Once again we bring up the topic of the summer holiday break and the organization of childcare during this time. Currently, the procedure related to enrollment for summer kindergarten duty hours and the “Summer in the city” program are coming to an end. In Warsaw kindergartens, on May 6, 2019, there are still a lot of vacancies for summer stays for preschoolers, and parents have time to complete the formalities (payment of fees) until May 10, 2019.
The system is people
Recent recruitment events for “Summer in the City” again illustrate the system’s inefficiency and the lack of imagination of the Warsaw Education Office.
This year’s registration took place via the website of the Education Office. In theory, stone, honey, raspberry – it might seem so. Registration for school-age children for “Summer in the City” would seem trivial – we sit down to the computer, fill out a 9-page application, click, the system tells us the next steps and take the application to the school of first choice. And this is where the stairs begin, because without prior clear information indicated in the recruitment schedule made available on the website of the Education Office , children who have a disability certificate were excluded from the online procedure. Their parents had to appear in person at each school of their choice, and these events took place with the teachers’ strike in the background … For some it was probably an ordeal, we do not know how many parents have quit because of this and what the consequences will be .
Officials don’t know the realities
Unfortunately, it is a long time since we have seen such a sublime display of incompetence, uninformation and lack of ordinary human empathy dressed in good intentions. The deputy director of the education office, Mirosław Sielatycki, argued that the new rules are better for parents because a direct visit to the facility will allow to assess whether it is for sure adapted to a given dysfunction. He also argued this with the disability of some of the parents, e.g. walking the child away, where you need to check the ramp for prams, etc. or finally using the argument that not everyone is tech-savvy – whatever he meant.
It is a big mystery to us what, after last year’s experiences brought by the organization of summer care, prevented the creation of a catalog with a detailed description of institutions providing care for children with a certificate of disability? If the template answer is to protect sensitive data about a child and his health problems, we would like to suggest that this type of specification would facilitate, and yes, the bumpy everyday life of children suffering from disabilities. For a wandering around schools in supplementary recruitment, we recommend inviting Mr. Sielatycki, who claims that:
“If you have a child with a disability, visiting three schools is really not a nuisance.” Entire statement to be auditioned HERE
The whole thing was publicized by one Paulina Jakubowska – mother of a disabled child. The entire account of her attempts to enroll a child for “Summer in the City” can be read HERE.
This year, 15 special schools will take part in the “Summer in the City” campaign. Recruitment ended on April 30. We are currently waiting for a supplementary recruitment.
Science will go to the forest?
Once again, we have a strong argument that the Education Office does not take us parents and our children seriously. I wonder how the matter will be clarified this time. We have submitted a few questions to the Education Office in Warsaw – you will find them HERE.
Despite the lack of willingness on the part of the town hall to talk about the organization of the summer duty of state kindergartens, the topic is still being explored with the support of the councilor m.st. Of Warsaw by Agata Diduszko Zyglewska , who submits interpellations on this matter with proposals for changing the operation of this system. Information HERE.
You can read more about our activities regarding the holiday break in kindergartens HERE.
Text by Nina Woźniak