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The article analyses the possibilities of distributed leadership development in Lithuanian pre-school education institutions. The aim of the article is to analyse the theoretical literature and other sources (strategic documents, legal acts, statistical information) and to reveal the possibilities of distributed leadership development in Lithuanian pre-school education institutions.Therefore, the following objectives have been set up: to provide the theoretical assumptions of distributed leadership and to analyse the interface between the development of distributed leadership and the context of Lithuanian pre-school education institutions.The article summarizes the scientific approach to distributed leadership. Attention is paid to the fact that the idea of distributed leadership is becoming popular, however, researchers use different definitions and concepts to define this leadership. These differences potentially arise from the different contexts where this form of leadership is analysed. Although there is no one common definition of distributed leadership, researchers identify some active participants (leaders) and emphasize the need for favourable environment (organizational culture) of mutual interaction. Distributed leadership in the organization is often characterized by the following features: each person's professionalism and experience are appreciated and supported; community spirit and atmosphere of trust prevail; attention is paid to pupils' learning experience; community members are continuously learning; everyone is included in decisionmaking; the management structures of the organization are (re)organized; leadership is carried out through (non) formal posts and actions; responsibility and accountability of all participants are important.Researchers acknowledge that distributed leadership is contextual, therefore, they believe that it is necessary to take into consideration the uniqueness of organizations. However, different researchers identify and analyse different contexts which, in their opinion, influence leadership in organizations. Some researchers identify the external and internal contexts of the organization, other researchers identify the institutional context, community context, national-cultural context, economic context, political context, school development context, and personal-specific context.After the comparison of the particularities of pre-school education institutions and general education schools, it is evident that the duration of work of these education institutions and the duration of work of teachers are different. These differences are significant, as distributed leadership is implemented through the interaction of leaders and their followers. Therefore, the more teachers and other employees are involved into the implementation of their direct responsibilities (education and/or care of children), the more it is complicated to find time for mutual interaction. In this respect, the pre-school education institutions are in less favourable situation in order to implement distributed leadership. The differences between pre-school and general education institutions are determined by different age of learners, different nature and intensity of communication with parents and the fact that pre-school education is non-formal education. Therefore, there is a bigger possibility to involve learners' parents into the processes of distributed leadership in the institutions of pre-school education rather than in general education institutions.Differences not only between different types of education institutions (general education institutions and pre-school education institutions), but also between education institutions of the same type are partly determined by the Law on Local Self-Government of the Republic of Lithuania (1994), as different municipalities may have different organization and funding of pre-school education institutions, different criteria and procedures of external assessment of institutions. Differences between education institutions of the same type in the same municipality are also possible, as the education system in Lithuania is decentralized and education institutions implementing different educational programs have the possibility to make decisions on the management, curriculum content, and measures. The documents regulating the assessment of activity give considerable power to the communities of institutions, i.e. teachers, employees, learners' parents. Therefore, it is possible to state that the institutional context is quite favourable for the development of distributed leadership in Lithuanian pre-school education institutions.According to the statistical data of Lithuania, there are significant disparities among the same type of education institutions in urban and rural areas, which are determined by different contexts of communities. Significant disparities are also observed among communities of different types of education institutions, which are partly determined by the different age and gender of the heads and teachers of education institutions.The studies of cultural dimensions carried out by researchers show that Lithuania is attributed to the countries with high power distance (strong social hierarchy), and this can cause difficulties to develop distributed leadership. Since the statistical sociodemographic data (age, gender, education) of Lithuanian education institutions are quite different from the general statistics of Lithuania, it is appropriate to carry out empirical studies that would assess the cultural dimensions of Lithuanian education institutions (preschool education and general education institutions) as well as power distance (i.e. social hierarchy).The context of the development of Lithuanian schools is favourable for the development of the ideas of distributed leadership both in general education and pre-school education institutions. The favourable context for the implementation of the ideas of leadership is determined by the Lithuanian strategic documents and strategic documents of education policy. Also, the project "Time for Leaders", initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science and which has been implemented for almost a decade, plays a significant role in disseminating the ideas of leadership in Lithuania.According to the theoretical research, it is possible to state that the institutional, school development and personal-specific contexts of Lithuanian pre-school education institutions are favourable for the development of distributed leadership in pre-school education institutions. Meanwhile, the national cultural context, the different contexts of communities of education institutions can pose difficulties to implement the ideas of distributed leadership. The analysis of the theoretical material and legal framework reveals the need to carry out the empirical research of distributed leadership in Lithuanian pre-school education institutions, to reveal the challenges and particularities of its implementation, as well as to reveal good practices. ; Straipsnyje analizuojamos pasidalytosios lyderystės plėtros galimybės Lietuvos ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigose. Teorinis tyrimas atskleidė, kad pasidalytosios lyderystės plėtrai yra svarbūs šie ugdymo įstaigų kontekstai: institucinis, bendruomenių, nacionalinis kultūrinis, ekonominis, politinis, mokyklų tobulinimo ir asmeninis specifinis. Remiantis teoriniu tyrimu galima teigti, kad Lietuvos ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų institucinis, mokyklų tobulinimo, asmeninis specifinis kontekstai yra palankūs pasidalytosios lyderystės plėtrai, o nacionalinis kultūrinis kontekstas, skirtingi ugdymo įstaigų bendruomenių kontekstai gali kelti sunkumų pasidalytosios lyderystės idėjų įgyvendinimui. Teorinis tyrimas atskleidė empirinių tyrimų būtinybę ir svarbą toliau tiriant pasidalytosios lyderystės plėtros galimybes Lietuvos ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų kontekste.

