Educational Highlights on Serbia’s Report in the European Union’s 2022 Enlargement Package

This document is a summary of the accompanying document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Serbia’s 2022 Report.  

Serbia remains at a good level of preparation in education and culture, according to the 2021 report by the Council for Eastern European Development (CEDR). Some progress was made on the implementation of last year’s recommendations. The COVID-19 pandemic somewhat disrupted the organization and quality of instruction at all levels of education. Serbia’s government has been urged to make significant improvements in the quality and scope of non-formal education and care for children, and has ensured full compliance with the policy and institutional framework for quality assurance in higher education by the European Quality Assurance Commission (ENQA).

Mechanisms to track the implementation of the new education strategy through 2030 and the associated action plan have been developed in the domain of education and training. Negative demographic trends and emigration have contributed to the ongoing decline in the student population. Pre-university enrollment and completion rates remained strong. While the enrollment rate for preschool education that is required for all children aged 6 months to 6.5 years declined from 97.4% in 2019 to 96.4% in 2020, the overall coverage of children with preschool education decreased from 57.4% to 55.5% year over year. In order to provide equal preschool education to the most disadvantaged children, more work is required to improve governance and increase the scope and quality of services and infrastructure. Early school exit rates were 6.3%, and participation in lifelong learning was 4.8% in 2021.

Public spending on education stood at around 3.5% of GDP in 2020, below the EU average of 4.7%. Preprimary school enrolment remained around 64% in the 2020/2021 school year. Higher education attainment in the population aged 25-34 stood at 32.6% in 2020. New certification requirements are being adopted slowly, and they are also being updated. Under both upper secondary and higher vocational education and training (VET), efforts have been made to expose students to work-based learning. Participation rates in life-long learning are traditionally low (4.8% in 2021). Furthermore, from 20% in 2020 to 16.4% in 2021, the proportion of young people (15-29 years old) who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) declined.

The hybrid education model put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic is still in use, although it is only applied when it occurs. To bridge learning gaps brought on by digital exclusion, further measures are still required. The creation of the school management information system has advanced, although consolidation is still needed.

There has not been any noticeable improvement in the low enrollment in general secondary vocational education and training (VET), and as such, Serbia should keep modernizing and simplifying the requirements for certifications to increase the significance of VET and to accelerate the institutional, financial, and logistical preparations for the introduction of final exams in secondary school. On the another hand, at all educational levels, there has been a significant improvement in the access and involvement of disadvantaged students. The effort against segregation and dropout rates needs to be improved, especially locally. Additional work is required to provide instructional resources and equip instructors to promote student competency in gender equality and sexual abuse.

The Serbian national accreditation body is eligible to reapply for renewed membership of ENQA following its suspension in early 2020. The attainment of tertiary level qualifications for persons aged 30-34 (ISCED levels 5-8) remained at 33% in 2020, still below the EU target of 40%. The sector remains vulnerable to corruption.

It is necessary to reinforce the institutional structure outlined in the national qualifications framework (NQF). The acceptance of qualification requirements is accelerating, but it could do so much more quickly with a bigger emphasis on higher education. Two rulebooks were approved in December 2021 and February 2022 with the goal of facilitating adult education provider accreditation. Additionally, regarding the competitiveness and inclusive growth, Serbia is required to pay close attention to making sure that the institutional framework for quality assurance in higher education fully complies with ENQA’s guidelines in the upcoming term, as well as to upgrading pertinent IT systems.

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) were among the international assessments in which Serbia continues to take part in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In 2022, trends in the international computer and information literacy study (ICILS), the teaching and learning international survey (TALIS), and the international mathematics and science study (TIMSS) were conducted. Additionally, Serbia is successfully implementing the new cycle of the Erasmus+ programme, including the new DiscoverEU component. Overall, Serbian institutions are participating in more than 550 projects (decentralized actions) granted in 2021. In total, around 1900 mobilities of students, staff and pupils are planned to take place in the framework of these projects.

The Serbian Ministry of Education has made significant progress in preparing and printing textbooks in minority languages for use in primary schools. The monitoring of curricula for teaching Serbian as a non-mother language in pilot schools is ongoing. Several recommendations aimed at improving the teaching of Serbian in schools were issued to the ministry.

