Accessibility

A network of state ECEC institutions is set up by the local government assembly according to the criteria established by the Government, as specified in the Law on the Education System Foundations.

According to the Law on Preschool Education, an ECEC institution may carry out its programme outside the institution’s seat, through a “satellite unit” for children in rural areas or in the case of insufficient enrolment for the concrete ECEC programme. In areas where no preschool education institutions are available or where there are not enough children to form a preschool group, a so-called “traveling kindergarten” may be organised in a specially equipped bus. Another option is that a teacher travels to places where there are no preschool education institutions.

For children belonging to national minorities, preschool education and care activities are carried out in their respective minority languages. Alternatively, activities for minority children may be bilingual or held entirely in the Serbian language if at least 50% of parents choose that option.

A preschool programme may be held – partly or entirely – in a foreign language, in accordance with the ECEC institution programme. 

As envisaged by the Bylaw on Special Educational Programme in Healthcare Institutions, children who are hospitalised longer than 15 days are transferred to special preschool programmes organised in the concrete health care institutions. Alternatively, home-based preschool programmes may be organised for children who cannot participate in regular programmes due to illness or other justified reasons.

Preschool preparatory programmes may be delivered in ECEC institutions or in primary schools.

The monthly price for ECEC participation is around 13000 RSD (~110 EUR), but it is subsidised by the state, so the fee for parents ranges from 595 to 9705 RSD, depending on the family incomes and other factors. Preschool preparatory programme is free for children who participate in it by 4 hours per day, while full day participation is subject to an additional fee – 7770 RSD or less, in accordance with the family situation.

Admission Requirements and Choice of ECEC Institution

As specified in the Law on Preschool Education, procedure of admission to an ECEC institution is determined by the institution itself and it has to be approved by its founder. When applying for a nursery or kindergarten programme, parents have to provide documentation on their child’s medical check-up, along with other personal documentation. Parents may choose any institution regardless of their place of residence as long as the institution capacity allows so.

Participation in public nursery and kindergarten programmes is partly financed from the state budget, depending on parents’ socio-economic status and number of children in the family, while the rest is covered by parents.

Priority in admission to public ECEC institutions is given to children from vulnerable groups, as prescribed by the Law on Preschool Education and by the Bylaw on the Establishment of Enrolment Priorities for Preschool Institutions. A list of priority groups is determined by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development. As established by the Bylaw on Detailed Conditions for the Enrolment of Children in a Preparatory Preschool Programme Institution, priority is given to the following groups:

1. Children from vulnerable groups:
   • Children who are victims of domestic violence;
   • Children from families entitled to some kind of social protection and children deprived of parental care;
   • Children from single-parent families;
   • Children from socially deprived environments;
   • Children with disabilities;
   • Children from families with seriously ill or disabled children;
   • Children of seriously ill parents;
   • Children of  disabled war veterans or internally displaced/exiled persons;
   • Children assigned by social work centres;
   • Children from unsafe environments;
2. Children of employed parents or full-time students;
3. Children who are the third or any subsequent child in the family;
4. Children whose siblings are already attending the ECEC institution they are applying for;
5. Other children.  

Preparatory preschool programme (PPP) has been compulsory since the school year 2006/2007 for all children one year prior to the enrolment in the first grade of primary school. According to the Law on Preschool Education, all children have to enrol at this programme at latest one year prior to primary school. Relevant local authorities are responsible for recording and providing ECEC institutions with lists of children who have reached the PPP age. Parents are responsible to enrol their child in a PPP programme and they may choose a desired school or preschool institution. All PPP institutions are required to admit all children regardless of their parents’ place of residence.

Children who are foreign citizens residing in Serbia, children without citizenship, those without a documented place of residence or other personal documents, internally displaced and refugee children undergo the same procedure and requirements for PPP enrolment as those who are Serbian citizens/residents. PPP is free of charge for all children.

Age Levels and Grouping of Children

ECEC activities are carried out in ECEC groups of children. These groups may consist of children of the same or different age, except for preschool preparatory programmes, which are intended for children between 5 and a half to 6 and a half years of age. The size of groups is determined for each age level and may vary by 20% if there are justifying reasons for that. Age levels and number of children in every age group are shown in the table below.

Table 1: Age levels and number of children in ECEC groups

As prescribed by the Law on Preschool Education, number of groups in each institution is determined by the ECEC institution principal, according to the number of admitted children, working conditions and approved programme. Number of groups per institution varies from 5 to 100.

Regular groups may not have more than 2 children with disability, in which case total number of children in the group is reduced by 3 for each child with a disability.

ECEC programmes are delivered by ECEC teachers, nurses and special education teachers, with the assistance of other professionals, such as psychologists, pedagogues and pedagogical assistants. Nurses are allowed to work with children up to 3 years of age, while teachers work with older children.

Organisation of Time

According to the Law on the Education System Foundations, the organisation of ECEC programmes is adjusted to the working year (September 1st to August 31st). The duration of nursery and kindergarten programmes is determined by the ECEC institution plan, while parents can choose for how long they want their child to participate in the programme.

Preschool preparatory programmes, as regulated by the Law on Preschool Education, last at least 9 months in a working year prior to enrolment in the first grade. Determined by each institution’s annual plan are the exact days of the beginning and completion of the programme. Ill children may attend home-based programmes in the duration of at least 240 hours during the working year.

Organisation of the Day and Week

Pursuant to the Law on Preschool Education, working hours are determined by each ECEC institution based on the parents/children’s needs and on the parents’ council recommendation. Children in nurseries and kindergartens can participate in half-day or whole-day programmes, in line with their parents’ working hours.

• Whole-day programmes (from 9 to 12 hours per day)
• Half-day programmes (up to 6 hours per day)
• Half-day programmes (up to 6 hours per day, up to 3 days per week)
• Multiple days programmes (longer than 24 hours).

Preschool preparatory programme requires minimum 4 hours per day, while longer programmes are available according to parents’ needs and working time.