Types of Institutions

Vocational secondary education (ISCED 3) in Serbia lasts 3 or 4 years and it prepares students for the labour market.

Although the Law on the Education System Foundations (SR) states that all students graduated from upper secondary education have access to higher education, most commonly this is only the case for students graduated from four-year programmes. Those whose secondary education lasted for three years have the option of taking special access to higher education courses.

Some of the vocational schools also provide 1 or 2-year specialisation, apprenticeship and other forms of training (e.g. adult education).

While the majority of schools are free public schools, there are some private ones, as well as foreign schools. Vocational secondary education includes schools that offer education and specialisation in the following fields:

• Agriculture, Food Production and Processing;
• Geodesy and Construction;
• Economics, Law and Administration;
• Natural Sciences and Mathematics;
• Electrical Engineering;
• Textile and Leather Industry;
• Personal Services;
• Traffic;
• Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking;
• Health and Social Care;
• Chemistry;
• Geology, Mining and Metallurgy;
• Forestry and Wood Processing;
• Trade, Hospitality and Tourism;
• Culture, Arts and Public Relations (including music and ballet secondary schools for talented students).

Dual education is regulated by the Law on dual education (SR). Students attending some of the educational profiles in dual education model attend part of the classes regularly at school, while the rest of their time is spent at professional practice.  Professional practice can take place in one or more different companies. The mutual rights and obligations of students and employers are regulated by a Work-based learning contract concluded by the employer and a pupil or parent or other pupil representative. Students have the right to a monthly remuneration, in a net amount of at least 70% of the minimum wage in the Republic of Serbia.

Dual education at the higher education level is regulated by the Law on the Dual Model of Studies which enables students to continue their education at tertiary level at dual model programs. The Law recognizes importance of career guidance and counseling activities for students which is accomplished through networking between career guidance centre of HEI, secondary schools and companies.

Geographical Accessibility

The number and spatial distribution of public institutions by type and structure is planned by the act on the network of public secondary schools as defined in the Law on the Education System Foundations. Criteria for the establishment of the network of public secondary schools are determined by the Government, upon the proposal of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy.

Criteria for establishing the network of public secondary schools are as follows:

1. economy;
2. the equal right to education of all students;
3. availability of secondary education and education for all students;
4. organization - in a school building the work of only one public secondary school is allowed;
5. status - public secondary school must have at least 200 students (12 classes) with the condition that at a distance of less than 20 km there is no other public secondary school with the same educational profile;
6. demographic - projection of student population, trend of natural growth of children and migratory movements in the local self-government unit for a period of ten years;
7. geographic - the size of the settlement, the distance between neighboring settlements and the transport connections among them, as well as the specificity of mountainous and mountainous areas;
8. cultural;
9. optimization - matching the size of the school space and the number of students, as well as maintenance costs with the price of services and the applicable norms.

General and vocational secondary education and training programs are implemented by 521 schools. Vocational education and training programs of three and four-year duration and other forms of vocational education are provided by 308 vocational schools and 21 schools for disadvantaged students with disabilities.

Students can choose a school located anywhere in the country, regardless of their respective places of residence. If admitted to a school in a place other than their hometown, a student can apply for a student dormitory in the town where the school is located.

Decisions on the right to subsidized or free transport are made at the level of local self-government, while secondary vocational school students attending an educational profile of dual education model have a legally guaranteed right to reimbursement of the transport expenses to the place where the learning though work is held.

It is possible teaching to be organized at home or as distance learning.

Distance learning is carried out on a reasoned parents’ request for each school year. School then decides based on availability of staff, space and material and technical conditions necessary for this kind of education and submits a request to the Ministry for approval.

Admission Requirements and Choice of Schools

The most important requirement for admission to a vocational secondary school is the completion of primary education. Given that each school has a pre-determined maximum number of students, prospective students have to be ranked. Ranking is based on the following criteria:

• Results of the primary education final exam. The maximum number of points at this exam is 40 (Native Language – 13pts, Mathematics – 13pts, test combined of Natural and Social Sciences – 14pts)
• Achievement in primary school, measured by the total of grade point average in 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades of primary school, multiplied by 4. The maximum number of points is 60.
• Results of the entrance exam, if such an exam is required by the school. Entrance exams are necessary for admission to art schools, such as music and ballet schools, while the majority of other vocational schools do not have this exam. Music and ballet secondary schools also require the completion of a primary music/ballet school, along with a general primary school.