Serbia has made some progress in coping with market dynamics and competitive pressure within the EU and is only partly equipped. The structure of the economy continues to advance, and there is still a high level of economic integration with the EU. The quality and applicability of education and training, however, still fall short of the demands of the labor market, notwithstanding considerable advances. After years of underinvestment, public investment has continued to rise with the goal of addressing critical infrastructure shortages. There are still many difficulties that small and medium-sized businesses must overcome, such as an unfair playing field when compared to big businesses and foreign investors. The advice received last year has been partly adopted.

Summarised by Emine Bala & Edited by Olga Ruiz Pilato 

References

Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations. (2022). Serbia Report 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/serbia-report-2022_en

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Turkish Interior Minister Soylu announced: 704 detention orders in 59 cities against Gülen followers

Turkish police detained 543 of 704 arrest warrants as part of an investigation into the financial activities of followers of the Gülen movement, according to the ministry of internal affairs, citing the country’s interior minister. The operation is carried out simultaneous across 59 cities. (1)

Interior Minister stated that the operation, which started in the morning after 8 months of meticulous work, was carried out to decipher the current structure of the Gulen Movement, the supply of new personnel and financial resources. According to Interior Minister Soylu, the operation was carried out by the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Department (KOM), the Counterterrorism Bureau (TEM) and the Cybercrime Department in coordination with the Security General Directorate’s intelligence unit and the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). (1)

Interior Minister Soylu made a statement on the operation together with Turgut Aslan, the Chief Advisor to the President. Soylu said, “This money transfer, which took place over 8 months, both via cargo, ATM and people who do not know each other, is entire of foreign origin. Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) really has a great contribution here, the successful follow-up of each of the security units separately. This systematic and regular money transfer has been determined as a result of an operational and operational understanding. There is a system that is transferred to the members of this organization by the managers of the organization abroad, between 3 and 6 thousand liras (160 to 320 euros), in order to keep the organization in Turkey alive and to maintain the financial structure of the organization. Among the methods are cardless transactions, hiding in cargo and physical meetings.(2)

The suspects are accused of distributing or receiving financial aid sent by Gülen followers abroad to the families of those imprisoned or suspended from public office for affiliation with the Gülen movement.

After the coup attempt, the Turkish government declared a state of emergency and carried out a major purge of state institutions under the pretext of fighting the coup. More than 130,000 public officials, including 4,156 judges and prosecutors, as well as 29,444 members of the armed forces,   were summarily dismissed from their jobs for alleged membership of or affiliation with “terrorist organizations”, with the emergency decree laws that are not subject to neither judicial nor parliamentary control. .

Victims of Turkey’s post-coup oppression say that they and their families face serious financial and psychological problems because of what the government and its supporters call hate speech, which prevents them from living a normal life, finding a job and supporting their families.

 

Human Rights activist and Deputy HDP Omer Faruk Gergeelioglu shows his reaction against the operation with the following words

“We are experiencing fires in our hearts for the young people who committed suicide, they are trying to break the hands reaching out to those who can commit suicide!!!

We call it a “crime against humanity”, they are killing the last crumbs of their humanity with their hands!!!”

1. https://www.icisleri.gov.tr/feto-operasyonunda-543-supheli-gozaltina-alindi

2. https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/ankarada-feto-operasyonu-bakan-soylu-704-gozalti-karari-alindi-543-kisi-yakalandi-42155305

Universal Periodic Review of Romania

  • This report was drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Romania. Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based NGO focused on human rights violations in the field of education. Since Broken Chalk is an organization fighting inequalities and improving the quality of education worldwide, this report focuses on human rights, especially with regards to education.
  • This report first explores the main issues in education in Romania, the recommendations Romania received in the last review and its progress since 2018. Then, Broken Chalk offers some practical recommendations to Romania to further improve human rights in education.
  • In the last review, Romania received 203 recommendations and accepted 163. 26% of the recommendations focused on reducing inequalities and 14% were linked to inclusive quality education and lifelong learning. Romania has submitted a voluntary midterm report about the implementation of the accepted recommendations received in the 3rd cycle of the UPR.
  • Quality education is a vital pillar of society. It enables long-term growth and development, helps the integration of minorities and foreigners, and shapes the people of future society. According to the Human Rights Measurement Initiative, Romania is doing 65% of what it could possibly do with its national income when it comes to ensuring the right to education[i]. With this score, Romania is the last one of all European countries.

