Diploma thesis entitled “The comparison of public and private kindergartens in cooperation with institutions in the local community” focuses on the curricular principle, the principle of cooperation with the environment. The diploma thesis consists of two parts. In the theoretical part of the diploma thesis, I have described public and private kindergartens, which represent the most common forms of performing preschool education in Slovenia. I have focused on the curricular principle of cooperation with the environment, which encourages the association of the kindergarten with the institutions in the direct environment. I also have put a great deal of emphasis on the pedagogical concept of Reggio Emilia and its starting point for cooperation with the environment. I have dedicated a few words to the local community and the social environment, the environment where the kindergarten connects and participates. I have mentioned the positive aspects of the kindergarten's cooperation with the local community, which include the involvement of the kindergarten into the wider social space, the influence on the child's attitude towards the reality life, the co-creation of the environment culture, the recognition of the cultural heritage, the recognition of the characteristics of the children's surrounding environment and the sense acquisition of belonging to the kindergarten and to the local community. In the following, I have presented the Kindergarten of Anton Medved Kamnik (public kindergarten), with details focused on the unit Pesterna and the private kindergarten Zarja. I have also described the cooperation and the connection of both kindergartens with institutions in the local community.
In the empirical portion of the thesis, the main goal has been to examine the extent to which both preschool institutions implement the curricular principle of cooperation with the environment. I have been particularly interested in which institutions the public and the private kindergarten are cooperating with, how often the participation between the kindergarten and the local community takes place, what criterion the educators and educator's assistants have in the choice of the institution in the local community which they participate with, and who is the most common initiator of the cooperation between the kindergarten and the local community. I have also highlighted the advantages and disadvantages exposed by professional staff in the kindergarten about the mentioned cooperation. The results of the research have showed that, in both kindergartens, professional staff put great importance to the participation of the kindergarten with the local community, and the library is the institution with the most frequent participation of both public and private kindergartens. In addition to the library, the public kindergarten often cooperates with other schools and kindergartens as well as with the municipality, while a private kindergarten often cooperates with the firefighter's association and with the police station in addition to the library. Both kindergartens connect and cooperate mostly with the local community at special events. The research also revealed that the benefits of cooperation with the local community are recognized by professional staff in both types of kindergartens.
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