organiziranosti vrtca na Pušči proučujemo delovanje vrtca v različnih obdobjih in ugotavljamo ter ocenjujemo njegov doprinos k delovanju romske skupnosti. Na podlagi delovanja vrtca, ki v romskem naselju Pušča zagotavlja predšolsko vzgojo otrokom že od leta 1962, prikazujemo prehod iz monokulturnega v multikulturni oz. interkulturni vrtec. V empiričnem delu smo se osredotočili na ugotavljanje dejavnikov, ki so vplivali na vključevanje neromskih otrok v »romski vrtec«, in kako romski starši ocenjujejo prisotnost več kultur v vrtcu. V zadnjem delu diplomskega dela smo na podlagi relevantne literature in mednarodnih priporočil za interkulturno izobraževanje oblikovali interkulturni pristop k vzgoji predšolskih otrok, ki strukturno temelji na štirih stebrih izobraževanja za 21. stoletje, ki jim dodajamo novo vsebino in drugačen pogled na predšolsko vzgojo. Osredotočamo se predvsem na kulturno-jezikovne izzive, ki otrokom v pripravljenem spodbudnem učnem okolju, poimenovanem interkulturna igralnica, ponujajo kvalitetne interakcije med deležniki interkulturnega partnerstva in jih opolnomočajo za življenje v skupnosti. Postavili smo tudi izhodišča za načrtovanje in oblikovanje dejavnosti, katerih temelj predstavljajo kurikularni izzivi interkulturnega pristopa, poimenovani tudi vzgojno-učni izzivi.The present thesis entitled Preschool in Pušča: A Case of (Developing) an Intercultural Approach to Educating Preschool Children focuses its theoretical part on a historical depiction of the Roma, their origin, migratory flows from India to Europe and ultimately to Slovenia, and the legal basis for the integration of Roma children into the public schooling system. The second half of the theoretical part of the thesis, based on the history of its activities, development and organisation of the preschool in Pušča, deals with the question how the preschool has functioned in various periods and how it has contributed to the Roma community. Based on the activities of the preschool, which has been ensuring preschool education since 1962, a transition from a monocultural to a multicultural or rather intercultural preschool is depicted. The empirical part focuses on establishing factors which have influenced the enrolment of non-Roma children in the “Roma-preschool” and how Roma parent evaluate the fact that various cultures are present in the preschool. On the basis of relevant literature and international recommendation for intercultural education, the last part of the thesis focuses on developing an intercultural approach to educating preschool children based on the four pillars of education in the 21st century which we supplemented with new content and a different take on preschool education. The focus especially lies in the cultural and language challenges which offers children in an encouraging leaning environment, known as an intercultural playroom, a high quality interaction between participants of the intercultural partnership and empowers them to live in a community. We have set baselines for planning and designing activities which are based on curriculum challenges of an intercultural approach, also known as educational and learning challenges