Lietuvos visuomenė gyvena permainų laikotarpiu, kuriame asmeninės vertybės yra veikiamos mus supančios aplinkos. Pastebėtas visuomenės narių elgesio kultūros prastėjimas ir vis dažniau tai būdinga vaikų ir jaunimo elgsenai. Vaikai praranda savarankiškumo, pagarbos asmeniui, tautai jausmus, vis dažniau matomas šiurkštus bendravimas, nepakantumas aplinkai, o tai tik įrodo, kad mūsų jaunoji karta pasižymi žema elgesio kultūra. Kuo anksčiau supažindinsime vaikus su pagrindinėmis elgesio kultūros vertybėmis ir sieksime jas ugdyti, tikėtina, jog pasieksime geresnių rezultatų tinkamo elgesio modeliavimui gyvenimui visuomenėje. Dėl šios priežasties ne tik šeima, bet ir ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaiga tampa atsakinga už vaikų elgesio kultūros ugdymą, švietimą ir skatinimą elgtis mandagiai, pagarbiai, sąžiningai, draugiškai ir t. t.Straipsnio tikslas – atskleisti, koks yra ikimokyklinių ugdymo įstaigų pedagogių požiūris į vaikų elgesio kultūros ugdymą(si) ikimokykliniame amžiuje.Atliktas tyrimas vienoje iš Radviliškio ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų siekiant išsiaiškinti, kiek svarbus yra elgesio kultūros ugdymas(is) ikimokyklinėje ugdymo įstaigoje ir koks yra pedagogių požiūris šiuo aspektu. Tikslui įgyvendinti pasirinkta kokybinio tyrimo strategija. Atlikta ikimokyklinių ugdymo(si) įstaigų pedagogių anketinė apklausa raštu, duomenys apdoroti turinio analizės metodu.Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad elgesio kultūros sąvokos samprata plati, nes ją sudaro ne tik veiklos, bendravimo, higienos kultūra, bet ir ekologinis bei tautinis ugdymas(is). Anot pedagogių, didžiausia atsakomybė už vaikų elgesio kultūros ugdymą atitenka ugdytinių šeimoms. Ugdymo įstaigos įvardijamos kaip papildomi institutai, prisidedantys prie vaikų elgesio kultūros ugdymo(si).

