Definition of the target group(s)
According to the Law on the Education System Foundations, education programmes for national minority pupils are carried out in their respective national minority languages. Education programmes can also be provided bilingually, in a national minority language and Serbian. Education programmes can be implemented in a foreign language, in a foreign language and Serbian, or in a foreign language and a national minority language. Education programmes for learners who use a sign language, a special script or assistive technology, can be provided in the sign language and with necessary adaptations to its delivery. When education is provided in national minority languages, foreign languages or bilingually, learning the Serbian language is mandatory.
According to the Law on the Education System Foundations, foreign citizens, stateless persons and citizenship seekers enrol in a school or a preschool under the same conditions and following the same procedure prescribed by law for citizens of the Republic of Serbia. Educational institutions provide the instruction of Serbian as a foreign language for pre-school children and pupils who do not know the language of schooling, including exiled and displaced children, refugees, migrants and returnees under the Readmission Agreement.
According to the Law on Basic Education, pupils with disabilities attend school together with other pupils, unless it is in their best interest to attend a special school (a school for pupils with disabilities). Students with disabilities have the right to an individual education plan (IEP). In accordance with the same law, students with exceptional or special abilities have the right to an individual educational plan (IEP), which supports their development and progress in line with their abilities and interests.
Specific support measures
Support measures for parents are provided and regulated at institutional and/or local levels. There are no central regulations or recommendations on this matter.
Roma children receive support from the National Association of Pedagogical Assistants and in 2023 additional support measures for this population were adopted in Serbia. Pedagogical assistants in general play an important role in supporting pre-school children and pupils in need of additional educational support due to some learning difficulties or, in case of Roma children, due to possible cultural or language barriers, for example. Responsibilities of pedagogical assistants for Roma children extend across various domains, including help with enrolment procedures, facilitating transportation and ensuring access to textbooks, teaching aids and necessary equipment for active participation in learning. Additionally, they are committed to removing barriers associated with ethnic, cultural and linguistic identities.
Diverse support provided by pedagogical assistants for Roma pupils includes overcoming stereotypes, promoting socialisation and inclusion, and nurturing a positive attitude towards education. Furthermore, they actively contribute to improving the pupils' motivation for learning, achieving language proficiency, engagement in extracurricular activities and developing general skills for achieving academic success. Pedagogical assistants are hired if there are at least 20 children requiring additional educational support. Full-time hours entail working with 35 pupils. Currently, there are 271 teaching assistants employed in the education system in Serbia.