Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

A conference titled “Inclusive Education – Road to the Development of Education in Serbia” was held in Belgrade on 22-23 November 2018, organized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and UNICEF, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The conference participants noted that since 2009 intensive support is being provided for children, teachers and schools through trainings, scholarships and other forms of support, leading to the following results:

• During the past period the capacities of institutions have been strengthened and cooperation was achieved between all stakeholders, leading to the development of inclusive education.
• According to data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, there is a notable decrease in the number of students in schools/classes for students with development impairments.
• Due to the efforts of teachers and cooperation with parents, the number of students being educated with their peers, with additional support, is increasing. During the last school year there were 11 546 children attending primary school with additional educational support.
• The inclusive approach has led to the inclusion of a greater number of children from vulnerable groups in the education system.
• The coverage of Roma children by education has been increased in primary and secondary schools, through the hiring of pedagogical assistants and scholarships. There are currently 175 Roma assistants engaged, with the engagement of another 50 planned by the end of 2018. Scholarships were awarded during the 2017/18 school year for 520 students of Roma nationality. The number of Roma students enrolled in secondary schools based on affirmative action measures has increased from 330 during the school year of 2014/15 to almost 2000 children in 2017/18.
• Free of charge textbooks have been provided based on a decision of the Government of RS, with adapted textbooks also provided since 2016/17, based on the needs of students. A total of 6948 adapted textbook units have been provided for the 2018/19 school year.

The conference gathered over 250 participants from the field of education, policy creators, practitioners and representatives of academic, research, international and non-government organizations, as well as parents and young people, motivated to learn and share their experiences on inclusion in policy and practice.

During the two days of work, the participants were introduced to relevant international and national experiences regarding quality inclusive education, and defined next steps in the development of policies and practices for inclusive education in Serbia.

Dragana Malidžan Vinkić, Education Coordinator of the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, moderated the session on “Universal Design for Leaning”.

The conference presentations can be downloaded at www.mpn.gov.rs.

The conclusion of the conference was that the development of overall inclusive education in Serbia is continuing in accordance with the global sustainable development goals, European and national policies, responding to further challenges encountered in the process of providing quality education for every child.

Source: www.mpn.gov.rs