A smart society starts from pre-school age. Aiming to implement the National Education Strategy for 2013–2022, the considerable attention is paid to the involvement of children into pre-school education, where their individual skills would be more actively disclosed. It is therefore essential to develop alternatives within education system, which would be accessible, attractive and valuable to those groups of society that are currently not sufficiently enough involved into education. Considering that the economic well-being of the Republic of Lithuania is growing and the employment is increasing, the requirements for the quality and availability of public services are increasing in the society, it is worth to be mentioned that Lithuanian society also expects more accessibility and quality of services in pre-school education institutions.The aim of the research is to reveal the possibilities of new ways and channels of delivering public service in pre-school education institutions. Having conducted the content analysis of scientific literature and synthesis of ideas substantiated with scientific analysis as well as having conducted qualitative research in pre-school education institutions of Mažeikiai County Municipality, the research is based on the case of Mažeikiai county.The selection of the research object – public services in pre-school education institutions and their delivery ways and channels – is based on the aim of education policy to increase the accessibility, repeatability, individualization of services for early education as well as the increasing interest in modern ways of service delivery in Lithuania, by combining direct and indirect service delivery channels. In the second decade of the 21st century, scientists' attention paid to the personalization and particularity of the service is increasing, as the user's needs and the supplier's possibilities are growing. Innovative technical channels and a whole set of instruments are increasingly being used to personalize services (A. Patapas, V. Vilutytė-Žilienė, 2013, pp. 312–325; A. Jonas, 2016, p. 206).Services are often available through several different distribution channels, which, according to L. Bagdonienė et al. (2004), are understood as the chains of entities (individuals and organizations) involved in the delivery of services and performing specific functions. There are two types of service delivery channels – direct and indirect (through intermediaries) – distinguished by authors, and on the basis of the latest scientific literature, we have included one more channel, when both channels are combined. Direct service delivery may be provided at the provider's institution or in the consumer's location, or some services may be provided at either location. Meanwhile, the indirect service channel can take many forms, whose structures are rapidly changing and they are increasingly complex, with active use of e-services, m-services and smart services.In Lithuania,10-15 years ago, direct education services included all educational services (education and care, educational assistance, parent education, etc.) and most of social services (nutrition, health care, social and psychological assistance, ensuring of physical, social and emotional security, family support, etc.). Today, we are talking about combining these channels and the increasing involvement of stakeholders and social partners into service delivery. In this way, modern service delivery channels could be: 1) alternative to the traditional channel (direct service delivery at the provider's institution or at the recipient's home) when digital technologies are used, according to the provider's choice or the recipient's choice, 2) chains and networks created by inter-institutional co-operation and partnership, when educational and social services are delivered both directly (recreational services for children and family, temporary education and care, child care centres, babysitting services, social and psychological assistance in pre-school education institution or at home, etc.) and indirectly (e-communication with parents, informing about health, social support from local authorities, issues on children's rights, supply of extracurricular activities, involvement in local community activities, etc.), usually by coordinating delivery channels.The analysis of the material collected during the semi-structured interview (six heads of pre-school education institutions in Mažeikiai county and one specialist from education department who works with kindergartens were interviewed) allowed to distinguish the following particularities and perspectives of the delivery of modern pre-school education services: Delayed political decisions are among the external factors that hinder the increased use of modern services and delivery channels. The process is promoted by opportunities created by information technology and migration, as emigrants returning to Lithuania want new, more diverse services for their children. Of the internal factors that influence the development of modern services, the competence of the staff of pre-school education institution is the most significant. At present, it is of paramount importance in educational services, without avoiding to introduce alternative educational programs. There is active learning to ensure the social and emotional safety of children, but there is the lack of deeper understanding and readiness to provide family support services and work with at-risk families. Inter-institutional cooperation is important in service supply chain. It has increased in providing educational, physical, emotional security services for a child; there is the lack of active social interaction with other institutions in providing family support and social security services. Through the combination of direct and indirect service delivery channels, the use of digital technologies is important, and informants see their potential in increasing access to services, increasing diversity of services, reducing the disparity in service availability between urban and rural areas, and creating new quality of education. In Lithuania, it has not been prepared so far for the model of pre-school education at home and family support, and during the transitional period there would be an approval for mobile kindergarten groups. Nanny service, as an alternative service to early childhood education, is provided only in exceptional situations, and it would be viable in the cities and its funding should be complex; the pedagogical and value competence of a nanny is important as well. ; Straipsnyje pristatomas naujų viešųjų paslaugų teikimo būdų ir kanalų galimybių tyrimas ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigose. Prie naujų paslaugų teikimo būdų priskyrus tuos, kuriuose derinami tiesioginis ir netiesioginis paslaugų teikimo kanalai, analizuojama tokių paslaugų situacija Lietuvoje ir kitose ES valstybėse. Pasitelkus kokybinio tyrimo strategiją, išsiaiškinti pagrindiniai procesus skatinantys ir juos stabdantys veiksniai.