All students may submit a list of up to 20 secondary schools they are interested in, ranked by their choice. This list may include general education secondary schools. Each student’s results and preferences are then cross-referenced with lists and results of other students. The student is then admitted to the school from his/her preference list where he/she has sufficient points to qualify for.

Deploying pupils in model of dual education and work based learning is done in cooperation among pupil, parent (or other legal representative) employer and school. The Minister decides on placing pupils in work-based learning in cooperation with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

Age Levels and Grouping of Students

Students usually enter vocational secondary school at the age of 15; therefore, grades most commonly include students of the same age. Grades are divided into smaller groups – classes. Each class consists of 30 students at most, although classes can be divided into smaller groups, according to particular teaching needs (e.g. for practical classes).

One class can include two students with learning difficulties at most and such classes have smaller number of students in total. Classes in special education secondary schools cannot have more than 12 students.

Vocational education is usually completed by the age of 18 or 19, as it lasts 3 or 4 years. However, this is not always the case since these schools offer education for adults, or specialisation/prequalification courses for students.

Organisation of the School Year

A school calendar is issued every year by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development for the following year.

Each grade takes one school year to complete. A school year starts on September 1^st and ends on August 31^st. The teaching part of a school year consists of two semesters, with working days for teachers and school staff going beyond these dates:

• First semester starts on the first work day of September and ends one or two work days prior to 31^st of December.
• Second semester starts on the work day closest to 20^th of January and ends on the last work day of May for the final (3^rd or 4^th) grade students. It ends on the last work day of the third week of June for other students.

This schedule is based on a required total of 34/37 work weeks and 170/185 work days. Work-based learning is realized between 8-20 hours, maximum six hours a day and 30 hours a week.

Final grade students finish the school year earlier in order to prepare for final and entrance exams. There are 3 breaks during the school year:

• Winter break (between the first and second semesters);
• Spring break (usually 5 work days around Orthodox Easter Holiday in April or May);
• Summer break (between the second semester of the ongoing school year and first semester of the following).

In addition, there are several one or two-day breaks for national or religious holidays, as regulated by the Law on National and Other Holidays.

Traditionally, on 28^th of June, students from 1^st to 3^rd grade in 4-year secondary schools and from 1^stto 2^nd grades in 3-year secondary schools receive their achievement reports for the completed year/grade. Final grade students receive their achievement reports and certificates on a date established each year. 

Exact start and end dates of teachers’ school year are determined at institutional (school) level. As required at central level, teachers have vacation days as any other employees (minimum is 20 days per year for teachers entering the profession).  They have to use it during the school holidays. Teachers usually start the school year a couple of weeks before students (mid-August), and end the school year several weeks after students (mid-July).

Organisation of the School Day and Week

A school week lasts 5 days, from Monday to Friday.

A school hour lasts 45 minutes (teaching classes) or 60 minutes (practical classes).In special education classes, school hours may be shorter.

Number of school hours may not exceed 28 hours per week (30 hours for students attending classes in a minority language) plus up to 3 hours of optional classes. Within this number of school hours, one hour per week is dedicated to classroom meetings when students and their class teacher discuss all current issues or topics of school life.

A schedule of classes is determined by the school each year. Most commonly, students of the same grade change shifts every week. One week they have classes in the morning, and next in the afternoon. This may vary from school to school and their individual school programmes.

There are several other forms of activities that schools can organise as part of weekly schedule for some students:

• Additional classes for students with special skills, talents or interests in particular subjects;
• Supplementary classes for students who need learning support;
• Preparatory classes for students who are going to take their graduation exam, final exam, grade exam or makeup exam;
• Additional support for students with disabilities, according to their individual education plans.