Through the Education Programme, Save the Children aims to improve access and quality of education by promoting inclusive practices and policies in the education of boys and girls from vulnerable groups who have limited access to quality education. Our work is focused on fulfilling our global ambition for children by 2030: Inclusive access to early childhood care, development and education services; and basic education for all children, with a special focus on children with disabilities, children from minority groups, children living in poverty, and those from rural areas.
Children have access to quality inclusive education
Children have integrated access to quality and inclusive Early Childhood Care, Development and Education services
Save the Children implements its programme in the field of education in eleven (11) municipalities and 32 villages, supporting 9 public preschool institutions and 41 schools throughout the country to improve the quality of education in Kosovo. Save the Children has also invested in the development of Early Childhood Education (ECE). As of 2024, 32 ECCD centers have been established in ten (10) municipalities of Kosovo.
During the last decade, in agreement with international standards, Kosovo has developed a good legal framework that promotes a non-discriminatory and inclusive society. More specifically, inclusive education has been at the center of several strategies developed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) since 2010. Since all provisions have affected the movement of children with disabilities from special schools into compulsory education, the total number of children with disabilities of primary school age attending compulsory education continues to be low, estimated at around 40% (MESTI, 2019).
After the decentralization of the education system and the division of powers between central and local government, there are still challenges regarding responsibilities for specific issues. MESTI is responsible for drafting and monitoring educational policies, while municipalities are responsible for their implementation.
While MESTI, Save the Children in Kosovo and many other organizations have been intensively engaged in raising the awareness of parents and communities about the importance of inclusive education, and in general the stigma related to disability has decreased, now more needs to be done to raise the awareness of teachers, communities as well as policy makers about inclusive education as a fundamental right of every child.
This project promotes the right to education for the most marginalized children in Kosovo, focusing on inclusive education at the primary level, especially for children with disabilities; a safe school environment and raising the awareness of the authorities, the community and civil society about the child’s rights to education.
The general objectives are to increase access and improve the quality of education for children with disabilities and other marginalized communities by promoting an inclusive and participatory approach, as well as safe learning environments.
The Government of Kosovo has determined that some of the main goals of the National Development Strategy of Kosovo 2030 are to increase the enrollment of girls and boys in quality and integrated early childhood education.
Based on the latest statistical publications of the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) in cooperation with Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), 32,397 children attended preschool education during the 2021-2022 school year, contributing to approximately 7% of the total number of children aged 0-5 years old that attend preschool education. Coupled with the pre-primary level - which currently stands at 88% - it demonstrates that approximately 20% of children aged 0-6 attend pre-school education.
The situation analysis of early childhood care and development shows that the municipalities lack the harmonization of integrated health, educational and social services for children aged 0-6 years old, while the age group 0-3 years old is seen as a target only for the care services provided by nurses who in fact are unequipped to deliver a holistic program.
Save the Children implements its ECCD project in 11 municipalities and 32 villages, supporting 9 public preschool institutions and 41 schools throughout the country, with the aim of improving the quality of education inKosovo. Save the Children Kosova/o has also invested in the development of Early Childhood Education (ECE). By 2024, 32 ECCD centers have been established in ten municipalities of Kosovo.