Nesvarbu, kokio amžiaus vaikas bebūtų, ugdant tinkamą elgesio kultūrą, svarbiausi yra suaugusieji, kurie savo elgesiu ir požiūriu į juos daro didžiausią įtaką. Ne tik šeima, bet ir ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaiga tampa atsakinga už vaikų elgesio kultūros ugdymą, švietimą bei skatinimą elgtis mandagiai, pagarbiai, sąžiningai, draugiškai ir t. t. Kultūringo elgesio įgūdžių ir įpročių formavimas, įvairiapusis elgesio kultūros ugdymo būdų taikymas, laisvas kūrybinis darbas sudaro sąlygas ugdytiniams save pažinti, kurti, išreikšti. Darbo procese jie ugdo(si) bendravimo ir bendradarbiavimo įgūdžius, atsakomybę už savo ir grupės darbo rezultatus. Šiame kontekste formuluotas probleminis tyrimo klausimas – kokiais būdais ugdoma vaikų elgesio kultūra ikimokyklinėje ugdymo įstaigoje?Tyrimas buvo atliekamas "X" miesto ikimokyklinėje ugdymo įstaigoje. Vykdant pedagogų apklausą raštu atskleistos trylikos pedagogų patirtys apie jų taikomus būdus vaikų elgesio kultūrai ugdyti. Kokybinio tyrimo duomenys apdoroti turinio analizės būdu.Atliktas pedagogų patirties tyrimas atskleidė, kad ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigoje dirbantys pedagogai elgesio kultūros ugdymą laiko prioritetine sritimi. Veikloje vyrauja tradiciniai, vaiko poreikius atitinkantys elgesio kultūros ugdymo metodai, t. y. žaidimai, pokalbiai, pavyzdžio metodas, rečiau minimos netradicinės ugdymo formos. Kaip labiausiai pasiteisinusius vaikų elgesio kultūros ugdymui(si) būdus, metodus pedagogės vardijo tokius, kaip drausminimas, skatinimas, taisyklių laikymasis, ekskursijų ir išvykų organizavimas, grožinės literatūros skaitymas ir analizė.

Straipsnyje apibrėžiama lyderystės samprata, atskleidžiamos mokslininkų darbuose, teisės aktuose egzistuojančios ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigos vadovo lyderystės teorinės prielaidos.Visuomenėje nuolat vykstantys pokyčiai sąlygoja socialinę ir ekonominę visuomenės kaitą, sparčią mokslo ir technologijų raidą. Apie būtinybę visuomenei keistis, apie lyderystę ir vadovavimo kompetencijų svarbą švietimo bendruomenėse ir institucijose kalbama Europos ir Lietuvos strateginiuose ir švietimo politikos dokumentuose. Pokyčius ikimokyklinio ugdymo sektoriuje, keičiant įstaigų vadovavimo būdą, įtraukiant bendruomenes į sprendimų priėmimą ir jų įgyvendinimą, atnaujinant ugdymo programas ir jas realizuojant, sąlygoja ir atnaujinta ikimokyklinį ugdymą apibrėžianti įstatymų bazė.Lietuvos ir užsienio mokslininkai nagrinėja lyderystės temą, atlieka mokslinius tyrimus, orientuodamiesi į lyderystės raiškos analizę bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose. Analizuojant atliktų lyderystės švietimo sektoriuje mokslinių tyrimų duomenis, ir Lietuvoje, ir užsienyje pasigendama lyderystės klausimų išsamaus nagrinėjimo, mokslinių tyrimų apie lyderystę ikimokyklinio ugdymo sektoriuje: ikimokyklinio ugdymo vadovų darnią lyderystę, jų gebėjimus, lyderystės raišką asmeniniu, švietimo įstaigos ir išorės subjektų lygmeniu.

