Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007

Graph 8.3. School attendance, relative differences by quintiles of consumption, 2007
69%
The poorest 2 3 4 The richest
-63%
15%
27%
12%
10%
8%
21%
2%
1%
2%
2%
8%
6%
14%
-40%
-36%
-6%
32%
44%
Average
-27%
-3%
-59%
-33%
-14%
Kindergarten Preschool Primary Secondary Postsecondary nonuniversity
institution
and university
Data clearly point to a correlation between
education and different social and economic status.
The greatest differences between children from
different socio-cultural and geographic backgrounds
are evident for post-secondary non-university and
university attendance as well as kindergarten
attendance. The lowest differences in participation
of children from different categories in educational
programmes are for primary school attendance.
The increase in attendance and quality of all
education levels is considered by the Ministry for
Civil Affairs to be a tool for the economic recovery
of the country, increased employment and
decreased poverty. Analysis of LSMS 2002 and
2007 clearly indicates that poverty decreases with a
rise in education levels.
8.2. Preschool education
8.2.1. General data
In Serbia state and private kindergartens
provide institutional preschool education for children
from 12 to 84 months. Since it is not compulsory, it
is financed from monthly fees paid by parents and
from municipal revenues. According to RSO data
preschool education was provided in 161 preschool
institution (1970 kindergartens), with 173 203
beneficiaries in 2006. Of the total 19 738 employees
in preschool institutions, teachers and medical staff
make up 65 percent, while the rest are administrative
and other staff. The percentage of women among
employees is 85 percent.
A six month, compulsory Preparatory Preschool
Program (PPP) was introduced in the school year
2006/07, consisting of at least 4 hours a day. This
program is free and compulsory by law for all
children aged 5 and a half to 6 and a half. The
program is financed from the state budget. The data
available to the Ministry of Education, during
2006/07, PPP encompassed 98 percent of children in
corresponding age category, through 4.353 teaching
groups. The PPP includes approximately 2980
children from vulnerable groups (Roma, IDP and
refugee children). The information on total coverage
of the PPP is insufficiently reliable as there are no
accurate data on total number of children from
vulnerable groups (Roma, children with disabilities,
refugees and IDPs etc.) in the overall population.
The rate of participation of children in
preschool education (all forms of participation in the
public sector for children aged 3 to 7) is one of the
lowest in Europe. In 2002 it was 38 percent, while in
2005 it was 39 percent. The network of preschool
institutions is underdeveloped and unevenly
98 Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007