by Réka Gyaraki

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[i] Human Rights Measurement Initiative. (2022). Rights to Education

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Universal Periodic Review of Serbia

  • This report has been prepared by Broken Chalk to contribute to the 4th Universal Periodic Review [UPR] of Serbia. Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based NGO focused on human rights violations in the field of education. Since the organisation’s main mission is to fight inequalities and improve the quality of education worldwide, this report focuses on human rights specifically with regards to education.
  • The report will firstly explore the main problems in the educational field in Serbia, including information on what recommendations Serbia received in the 3rd cycle UN UPR review in 2018 and what actions they have taken to improve education. It offers a comprehensive set of recommendations for Serbia based on experience, research and best practices that can help the country to further improve human rights in the educational sphere.
  • Serbia was last reviewed in 2018, during the 3rd UPR cycle, where it received 190 recommendations and supported 175 of those. 8% of the recommendations focused on quality education, Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDG]. In addition, 41% of the recommendations dealt with justice and strong institutions (SDG 16), 17% with gender equality (SDG 5) and another 17% with reducing inequalities (SDG 10). These can all be linked to education and ensuring human rights in that field.
  • In February 2021, Serbia submitted a voluntary midterm report to illustrate its improvement and progress on human rights and the implementation of the 3rd cycle recommendations.
  • Serbia ranked 63rd out of the 191 participating countries on the Human Development Index in 2021, thereby classifying as “very high” on the human development classification.[i] According to the Human Rights Measurement Initiative’s tracker, Serbia is doing 89% of what it could possibly do when it comes to ensuring the right to education considering the country’s level of income.[ii]

by Olga Ruiz Pilato & Réka Gyaraki

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[i] United Nations. (n.d.). Human Development Index Serbia

[ii] Human Rights Measurement Initiative Rights Tracker. (n.d.). Serbia

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Universal Periodic Review of Liechtenstein

  • This report was drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the fourth Universal Periodic Review [UPR] of Liechtenstein. Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based NGO focused on human rights violations in the field of education. Since Broken Chalk is an organization fighting inequalities and improving the quality of education worldwide, this report focuses on human rights, especially with regard to education.
  • This report first explores the main issues in education in Liechtenstein, the recommendations Liechtenstein received in the last review and its progress since 2018. Then, Broken Chalk offers some practical recommendations to Liechtenstein to further improve human rights in education.
  • In the last UPR cycle of 2018, Liechtenstein received 126 recommendations, out of which it accepted 84. Out of these recommendations 6%, meaning 4 recommendations, were linked to the 4th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDG], namely ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.[i]
  • Quality education is a vital pillar of society: it enables long-term growth and development, helps minorities and foreigners’ integration, and shapes future society.
  • The HMRI Rights Tracker of the Human Rights Measurement Initiative assesses how well a country could be using its financial resources when it comes to multiple factors. These factors include quality of life, one subsection being education, safety from the state, and empowerment. Unfortunately, there is no available data about Liechtenstein on the HRMI Rights Tracker. Therefore, one cannot assess if Liechtenstein’s performance in education is rated ‘very bad’, ‘bad’, ‘fair’ or ‘good’.[ii]

by Vivien Kretz

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[i] “OHCHR | Universal Periodic Review – Liechtenstein.” n.d. OHCHR. Accessed September 26, 2022.

[ii] “Liechtenstein – HRMI Rights Tracker.” n.d. Accessed September 27, 2022. https://rightstracker.org.

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Universal Periodic Review of Mali

The Malian education system

  1. Education in Mali is free, compulsory between the ages of 7, and 16 or until the end of the ninth grade Primary education is the first six years, and the last six years are divided into two three-year cycles of secondary education. [i]
  2. To continue with the second level of secondary education, students take an exam called Diplôme d’études fondamentales at the end of the ninth grade.[ii]
  3. At the end of grade 12, students sit for an exam called the Baccalauréat, which is required to pass in order to graduate. From there, students may attend an institute of tertiary education.

