Programs supporting the transition from kindergarten to school

The Southern Transdanubian Regional Teacher Training Forum was organized by the Institute of Educational Sciences of the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the Teacher Training Center of the University of Pécs. The Forum, established in 2016, operates based on a strategy jointly developed by the University of Pécs and the predecessor Kaposvár University. Its long-term goal is to develop the relationship between public education and higher education institutions providing teacher training, to modernize teacher training, to create the necessary professional conditions, and to develop the regional organizational, content and methodological aspects of competency-based teacher training. The Forum creates a good opportunity for the region's teacher training specialists, practicing and partner institution leaders, and institution maintainers to meet in person, build relationships, and strengthen network cooperation.

The event is also the dissemination event of the MTA-MATE Early Childhood Research Group, entitled “Development and effectiveness assessment of kindergarten-school transition support programs” with the identification number SZKF2025-2/2025. In the 2025-2029 application cycle, the research group set the goal of developing and assessing the effectiveness of kindergarten-school transition support programs. The transition from kindergarten to school is a crucial event in the lives of young children, which influences their success in school in the long term. Although the topic has been present in the Hungarian literature for decades and numerous development programs have been launched, impact assessments have only rarely accompanied them. As a result, there have been no sufficiently well-founded answers to the problems of the transition to today. The program, as well as the related empirical results and methodological publications, can, according to our expectations, contribute to making the start of school more successful, especially in the case of children who are lagging behind in the socio-emotional area and/or require support. For this reason, the event was subtitled “Paths and Perspectives of Early Childhood Education”

After the greetings of Director General Zsuzsanna Gerner and Krisztián Józsa and the festive program, the previously secret purpose of the event was revealed when, with the preparation of Viktória Keresztes, the children greeted Associate Professor Dr. Judit Podráczky on the occasion of her upcoming birthday.

The papers presented at the Forum were as follows: 

• Csíkos Csaba University Professor, Director of the Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Szeged – Early Childhood Education: The Best Investment
• Petőné Csima Melinda Associate Professor, Deputy Director of the Institute of Educational Sciences of the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences – Early Childhood Aspects of Health Literacy;
• Kereki Judit Secretary of State for Early Childhood Wellbeing at the Ministry of Education and Children – Early Childhood Care Pathways;
• Podráczky Judit Associate Professor, Head of Department of the Institute of Educational Sciences of the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences – Supporting Parental Competence in Early Childhood Education;
• Dávid Mária college professor, Institute of Special Needs Education, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University – Preparing teacher candidates to support parents – The DITTE model.

The last speaker of the program was Director Krisztián Józsa, who presented a study volume titled The Educational Science of the Early Years to those present, written in honor of Judit Podráczky. The study volume is worthy of the professional work of Dr. Judit Podráczky, which she did for the benefit of Hungarian early childhood education, kindergarten and teacher training. As stated in the volume, “Dr. Judit Podráczky’s professional career exemplifies scientific thinking based on practical pedagogical experience, responsible institutional management and national training development work. As an educator, she influenced the professional outlook of generations, as a researcher and developer, she contributed to the strengthening of early childhood education and intervention in Hungary, and as a professional public figure, she undertook decisive tasks in the national quality development of teacher training. Her career is therefore not only the story of an outstanding educator and researcher, but also one of the important professional imprints of the past decades of Hungarian kindergarten and teacher training, as well as early childhood pedagogy.”

The meaningful gathering with a great atmosphere was attended by 160 people!