Name of partner institution:
Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Wissenschaft
Bernhard-Weiβ-Strasse 6, Berlin 10178, Germany
Contact person:
Annette Hautumm-Grünberg
Referat Familienpolitik, Kindertagesbetreuung und vorschulische Bildung / Department of Family Policies, Childcare and Pre-school Education
Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Wissenschaft
mail: annette.hautumm-gruenberg@senbjw.berlin.de
Description of partner institution:
The Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Wissenschaft (Sen BJW) is the regional ministry responsible for the political and legal provisions and frameworks regarding youth, family, education and science policies. Within these frameworks, Sen BJW is responsible for providing sufficient places for children to enroll in childcare in order to provide equal opportunities for all children.
Sen BJW steers qualitative aspects of pre-school education and is the publisher of the official early years' curriculum. Sen BJW also oversees a regional in-service training institute for pre-school teachers with the acronym SFBB.
In Berlin childcare and educational provisions for children before entering primary school are in the hands of non-profit organizations and parent-led associations. The 2.100 kindergarten in Berlin are managed by 1.000 provider organizations. All kindergarten receive public funds by Sen BJW and must implement the official Berlin early years' education curriculum.
Public funds are linked to a so-called "Agreement to Develop and Monitor the Quality of Pre-schools". The implementation of the agreement entails continuous self-evaluation, external evaluation and providing information on the progress and quality development kindergarten.
Sen BJW cooperates closely with INA BeKi in monitoring the "Agreement". INA BeKi provides advice and training and assesses the impact of the implementation of the "Agreement". The region of Berlin welcomes opportunities for closer European cooperation, and is active in this field also in the framework of other EU cooperation programmes and the "Oder-Partnerschaft". As many children of Polish origin are enrolled in Berlin kindergarten, this Comenius Regio Programme will inter alia enhance pre-school teachers' understanding of the cultural background of young children of Polish heritage.
Role in the project:
Sen BJW will be responsible for successful implementation of the project with local partners in Berlin and the cooperation activities with Poznan City Hall.
Representatives of Sen BJW will participate in study visits and in the team work of experts, exchanging experiences and best practices in particular in terms of policy on pre-school education, quality development and assessment and providing educational services.
Sen BJW will participate in elaborating a best-practice guide and cooperate with the regional in-service training institute (SFBB) in the dissemination of project results.