Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

Once again because I have not gotten back any responses from my international contacts, I have to use the alternative method. This time I chose to use www.worldbank.org. One of their goal is working for a world free of poverty. I chose Yakutia ,a region of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Circle. I learned that the demand for preschool slots in Yakutsk city, are high because of the birth rate is on the rise.  12,000 boys and girls on the wait list and it is expect to grow says Sakha Republic Education Minister ,Afanasy S. Vladimirov. Many preschools are shabby—many facilities are without running water or toilets. Preschool managers need training, teachers need to learn more modern and child-focused techniques, and the quality assurance systems need improving. Using best Russian and international examples, they are drawing up concrete proposals to enhance early childhood education, increase access to services and ensure the quality of those services (http://web.worldbank.org/).

 World Bank is coming into play with support for an investment project to help introduce innovation in early childhood development and education. That will include spending wisely through teacher training, new materials and renovated or brand new buildings. It will also include more involvement from parents and the community, as well as broader public sector involvement. The project will fund construction of       weatherproof kindergartens and renovate salvageable existing buildings, or reconstruct ones that are too damaged  (http://web.worldbank.org/).

I think it’s a great thing that worldbank is going to take care of Yakutia, because of the high birth rate; they have quite a long waiting list. Whereas although our own population is constantly growing also, our preschool waiting list is nothing compare to theirs. Another interesting fact is their early childhood development and education programs not only get new materials, but renovated and even sometimes brand new buildings, where as our educators have to come out of their pockets to ensure their classroom have supplies and materials and at times are subject to working in buildings older than their parents which may not be up to certain codes according to the state regulations.  When we think about the future leaders we are educating, a person would want the best and not cut corners at any cost.

Reference:

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:23065520~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258599,00.html