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The Gyöngyszem Kindergarten in Budapest has undergone a complete renovation, becoming Hungary’s first smart kindergarten with its unique equipment and “smart home” automation. In an unusual way, Pepper, a humanoid robot, greeted the guests at the inauguration ceremony, reports Index.
The renovation started in 2022 and the children will be able to take possession of the institution again from September 2024, with the 13th District Municipality spending HUF 2.7 billion (EUR 6.9 million) on its modernization. The “smart” concept is not only about the design and maintenance of the building. The municipality’s pedagogical program also states that rapid digital technological development has become part of our everyday lives and is therefore an integral part of the pre-school education process.
“Many people associate digitalization with the supply of technology or with household access to the Internet. I think this is not enough. It is more than that – it is about using it intelligently, and we need to start in kindergarten and educate the society of the future.
It is very important for children to receive not only technological, but also emotional and social support in kindergartens, and we must create a harmony between this, and digital provision and education and preparation for community life must be implemented together. This is a huge pedagogical task,”
said József Tóth, the district’s mayor, in his speech.
“The basic smart concept of the building is based on play and activity rooms.
These include a ‘smart room’ equipped with digital tools; a creative art workshop that promotes personal development through the creative process; a kitchenette that offers children the experience of cooking together and learning about healthy eating; and a gym with developmental equipment,”
the mayor said, explaining the building’s features.
He added: “In the terraces and the playground’s educational gardens, kindergarten children will gain direct knowledge about the natural environment and plant cultivation. Through cameras, parents will also have an insight into the educational work of the nursery. Pepper, the humanoid robot, will mainly perform customer service tasks.”
The four group rooms upstairs have shaded terraces. On this floor there is a speech and language therapy room, and a special education room. The building is fully barrier-free. A motorized textile shading system with sun tracking and wind detection has been installed in front of the glass surfaces. A large part of the flat roof has been converted into a green roof with solar panels.
Here, as in other kindergartens in the district, children can develop their logical thinking and learn the basics of programming through playful robotics activities with BeeBot.
In the previous year, staff were prepared to learn about the new tools and systems. We pay special attention to the children’s emotional and social development, not just technological, and to preparing them for social life, in addition to the digital challenges of the future,” explained József Tóth.
Via Index, Featured image: Pixabay