Early years

Early years

Primary school years

Primary school years

Adolescence

Adolescence

 

Primary school years

© UNICEF Serbia / Zoran Jovanovic Maccak

Two Roma kids are doing their homework at the Belgrade underground.

The level of enrolment of children in primary school is quite high at approximately 97%. While this can be viewed positively, when one shifts from the global indicators to the coverage analysis of individual categories of children, the results prove to be quite different.

Although there are no systematic data disaggregated for certain social and ethnic groups, pilot analyses show that there are serious problems in relation to the coverage of children from specific ethnic groups, such as Roma and Vlasi, children with special needs, children from villages in under-developed regions and children from IDP families. Drop out rate is another serious problem, especially among those children from disadvantaged groups.

Access to education is almost completely denied to children with disabilities. No school has physical access and facilities for children with physical impediments, while the education process is not inclusive for children with special learning needs. As the reason only about 30 per cent of children with special education need are covered by education, while others are completely left out.

Access to “quality primary education” for all children remains a crucial issue. Research studies have shown that the quality of education pupils receive upon completion of primary school is substandard.

© UNICEF Serbia / Zoran Jovanovic Maccak

Last day of school year. This primary school in Podgorica is one of the first to include Roma children into the mainstream education with the support of UNICEF.

Progress

A comprehensive analysis of primary education, carried out with UNICEF support, has been used by the Ministry of Education as a background for education reform. Active learning, or child-centred methodology became part of the educational system which will assist in ensuring proper educational conditions for children and appropriate working conditions for teachers. Within ongoing education reform, UNICEF supported legislative changes in line with international standards to improve access to education for disabled children.

Capacity building in the area of life skill education,  teaching has succeeded in promoting new values for the process of transition to democracy, health life styles, social integration and peace in the region. Life skills education has been mainstreamed into the education system as part of the reform process. Capacity building in the area of teachers training and development was  successful not only in improve their capacity, but also their social status, moral which enhance children’s learning achievements.

UNICEF also promote development of partnership among all stakeholders for children and comprehensive, intersectoral cooperation.