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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

“21st Century Schools” project important segment of education reform

Belgrade, 12 March 2019

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said today that reform of education is the most important reform implemented by the Serbian government and that project "21st Century Schools" fits perfectly into the vision of the reform and represents only one important segment of what Serbia is doing in this field.

During the realisation of the three-year project "21st Century Schools", more than a million students from the fifth to the eighth grade in the countries of the region will learn the skills of programming, critical thinking and problem solving, which are required by the modern labour market.

The programme is implemented by the British Council, thanks to a £10 million investment of the UK government, and in Serbia it will include over 1,150 elementary schools, which will be equipped with micro:bit devices, pocket computers to teach students new digital skills and the basics of programming in a fun and interactive way.

Speaking at a conference on the occasion of the start of this project, Brnabic stated that education reform should provide an answer to how the Serbian economy and society will look like in the future.

She added that this is the most complex topic not only in Serbia, but also in the world, because it is a big question how to respond to the challenges of the Fourth industrial revolution.

The biggest disadvantage of the Serbian education system is that children learn a lot of unnecessary information, she said and added that the future requires a different education in which students will develop analytical thinking.

She announced that high-speed Internet will be introduced in schools, that the number of specialized IT departments in gymnasiums will be increased five times and the capacities for enrolment of students at technical faculties will be expanded.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that new technological parks are being built, and added that €100 million has been set aside for infrastructure and scientific research and innovations alone.

UK Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Alan Duncan said in a video message that this initiative has arisen from the desire of the United Kingdom to make the Western Balkan region more stable and prosperous.

Director for Serbia and Western Balkans of the British Council Clare Sears recalled that the pilot phase of the project had already been implemented, that teachers have realised the importance of applying critical thinking and problem solving in teaching, while students have expressed an increased interest in programming.