As required by the Law on the Education System Foundations, all teachers – licenced and non-licenced alike – are required to participate in continuing professional development in order to improve their teaching methodology and other competences. 

According to the Bylaw on Continuing Professional Development of Teachers and Education Staff, each year, all ECEC and school staff are obliged to have at least 44 hours of CPD in their own institution, to participate in at least one accredited CPD programme (minimum 8 hours) and one accredited professional meeting (e.g. conference, round table, summer school etc.) lasting 1 day or more.  

School and preschool teachers’ participation in professional development programmes is monitored through a scoring system. According to this system, a professional meeting/an hour of professional development is worth one credit.  

Organisational Aspects

Each school is required to have a CPD plan. In addition, teachers need to have a personal CPD plan (portfolio) based on the self-evaluation of their competences.  

In-school CPD programmes are organised by the school and defined in the school’s professional development plan (the same applies to ECEC institutions). This plan is issued by the institution’s management board as a regular part of its annual plan. It needs to be in line with the school/ECEC institution development plan and based on both the priorities and educational goals of the institution, and standards prescribed by the relevant ministry. The priorities take into account teachers’ personal professional development plans and self-evaluation results, evaluation of the quality of education in the school, pupils’/students’ and parents’ opinion on the schoolwork and other teaching quality indicators. 

In accordance with the Bylaw on Continuing Professional Development of Teachers and Education Staff, in-school programmes include the following: 

• Model or demonstration classes; 
• Presentations of completed professional development activities outside the school (at meetings of relevant school bodies, with mandatory analysis and discussion); 
• Presentations of books, handbooks, didactic material, articles, research, projects, study trips and professional visits, with mandatory analysis and discussion; 
• Participation in research, education projects within the institution, mobility projects, programmes of national importance within the institution, professional and study trips and visits, international programmes, gatherings and networks, professional learning communities, demonstration programmes or model centre activities; 
• Participation in internships or mentoring programmes; 
• Participation in activities related to horizontal learning and partnering with other institutions; 
• Professional in-school training. 

Accredited CPD programmes are approved by the Ministry of Education and financed or co-financed by the state and/or local authorities. Some courses are also offered free of charge. The Ministry plans, coordinates and organises CPD programmes. CPD programmes can also be organised by various institutions: NGOs, agencies, educational institutions, centres for professional development etc. These programmes must be approved by the Ministry of Education.   

District school authorities monitor professional development of teachers and all other staff and make suggestions for further training to improve personal and professional competences of employees and the overall performance of the institution. 

The Institute for the Improvement of Education is an accreditation body for teacher CPD programmes. It publishes the catalogue of accredited programmes, gathers information on participation in and evaluation of such programmes and organises some CPD programmes on their premises. 

The Ministry of Education defines CPD priority topics for each 3-year period, as well as CPD forms and procedures, programmes, requirements for CPD-based promotion of employees, certification and all other regulations. In accordance with the latest guidelines, all accredited training programmes must correspond to one of the nine designated priority areas. These priorities reflect the current strategic goals of the Serbian education system: 

There are nine priority topics for the current 3-year period:  

Incentives for Participation in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Activities

There are promotion possibilities for school and preschool teachers based on CPD participation and other criteria. All school and preschool teachers, as well as non-teaching professionals, can be promoted to pedagogical advisers, independent pedagogical advisers, senior pedagogical advisers and high-level pedagogical advisers. There is a possibility of gradual progress through these positions. Up to 25% of the total number of school and preschool teachers and non-teaching professionals in an institution can hold such titles. More specifically, there can be up to 15% of pedagogical advisers, up to 5% of independent pedagogical advisers, up to 3% of senior pedagogical advisers  and up to 2% of high-level pedagogical advisers per institution. 

Upon completion of each programme, teachers receive certificates approved by the Ministry of Education.