FOUNDATION TEMPUS SERBIA Opportunities for Cooperation Education system in Serbia Serbia in Erasmus+ Higher education institutions Education system in Serbia Education system The current education system in Serbia is composed of pre-primary (from 0 to 6/7 years), primary (with two cycles: grades 1 to 4 and 5 to 8), secondary in Serbia education (either four-year grammar or three- or four-year vocational secondary school) and tertiary (higher) education. In the fi rst cycle of primary education, children are taught in self-contained classes. The principal language of instruction is Serbian; other languages of instruction include Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Hungarian, Romanian, Russian and Slovak at the elementary and secondary levels. Children in lower grades have one class teacher, who teaches all subjects with the exception of religion or civic education, and foreign language, for which there are Serbia separate teachers. Foreign language has recently been made compulsory from the fi rst grade, and a second foreign language from the fi fth. Bilingual education is implemented in some primary and secondary schools. Preschool Primary Primary music education and education education primary ballet education This level of education encompasses Primary education is compulsory, takes eight children from six months to primary years and is carried out in two educational school age. The founder of most preschool cycles. institutions (kindergartens) is the Republic The fi rst cycle covers the fi rst four grades. of Serbia, autonomous province and Besides the compulsory primary All subjects in this stage are taught by class municipality/city. These institutions may school, the system also includes teachers, while some subjects, such as arts also be established by citizens and other primary music and primary ballet and foreign languages, may be taught by institutions. schools and schools for music subject teachers, who teach these subjects and ballet talents. These schools Preschool education is compulsory for in the second cycle. The second cycle covers are not compulsory. Their all children aged 5.5 to 6.5 and lasts 9 5th through 8th grade, where each subject attendance is free of charge and months. is taught by subject teachers. funded at central and local levels. Children with disabilities are included in the Children are admitted in the fi rst grade Primary music education takes 2 preschool educational system, in regular of primary school when they are not less to 6 years and ballet 4 years. and special (development) groups, and the than 6.5 and not more than 7.5 years right to education is also provided to children old, with the certifi cate of preschool in hospital treatment. Members of national programme attendance. Primary education minorities have the right to education in their is free of charge in state schools, while in native language, bilingually, or in the Serbian private schools parents bear the costs of language. education. Primary adult education Primary adult education takes from three to fi ve years and is organised by grades, from fi rst to eighth grade (as a rule, 2 grades are completed in 1 year). Students who turned 15 can be admitted to adult education. In Serbia there is a limited number of schools for adult education, which does not correspond to current needs. Regular primary schools can also implement programmes for primary adult education. 6 Secondary art education takes four years Secondary vocational and is realised in music, ballet and visual art schools in the area of culture, art and public Secondary and artistic education information. Arts matriculation is taken upon completion of secondary arts education. Secondary vocational education is Secondary music schools educate the acquired at vocational schools that prepare education following profi les: music artist (vocal and students for work in different areas (like instrumental, jazz department, department agriculture, forestry, geology, mechanical of early music, department of church music), engineering, electrical engineering, graphic musical associate (theoretical, department industry, textile, construction, transport, of ethnomusicology) and sound designer. hydrometeorology, commerce, economics, Upper secondary schooling consists of four health, art, personal services). In secondary ballet schools, education is years of general education or two to four provided in the following departments: At secondary vocational schools students years of vocational education. Grammar classical ballet, modern dance and folk acquire and develop general and vocational schools (gimnazija) offer four years of dance. Schools of visual arts educate the knowledge and skills for further education general and broad education, with the option following profi les: art technician, curator, or work. At these schools, the duration to specialise in languages, social sciences, designer and artistic handicrafts. mathematics, natural sciences (prirodni of education is not uniform: there is smer), information technology or philosophy. education and vocational training that Students who have graduated from grammar lasts for up to one year, work education for schools can enrol at almost any faculty, and two years, secondary three-year and four- Secondary adult professional school students can proceed to Grammar schools year education, specialist and master’s tertiary education at faculties and colleges education (after two years) for a period of education that fi t their specialisation. Legislation on General secondary education is acquired one to two years. Vocational schools also Secondary schools can offer a special secondary education states that students at grammar schools. There are two types organise retraining and additional training curriculum for adult education, vocational enrolled in three-year vocational education of grammar schools: grammar schools programmes. training programme, and training. Other and training (VET) programmes can take of general type and specialised ones. associations or individuals can implement additional exams to qualify for taking Grammar schools of general type may Practical teaching is conducted in school special programmes in the areas of university entrance exams. organise four programmes: general, socio- workshops and in the workplace. The fi nal linguistic, natural sciences and IT. exam is taken at the end of a three-year adult education if they meet prescribed Matura-type exams are being prepared for educational programme, and the school- standards for the implementation of special four-year general, technical or arts education Specialised grammar schools are intended leaving exam is taken after a four year programmes and receive approval from and are expected to start in 2015. (Matura for education of talented students in educational programme. Upon completing a the Ministry. The Law on the Foundations is a standardised fi nal exam specifi ed for certain areas. There are mathematical, specialist or master’s education programme, of the Education System has opened the different subjects, allowing entrance to philological, sports and computer science a specialist or master’s exam is taken possibility to entrust adult education to other higher education.) grammar schools. Grammar schools and a certifi cate issued. In the vocational institutions, associations and individuals of general type also organise classes education reform process employers who meet the prescribed standards. Secondary education also includes of students who show talent in special have participated in the development of educational programmes for talented areas: mathematics, physics, languages new curricula, i.e. in more than 50 pilot students and students with disabilities, and or sports. Some regular grammar schools programmes. Their representatives are adult education. have bilingual classes, where a number of members of commissions for the fi nal subjects are taught in foreign languages: exam or professional graduation in pilot French, Italian or English. programmes. 8 9 The law provides that, in addition to the Candidate ranking at public higher education above-mentioned institutions, there are also institutions determines a list of those whose Higher Education academies of applied studies – institutions studies are fi nanced from the state budget on that integrate several vocational colleges. the basis of study success. Each academic In the higher education system there are year, at the proposal of the National Council Serbia joined the Bologna Process in 2003 at universities, and vocational profession- currently no such institutions, although for Higher Education, the Government and thus initiated a gradual reform process, oriented studies organised either at colleges there are reflections on their formation in approves the number of budget-fi nanced which received its legal support in 2005 by the of applied studies or at universities. order to achieve better functionality. students in higher educational institutions adoption of a new Law on Higher Education. founded by the Republic of Serbia. This law formally introduced the European Serbia currently has 19 accredited The three-cycle system of academic studies Credit Transfer System, three-cycle system universities - 8 state universities, and 11 includes: basic academic studies lasting Students who study at private higher of study and diploma supplement. From private universities. There are altogether 3-4 years, carrying 180 to 240 ECTS, master education institutions pay fees as 2007/08 all new attendants study under 64 (47