Budget on Education

  1. In 2020, the Malian state budget for education amounted to USD 637.3 million. Only 13% of the national budget was allocated to the construction of classrooms and 4.8% to the acquisition of teaching materials. [iii]

Overview of the previous UN UPR cycle

  1. In its national report prepared for the 2017 UN UPR, Mali particularly emphasized the significant development in the education sector because of implementation of the Ten-Year Educational Development Programme, the Education Sector Investment Programme. [iv]
  2. The Malian Government has continued to strengthen vocational education, including with the support of the international community through the implementation of several projects and programmes, including the Youth Employment Programme and the Ten-Year Vocational Training for Employment Programme. [v]
  3. In the previous UPR cycle, Mali received 194 recommendations and accepted 187. Sixteen of the recommendation was regarding the right to education. Five percent of the recommendations was on Quality of the Education. Mali supported all of those recommendations.[vi]

By Ramazan Ince

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[i] https://www.scholaro.com/db/countries/Mali/Education-System

[ii] https://borgenproject.org/education-in-mali/#:~:text=In%20Mali%2C%20the%20first%20six,the%20end%20of%20grade%20nine.

[iii] https://reliefweb.int/report/mali/mali-insecurity-and-lack-funding-force-over-half-million-children-out-school

[iv] https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G17/333/47/PDF/G1733347.pdf?OpenElement

[v] https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G17/333/47/PDF/G1733347.pdf?OpenElement

[vi] https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/lib-docs/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session29/ML/MALI_Infographic_29th.pdf

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Universal Periodic Review of Tonga

  • This report was drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Tonga. Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based NGO focused on human rights violations in the field of education. Since Broken Chalk is an organization fighting inequalities and improving the quality of education worldwide, this report focuses on human rights, especially with regard to education.
  • This report first explores the context of Education in Tonga. Secondly, it brings the attention to the main issues this country is currently facing regarding the Right to Education. Finally, Broken Chalk offers a few recommendations to Tonga to further improve this specific field.
  • In the last UPR cycle of January 2018, Tonga received 110 recommendations, out of which it accepted 52 at the adoption of its UPR outcome at Human Rights Council. Out of these recommendations 4%, were linked to the 4th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), namely ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.[i]

[i]“OHCHR | Universal Periodic Review – Tonga.” OHCHR | Universal Periodic Review – Tonga

By Serena Bassi

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Universal Periodic Review of Luxembourg

  • This report has been drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the 4th cycle, 43rd session of the Universal Periodic Review [UPR]. Since Broken Chalk is an organization aimed at fighting inequalities and improving the quality of Education worldwide, this report will focus on Education.
  • First, the report brings attention to the main issues in which Luxembourg could improve in regard to the Right to Education. Secondly, the report individuates some topics that could be tackled through Education. In doing so, Broken Chalk will commend Luxembourg for the efforts made and actions taken to improve Education and to use Education to bring awareness to other human rights topics. Lastly, in view of the points raised, Broken Chalk would like to offer a few recommendations to Luxembourg to continue improving in the field of Education.
  • In the last review of Luxembourg of 2018, the state received 149 recommendations, 7% of which were linked to the 4th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)[i], namely ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
  • Luxembourg has stated that it believes the indivisibility of human rights to be a core principle, underlining that economic, social and cultural rights – among which there is the right to Education – are pivotal in guaranteeing the well-being of all. Luxembourg further expresses its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.[ii]

[i] United Nations Human Rights Council. (2018, January). Universal Periodic Review – Luxembourg, Infographic

[ii] Luxembourg. (2017, November 13). National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 16/21 – Luxembourg, para. 3

by Francisca Orrego Galarce

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Universal Periodic Review of Israel

