Report:

Susanna Popovic Ickovski, CIP, Serbia

EDUCATION REFORM IN SERBIA 2001/09

In 2001^st the idea that education reform was needed was conceived with the first democratic government after the Second World War, the government of Mr Zoran Djindjic. The general strategy of the reform was named “The Quality Education for All”.

By 2003^rd great effort had been made and great changes could be seen in education system itself:

• The new Law on the Basic Curriculum of Education and Upbringing had been passed as well as the Elementary School law
• Centers had been formed within the Ministry of Education dealing with various aspects of the reform
• New text books had been published
• Compulsary nine year of education had been  initiated
• Programmes for professional development of teachers had been accredited by the Ministry of Education.

And then in 2003^rd, with the assassination of the Prime Minister, all of this was halted and the reform itself came into the question. In the period that followed little was done.

In 2008^th after years of being at a standstill, the education reform was, in a way reinitiated:

• The new National Council of Education has been elected
• Serbia is expected to finally get National Education Strategy
• Amandmends to the Law on the Basic Curriculum of Education and Upbringing are currently being drafted
• The Ministry of Education has found partners in NGOs
• For the time being the focus is less on advencement in quality of education and more on acess and justice of education for marginalized groups.
• The core plans od the Ministry of Education are to focus on inclusion, on planning school development and on prevention of violence in schools.
  • In 2008^th some of the in-service teacher training courses based on Critical Thinking were accredited by the Ministry of Education (Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking, Step by Step programme ,Interactive teaching methods in secondary schools)
  • The Minister of Education sressed that bad results of PISA tests showed  that pupils from Serbia were  not thaught to reason and think and that that should be improved.  The expertise team on this matter adviced teacher to use in their classrooms  methods that develop critical think of their pupils.
  • Since the focus of interest of the Ministry of education is  on acess and justice of education for marginalized groups the following have been done:

• EDUCATION REFORM IN SERBIA/ CT & ESP STRATEGY

1. A special team inside the Ministry of education was formed,
2. A committee has been founded to work on a new decree on screening children and streaming pupils with difficulties into special schools
3. The draft of the National plan for Roma children education was made,
4. Roma teacher assistents were brought to some elementary schools,
5. Access of secondary education to Roma children through possitive discrimination
6. Local inclusive teams  were foremed…

CENTER FOR INTERACTIVE PEDAGOGY BELGRADE  / CT  &   ESP STRATEGY

• Developed many teacher training courses based on critical thinking:

1. Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking
2. Step by Step Programme
3. Neither Black  nor White ( aim: to overcome the prejudice)
4. Classroom Environment and Interactive Teaching Methods in Elementary Schools
5. Interactive Teaching Methods in Secondary Schools
6. E-learning: Giving Professional Support to Teachers
7. Additional Education Programme of Roma Teacher Assistents

• Took part in and realized many projects:

1. Step by Step – Children’s Nursery School as a Family Center for Roma Children
2. Step by Step
3. Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking
4. Equal Chances , Integrating Roma Children and Youth into the Education System
5. Equal Chances  in Secondary Education
6. Inclusive Education From Practice to Politics
7. Educational Inclusion –  Local Inclusive Teams
8. An Inclusive Society by Means of Informational Technologies
9. Support to Local Roma Coordinators

10.  Start All Over – Advancing Early Education Through Local Initiatives etc.