Abstract:

A global perspective of preschool education is to create motivation for lifelong learning. laying the foundations for the child’s sustainable development, as well as to make efforts to build a positive attitude among parents towards education, too.

This theoretical study aims to examine the shared responsibility between parents and teachers in the process of the preschool child‘s sustainable development. The objective is specified by the following tasks: To follow the preschool child‘s sustainable development in the context of the Bulgarian educational policy and its projection in the educational direction "Surrounding World"; To analyze the content (normative and socio-pedagogical) of the term "shared responsibility"; To study traditional forms of communication and cooperation between parents and pedagogues, as well as non-traditional ones, aimed at the preschool child‘s sustainable development under the conditions of remote interaction. Sustainable development includes issues aimed at building civic awareness and civic virtues, closely related to the development of skills to create or maintain a healthy lifestyle and living conditions and to voluntarily adapt to health-promoting behavior; issues of environmental protection, the efficient use of natural resources, the maintenance of the ecosystem as well as forming a positive attitude towards diversity in all areas of human life; issues that are specified in Ordinance № 13 of 21.09.2016, which determines the state educational standard for the Republic of Bulgaria for civic, health, environmental and intercultural education.

The shared responsibility between parents and pedagogues in building the "picture of the world" is an essential factor for the child’s realization in society and their sustainable development. In the Law on Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Bulgaria, chapter ten "Parents", art. 208, para. (1) some traditional forms are traced: "the cooperation and interaction between the parents and the kindergarten or school is carried out through individual consultations, parent meetings, trainings, as well as whenever a specific situation or behavior of the child or student makes it necessary." Amending and supplementing the above mentioned Law in 2020, art. (68a) outlines the parents’ participation in the forms of pedagogical interaction in kindergartens, as far as and if possible, in an electronic environment as well, through the use of information and communication technologies. Having in mind the symbiotic functioning of the subjects from the two closest social environments - family and kindergarten, the parents’ rights derived in the indicated normative document, are of interest for the present research (art. 209), their obligations (art. 210), as well as the Ordinance on the state requirements for acquiring the professional qualification "teacher" of 2021. It identifies key competencies for acquiring the professional qualification of "children's teacher", one of which is "working with parents and the family community". The competencies are related to the professional and pedagogical preparation of the teacher for the application of knowledge, skills and attitudes for building partnerships with parents and the family community, aiming at the optimal support of each child.

Keywords:

shared responsibility between parents and teachers; the preschool child’s sustainable development, traditional and non-traditional forms of cooperation with parents.