Senior Expert on Preschool Teachers Competences, Education and Professionalism

UNICEF in Serbia is seeking Senior Expert on Preschool Teachers Competences, Education and Professionalism. The duration of the assignment is 20 working days, from September 2017 to 15 December 2017.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

 

A wealth of research evidences shows that good quality ECE is particularly beneficial for children from poor socio-economic and marginalized groups, as it can compensate for the deprivations of their social environments. Furthermore, good foundations for learning achievement at school contribute to breaking the cycle of disadvantage early in the life of young children. However, this happens only if ECE provision is of high quality and is informed by equity and inclusion policies that address the most disadvantaged children. Research findings confirm that quality and equity, when factored into funding and implementing ECE services, are associated with positive educational, economic, social and poverty reduction impacts in both developed and developing countries. Little research is available to provide an in-depth assessment of quality within different types of preschool provision and possible risks to quality arising from rapidly increasing access. UNICEF has been a proponent of this form of provision but not fully reviewed the implications of this on the scope and quality of children’s preschool experiences. At the moment little research is available on this critical issue in Serbia.

UNICEF has been supporting a wider reform of preschool education led by the Ministry of Education to strengthen legal and institutional capacities of preschool education system: piloting of new preschool curriculum framework, development of new quality standards for preschool education, developing inclusive practices for CwD, enhancing equity in preschool education etc. UNICEF has launched a research on ECE quality in Serbia, following the methodology implemented by UNICEF CEE CIS Regional Office for the Study Quality of ECE in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro. The research based on the EU quality framework will be finalized by September 2017.

Preliminary results of the Research on ECE quality highlight that the main issue is related to the competencies of preschool teachers and their initial university education/professional preparation. In Serbia, according to Preschool Education Law preschools teachers are required to complete higher education. Bachelor degree is the minimum requirement for license.   There are currently 17 different university programmes – preschool teacher training in Serbia, whose curriculum were never analyzed.

This consultancy will build on the work the ECE Quality Research. The Ministry of Education and UNICEF have agreed to conduct an international review of initial preschool teacher training, review of curricula in Serbia and recommendations for improvement of initial preschool teacher education. These findings and recommendations will inform the new WB loan and its component related to initial education and professional development of preschool teachers.

 

Start Date: September 2017         

End Date: 15 December 2017      

Number of working days/months Estimated 20 days within 3 months period. No. of days will be paid on actual days worked. One field visits and travel to Serbia required (maximum 3 days during consultancy period).

 

Work Assignment Overview

Task 1. Prepare  review of initial preschool teacher training (5 countries minimum, tbd)

Deliverable: International Review

Timeframe: End of September 2017(5 days – home based)

 

Task 2. Conduct review and analyses of university curricula for pre-school teachers in Serbia (all institutions providing initial education of PSE teachers)

Deliverable: Analysis on situation in Serbia related to university curricula for preschool teachers prepared – 10 days

Timeframe: Mid November 2017 (10 days – combination of home based and in-country)

 

Task 3. Develop Recommendations for improvement of initial pre-school teacher education in Serbia

Deliverable: Findings and Recommendations for Serbia prepared, policy brief and ppt 

Timeframe: until 15 December 2017 (5 days – home based)

 

Minimum Qualifications required:             

Higher education degree/s in Educational science, Pedagogy, Psychology, Teachers Education, ECD, Human Development, Social Policy or other relevant discipline.

•             More than 10 years of demonstrable working experience in early childhood development and/or early childhood education and previous experience of providing expert technical assistance to ECE stakeholders at a country level.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

•             Specialisation in teachers training and professional development of professionals in Early Childhood Education and Care Systems

•             Record of research experience and/or written publications covering multi-country perspectives; publications on quality and professionalism in early childhood education and care an asset.

•             Knowledge and experience of socio-economic issues in CEE/CIS region. Field experience in Serbia is an asset.

•             Excellent written English language skills, demonstrable with samples of publications. Knowledge of language/s spoken in the Balkans sub-region is an asset.

•             Excellent drafting skills and ability to synthesise complex information and issues.

•             Strong analytical and conceptual thinking.

•             Ability to organize and plan complex work following the established timeframes.

•             Previous experience working for UNICEF an asset

 

The application must include the following:

1.            Daily rate in USD

2.            Travel related costs: transport to Belgrade (round trip to Belgrade)

3.            DSA for travel to Serbia (per day)

 

Important note: Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities to apply.