VIRTUAL: Applying Education

Abstract

In the last two years, the world has witnessed an unprecedented pandemic that has threatened the functioning of many systems, including the education system. Given that the basic level of each education system is preschool education, we focused on the analysis of current preschool programs in the Sweden and the Bosnia and Herzegovina. We decided to analyze these two European countries because of the different traditions in the development of preschool programs, as well as the importance of the education of preschool children in their educational system. Also, Sweden is a country with an unique national preschool program, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina there are several different preschool programs. The aim of this paper is to compare preschool programs in Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of their flexibility and sustainability in risky times. During the Covid-19 pandemic, preschool children faced a sudden interruption of education in the institutions of the system and the transition to distance learning, while their teachers relied on modern technologies, their own digital skills and cooperation with the family. Using the method of theoretical analysis and synthesis, we came to valuable conclusions about how similar these programs are but also different and what provide opportunities for preschool education in a global pandemic. The results of this theoretical analysis can be used by educators and staff employed in preschool, but also by policy makers as guidelines in which direction future preschool programs should be developed so that they are sustainable and functional in risky times.