The Israeli education system

  • The 1949 Compulsory Education Act was the first official legal action taken in Israel to enforce compulsory education, ensuring free school attendance for children, for 9 years, from age 5. In 2009, compulsory education was extended until grade 12, and in 2016 compulsory school enrolment was lowered to age 3.
  • State-funded Israeli general education works along a four-stream system, which provides secular, religious, and ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) educational institutions for Jewish Israelis. There are Arabic schools for the Arab, Bedouin, Christian Arab, and Druze Israeli minorities.
  • Hebrew-speaking schools are managed by Jewish principals while schools teaching in Arabic are coordinated by Arab principals. However, all principals are subjugated to a centralised Israeli administration, funding, and curriculum which ensures similar requirements and teacher-salaries.
  • Despite compulsory education starting at age 3, 47% of children are already enrolled in an educational institution before age 2. 99% of children between 3 and 5 was enrolled in an educational institution in 2019. 
  • It is commendable that more than half of the population, between 25 and 64 years-old, held tertiary attainment in 2019.
  • Broken Chalk is pleased to note that Israel spends 6.7% of its GDP on education which is above the 4.9% OECD average.
  • Between 2003 and 2017 dropout rates have fallen from 9.9% to 7.6% which is particularly remarkable since it ‘occurred primarily among the weakest students in the system’.
  • Despite all the investments and successes, the Israeli educational sector does show severe issues. Problems in the system are often related to the inequalities of the four-stream educational system, socioeconomic inequalities, and discrimination based on ethnicity.
  • For instance, Israel has one of the highest gaps in achievement, based on the best and worst performing students in PISA, among OECD countries.
  • Furthermore, enrolment numbers decline as studies proceed: enrolment amounted to 96.5% between age 6 to 14, while it was of 66.1% between age 15 to 19, in 2019.
  • As Israel has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child [CRC] in 2005, the state must commit to carry out its duties and obligations which include the insurance of free compulsory education and equal opportunity for all children. Thus, Broken Chalk urges Israel to address all issues which prevent the realisation of the rights enshrined in the CRC. 

Overview of the previous UN UPR cycle

  • In its national report prepared for the 2018 UN UPR, Israel particularly emphasized its efforts to ensure human rights in its territories, including access to education. Israel promised to work for closing educational gaps, and for the integration of minorities into the Israeli society, also through education. Efforts are reflected in the Resolution project from 2014-2017 targeting Druze communities to improve their education, and in the efforts to provide state funded higher education for the Arab communities through the CHE academic colleges.
  • Israel took further steps in expanding the number of years spent in education by lowering the obligatory school entrance age to age 3 and expanding after-school day-care services in 2017.
  • In the previous UPR cycle, Israel received 5 recommendations regarding the right to education, focusing on narrowing the inequality gap among different ethnicities. Israel supported 3 of these recommendations, however it rejected 2 which regarded the issues existing in Area C of the occupied territories in West Bank (see section IV.).

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Universal Periodic Review of France

This report is a contribution by Brokenchalk to the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of  France. Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based NGO established in 2020 and focused on raising awareness and minimizing human rights violations in the educational field. Our goal is to work together with global partners to remove barriers to access to education and to take concrete steps to ensure universal access to education. Therefore, this report will focus on human rights violations in regards to education in France.

Introduction

  1. Broken Chalk is a non-profit organisation that focuses on developing each country’s educational system to improve the level of human rights on the global level. Therefore, this report will focus on education. By drafting this report, Broken Chalk intends to assist with France’s 4th Universal Periodic Review [UPR]. First, the report will analyse the most important issues that France faces regarding the Right to Education. Then, it will shed light on some issues that should be solved by the French government. Finally, Broken Chalk will provide a few recommendations to France to further improve education.
  2. In the last review of France of 2017, the Republic of France received 89 recommendations and observations from 7 different human rights mechanisms, that focused on education and other issues such as gender gap, discrimination and human trafficking, which affect education’s access, outputs, and outcomes.
  3. The French educational system is based on the principles of the 1789 revolution. Indeed, the structure of the French educational system can be traced back to Napoleon’s First Empire (1804-1815)[i]. The educational system is divided into three stages: primary education, secondary education, and higher education. In France, most of its elementary and secondary schools, as well as its universities, are public institutions that have highly centralized administrations[ii]. Moreover, the curricula at primary and secondary schools are standardised across all schools, for a given grade.
  4. The Preamble to the French Constitution stipulates that it is the “state’s duty to provide free, non-religious public education at every level”[iii]. Therefore, the state must develop a clear roadmap for the training routes, national programmes, organisation and content of curricula. It must also lead and evaluate education policies to ensure overall consistency of the education system.

[i] Educational Policies: France (2014)

[ii] French Ministry of Education

[iii] European Agency; Fundamental principles of the French educational system

by Faical Al Azib

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