The Sources of Inequity in the Education System of Serbia and How to Combat Them 1

• Published in: CEPS journal 2016-04, Vol.6 (2), p.101
• Main Authors: Pesikan, Ana, Ivic, Ivan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access to education; Educational Environment; Educational Quality; Equal Education; Equality; Human capital; Learning; Outcomes of Education; Quality of education; Social structure; Society; Students
• ISSN: 1855-9719; 2232-2647

The concept of equal opportunity for all students is deeply embedded in the Serbian constitution and in education laws. On that level, there is no doubt that everyone is ensured an opportunity to receive quality education. Many measures in education policy have been created specifically to achieve this objective and make the system fair and inclusive. The Coleman Report was linked to a wave of optimism that certain educational measures would help in achieving these noble goals. This aim is a high priority in education in a democratic country, and due to its importance needs to be re-examined. Thus, the present research examines the equity of students in the Serbian education system, detecting areas on all educational levels that could be (or already are) systemic sources of inequity (e.g., criteria for preschool institution enrolment, the system of student awards, rationalisation of the school network, the concept of entrance exams to secondary school or university, etc.). A number of measures have already been taken in the system specifically to deal with inequity (e.g., the Preschool Preparatory Programme, dropout measures, inclusion, scholarships, etc.). The effects of these measures in particular are analysed in the present work. In addition to an analysis of the systemic sources of inequity in the Serbian education system, the article also makes recommendations for their overcoming.