The plan to reform Rauma’s early childhood education and care services was completed
News
The City of Rauma has today, 29 August, published a draft plan for early childhood education and care services. By 2028, Rauma’s early childhood education and care facilities would be more pedagogically functional and multi-purpose. The number of day-care centres would be reduced by four and there would be two fewer pre-primary education units attached to schools.
The reform will bring brand new facilities to the Uotilanrinte multifunctional centre and the Nanunkallio day-care centre. The design has also been influenced by changes in service needs: a smaller birth cohort, an increase in the proportion of day-care children under three years of age, and an increase in the number of immigrants. The aim is that the early childhood education facilities should better serve all ages from under one to pre-school age.
-Modern day-care facilities are flexible enough to meet needs, without having to place children of different ages in different units. The new facilities at Uotilanrinte and Nanunkallio are, in principle, such facilities. Reducing the number of units will also facilitate management, shift and substitute arrangements and, in particular, enable better pedagogical management,” says Pauliina Henriksson, Director of Early Childhood Education and Care.
According to the plan, the reform work would start in 2025, when the Wänni kindergarten would close in August. The following year, the Uotila and Helkkilä kindergartens would be merged into the new Uotilanrinne multi-purpose centre, which will be completed. In 2027, the completion of the Nanunkallio school and kindergarten would mark the end of the pre-school units attached to the Kourujärvi and Nanu schools, as well as the Polari, Tenavakallio and Onnela kindergartens. A review of early childhood education services will be carried out in 2027. The operation of the day-care centres in Lajo and Sampaanala and the organisation of pre-school education will be evaluated.
-We have been working closely with experts from the Facilities Services Department, who have the expertise to assess the condition, renovation and maintenance of the buildings. Our common goal is to provide functional, healthy and safe learning environments for children by relocating old and functionally inadequate day-care centres to new premises,” says Henriksson.
The plan to reform early childhood services has been presented to the Education Committee for the first time on 19 June and for the second time on 28 August, as well as to staff on 28-29 August. In September, a summary of consultations with carers, children and staff, and a child impact assessment will be completed. The plan will also be completed with an economic impact assessment. A decision on the reform measures will be taken by the Education Committee at its October meeting.
