Darja Rakovič

Darja Rakovič is the head of the Zagorje ob Savi Preschool and co-author of the book Šola in vrtec skozi ogledalo (School and Preschool through the Looking Glass, 2004). Starting as a preschool teacher, she continued her studies of pedagogy at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Her MA (2011) focused on the role of educational professionals in preschools and called for necessary changes. As part of the curriculum reform, she managed the project department Vrtec z evropskim delovnim časom – drugače v vrtcu (Preschool with European Working Hours – A Different Take on Preschool, 1994–1999) and sat on the curriculum field and subject curriculum committee (1995–1996). She collaborated on the R&D project Dnevna rutina z vidika prikritega kurikula v vrtcu in prvem razredu: primerjava med stanjem pred kurikularno prenovo in po njej (Daily Routine from the Perspective of a Hidden Curriculum in Preschool and 1st Grade: Before and after the Curriculum Reform, 2004). She also participates in continuous professional development for teachers, Modul II: vrtec, možnost izbire, drugačnost (Module II: Preschools, Possibility of Choice, Being Different), run by Eva D. Bahovec. She advocates the democratisation of education, elimination of sexism and changing traditional gender roles. She also pursues these aims in the international project Chain Experiment in Preschool, which won the Zagorje ob Savi Preschool a recognition award for innovation.