Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007

8. EDUCATION
Introduction
In the document Millennium Development
Goals in Republic of Serbia (MDG) poverty
reduction and greater participation of children in
education are two important connected goals. Two
thirds of the poor population have an educational
level of completed primary school or lower.
Education development policy is simultaneously a
poverty reduction policy. In the following text we
shall analyze statistical data on education in Serbia 1
and data obtained in LSMS 2002 and 2007 in order
to analyze the progression of the country toward
total participation of children in primary education,
increased participation of children in preschool
institutions, postsecondary non-university and
university education, and providing equal chances
for all to have a quality education. Unfortunately, it
was sometimes difficult to make a direct
comparison of some date from the two surveys due
to changes in the construction of some variables.
8.1. General data on education
8.1.1. Total population and level of
education
According to Census 2002, the population of
Serbia is 7 498 001. The percentage of women in
the total population is 51 percent (3 852 071). The
population aged 15 years or more without
completed primary education makes up 21.8 percent
of the total population (27 percent women and 16
percent men); 24 percent have completed primary
education (25 percent women and 23 percent men);
41 percent have completed secondary education (36
percent women and 46 percent men); 11 percent
have completed postsecondary non-university and
university education (10 percent women and 12
percent men). Data is unavailable for 2 percent of
the population.
According to the RSO Serbia had a population
of 7 411 000 in 2007. The participation of women in
the total population is 3 839 652 (51 percent). The
population without children aged under six and
primary school students is 6 345 966, 13 percent of
population have not completed primary education;
23 percent have completed primary education; 49
percent have completed secondary education, while
14 percent have postsecondary non-university and
university education.
Although the data are not directly comparable,
a trend of population decrease is evident, as well as
an improved education structure of the population
during the period in question.
8.1.2. Number of educational
institutions, beneficiaries and
employees / 2002 and 2006
According to RSO data 2 , in September 2002,
Serbia had 1 776 pre-school institutions and 1 970
in September 2006. At the end of the 2001/02
school year there were 3 591 regular primary
schools (autonomous schools and geographically
separated units 3 ), while there were 3 572 schools at
the end of the 2005/6 school year. At the end of
2001/02 school year there were 480 regular
secondary schools, while there were 478 regular
secondary schools at the end of 2005/06 school
year. In September 2002, Serbia had 135 higher
schools and faculties with, while this number rose to
2006 in September 2006. At the end of 2001/02,
there were 14 primary schools for adults, while at the
end of 2005/06, there were 19 schools for the
education of adults.
8.1.3. Education of minorities
According to 2002 Census, national minorities
make up 17.14 percent of population of Serbia.
National minorities receive education in the mother
tongue, bilingually or in Serbian language, with a
94 Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007