The closing conference of the Joint program “Inclusive Education – a Way Forward in Serbia” was opened by the Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, Philippe Guex, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia Mladen Sarcevic, UNICEF Representative in Serbia Regina De Dominicis and the Head of Section of the EU Delegation Steffen Hudolin.
The conference was an opportunity to highlight that despite the high level of child inclusion in the education system, a solid legislative framework, enhanced institutional capacities and established cooperation of all stakeholders in Serbia, vulnerable groups, such as children with disabilities, Roma children, as well as those from the poor families remain at risk of being excluded.
H.E. Ambassador Philippe Guex stressed the need for exerting continued efforts within the education system in order to have the situation improved and said: “It is necessary to further develop inclusive education policies within the new Education Strategy 2030, and to implement, manage and monitor inclusive education policies, at both local and national levels, for the benefit of all”.
The conference has gathered many participants, decision-makers and policy makers, experts in the field of education, teachers, academia, research centers, civil society and international organizations and parents. This was an opportunity to present international and national best practices and define next steps in further development of inclusive education in Serbia.
The Joint Program supported about 186’000 students and 10’000 teachers through training on inclusive education related topics and engagement of pedagogical assistants, while more than 2’000 children from vulnerable groups aged 3.5 to 5 years were enrolled in preschool programs. One of the highlights of the Program was the development of a special model for preventing the drop-out for children from vulnerable groups with a success rate of 66%.
The “Joint Program for the inclusion of Roma children and children from vulnerable groups” lasted from 2009 to 2018. It has been implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, UNICEF and the Red Cross of Serbia with a total budget of 14 million EUR.