Adaptacija ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigoje sudėtingas ir neramus procesas. Vaikas įpratęs laiką leisti su tėvais, būti jų prižiūrimas, todėl šis išsiskyrimas jam labai skausmingas. Ankstyvajame amžiuje vaikui rekomenduojama būti su mama, tačiau dažnai dėl susiklosčiusių aplinkybių nusprendžiama vaiką leisti į ikimokyklinę ugdymo įstaigą. Tėvai šiam procesui ruošiasi iš anksto, o pradėję leisti vaiką į ugdymo įstaigą privalo dirbti kartu su pedagogais. Niekam ne paslaptis, kad rasti laiko kokybiškam ir sėkmingam bendradarbiavimui darosi vis sunkiau. Nepaisant to, tiek tėvai, tiek ugdymo įstaiga turi suprasti, kad juos vienija tas pats tikslas – sėkmingas tolesnis vaiko ugdymas(is). Tyrimo probleminis klausimas – kokie ankstyvojo amžiaus vaikų (iki 3 metų) adaptacijos ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigoje ypatumai?Atlikto tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad esminiai ankstyvojo amžiaus vaikų sėkmingos adaptacijos ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigoje ypatumai yra šie: nuolatinis keitimasis informacija (tėvai–pedagogai) apie vaiko savijautą; susitarimai dėl adaptaciją lengvinančių priemonių taikymo namuose ir ugdymo institucijoje, taip užtikrinant ugdomųjų veiksmų tęstinumą (grupės aplinka–namų aplinka); periodiniai pedagogų ir tėvų susitikimai adaptacijos klausimams aptarti; abipusis (tėvai–pedagogai) pasitikėjimas ir pagalba.

Privačių ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų vadyba dar menkai tyrinėta, todėl nėra žinoma, kokių kompetencijų vadovas būtų tinkamiausias tokio tipo įstaigoms, kokio vadovo pageidautų svarbiausios suinteresuotosios šalys, kaip jos vertina vadovui reikalingas kompetencijas.Empiriniu tyrimu palyginamas svarbiausių privačių ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų suinteresuotųjų šalių – steigėjų, vadovų, darbuotojų ir tėvų (tiek esamų, tiek potencialių klientų) – požiūris į teorinį vadovo kompetencijų modelį.Apibendrintas modelio rangavimas rodo, kad svarbiausia vadovo kompetencijų grupe yra laikytinas, visų pirma, vadovo gebėjimas kurti pasitikėjimą.

Šiuolaikiniame, vis labiau globalizacijos veikiamame pasaulyje žmogui būtina greitai prisitaikyti prie sparčiai besikeičiančių aplinkos sąlygų. Vykstantys pokyčiai skatina nuolatinį ir nenutrūkstamą visuomenės ir asmens tobulėjimo procesą. Norint užtikrinti, kad šis procesas vyktų sklandžiai, labai svarbios tampa mokymosi visą gyvenimą nuostatos. Kiekvienas žmogus turėtų sugebėti mokytis individualiai, analizuoti, reflektuoti savo patirtį, siekti profesinių žinių. Kad šis procesas būtų sistemingas ir nuoseklus, individui būtina gerai įvaldyti mokėjimo mokytis įgūdžius ir šiuos įgūdžius pradėti ugdyti jau ikimokykliniame amžiuje. Ikimokyklinio amžiaus prioritetas mokymosi mokytis visą gyvenimą kontekste išryškinamas daugelyje Europos Sąjungos dokumentų; tai akcentuojama ir šiandienos Lietuvoje parengtų dokumentų, apimančių ikimokyklinį ir priešmokyklinį ugdymą, tekstuose. Remiantis analizuotais Lietuvos švietimo politikos dokumentais galima teigti, jog tiesiogiai ikimokyklinio ugdymo etapas mokymosi mokytis kontekste menkai akcentuojamas, tačiau šio etapo reikšmingumą galima identifikuoti aptariant visų švietimo lygių svarbą, kai kalbama apie asmens poreikį ir mokėjimą mokytis visą gyvenimą. Atliktų Europos Sąjungos ir Lietuvos dokumentų analizė sudaro galimybę imtis išsamesnės mokėjimo mokytis ikimokykliniame ir (ar) priešmokykliniame ugdymo etape analizės teoriniu ir praktiniu lygmenimis, siekti kokybiškesnio mokėjimo mokytis ugdymo(si) įgyvendinimo.

