Date: 22-08-2018

NEWS - UNICEF Calls for Consultancy (Croatia)

UNICEF invites those whom are interested to apply for a consultancy contributing to a better understanding of low kindergarten attendance in a high income country.  Research has repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of early childhood education, particularly for children coming from marginalized or vulnerable social groups.

Within its mandate in Croatia, UNICEF is committed to increasing the attendance of children aged 3 to 6 in structured early learning. For that reason it is vital to understand why attendance in pre-primary education is low. The latest research commissioned by the Ministry for Demographics, Family, Youth and Social Policy shows that in some Croatian counties only one in four children attend kindergarten. According to the latest estimates by the National Bureau for Statistics in Croatia, only about 80 per cent of children attend mandatory preschool education in the year before starting their primary education.

This consultancy aims to look at governance and financing as a way of understanding challenges in access to pre-primary education. In particular the consultancy should:

  • Analyze the present format of kindergarten financing in Croatia and suggest improvements, offering costing scenarios.
  • Understand under what circumstances parents would be be more likely to send their children to kindergarten
  • Provide recommendations for optimizing and/or upgrading existing capacities to achieve universal access to kindergarten.

The Terms of Reference are attached here. For inquiries regarding the selection process please contact Ivan Gabaj at UNICEF.