Rapid economic and political changes and social events inevitably influenced the change in priorities and traditional values. Professional image of a pre-school teacher has changed as well. On the one hand, a pedagogue's image is formed by society and therefore the pedagogues themselves are partly responsible for their image. On the other hand, education in general receives very little attention. And if it receives, this is not necessarily a positive attention. Pre-school pedagogues' attitudes towards their profession determine their professional image in society. The subject of research is professional image of pre-school education pedagogues. The aim of the research is to reveal the attitude of preschool education pedagogues towards their professional image. The methods of the research are content analysis of scholarly and methodological literature, questionnaire survey, qualitative and quantitative analysis of research data, descriptive method. The scope and basis of the research: 138 pre-school education pedagogues from Šiauliai, Mažeikiai, Joniškis, Jurbarkas and Panevėžys towns participated. For realization of the aim quantitative and qualitative research paradigms were applied. The results of the empirical research have revealed that pre-school education pedagogues themselves are responsible for their professional image. The positive image of pedagogues is significantly determined by a pedagogue's dedication to job, responsibility, love for children, competences gained, and personal qualities. The negative image stems from low pay for a hard work.

Rapid economic and political changes and social events inevitably influenced the change in priorities and traditional values. Professional image of a pre-school teacher has changed as well. On the one hand, a pedagogue's image is formed by society and therefore the pedagogues themselves are partly responsible for their image. On the other hand, education in general receives very little attention. And if it receives, this is not necessarily a positive attention. Pre-school pedagogues' attitudes towards their profession determine their professional image in society. The subject of research is professional image of pre-school education pedagogues. The aim of the research is to reveal the attitude of preschool education pedagogues towards their professional image. The methods of the research are content analysis of scholarly and methodological literature, questionnaire survey, qualitative and quantitative analysis of research data, descriptive method. The scope and basis of the research: 138 pre-school education pedagogues from Šiauliai, Mažeikiai, Joniškis, Jurbarkas and Panevėžys towns participated. For realization of the aim quantitative and qualitative research paradigms were applied. The results of the empirical research have revealed that pre-school education pedagogues themselves are responsible for their professional image. The positive image of pedagogues is significantly determined by a pedagogue's dedication to job, responsibility, love for children, competences gained, and personal qualities. The negative image stems from low pay for a hard work.

In the article contradictions in the policy of education towards the pre-school education and child-care are revealed. Ministry of Education and Science, which is responsible for policy of education, including policy of development of the preschool education, underestimates the importance of social functions of preschool education. Legal acts on the preschool education do not take into account the function of full-day care for children which allows their parents (and especially – single parent) to reconcile family and work obligations. The importance of women's participation in the labour market is discussed. On the basis of analysis of research results, the impact of pre-school education on development and future life style of children from poor families or families at risk is pointed out. At the same time, statistical analysis of the development of the network of pre-school institutions shows the decline in the numbers of pre-school institutions: since 1990. These numbers decreased almost three times in urban areas and more than four times in the rural areas. At the same time the numbers of children attending these institutions are growing since 1993. Children in rural areas (which are affected by poverty the most) and children under three years of age have the lowest access to pre-school education. Special attention is paid to pre-school education of six year-olds, which became universal since 2005, but brought even more uncertainties concerning full-day care. The holistic approach, integrating education and social policies towards pre-school education and care is recommended by the author. ; Analizuojant teisės aktus ir ikimokyklinio ugdymo tinklo būklę Lietuvoje, nagrinėjant ikimokyklinio ugdymo funkcijas ir jų įgyvendinimą, išryškinami ikimokyklinio ugdymo politikos prieštaravimai. Remiantis mokslinių tyrimų rezultatais bei Šiaurės šalių patirtimi, aptariama visuomeninio ikimokyklinio ugdymo ir priežiūros svarba.

In the article contradictions in the policy of education towards the pre-school education and child-care are revealed. Ministry of Education and Science, which is responsible for policy of education, including policy of development of pre-school education, underestimates the importance of social functions of pre-school education. Legal acts on the pre-school education do not take into accont the function of fully-day care for children which allows their parents (and especially - single parent) to reconcile family and work obligations.

In the article contradictions in the policy of education towards the pre-school education and child-care are revealed. Ministry of Education and Science, which is responsible for policy of education, including policy of development of pre-school education, underestimates the importance of social functions of pre-school education. Legal acts on the pre-school education do not take into accont the function of fully-day care for children which allows their parents (and especially - single parent) to reconcile family and work obligations.