66 Ukrainian children in school desks across Serbia

In the territory of the Republic of Serbia, a total of 163 children from the migrant/refugee population are currently included in the regular education system, of which 97 are from the Middle East and Africa, while 66 are of Ukrainian origin.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development undertook a series of activities immediately after the arrival of the first Ukrainian refugees. All school administrations where the influx of children from Ukraine was registered were informed and the Instruction on the inclusion of children from the population of migrants and refugees in the education system of the Republic of Serbia was delivered.

Information about the education system in Ukraine was also sent to the schools in order to adapt the teaching materials as much as possible and connect with the system from which the children come.

In accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and the legislative framework of our country, all children have an equal right to free access to education, regardless of status, and are enrolled in school according to a simplified procedure, with the goal of the best interest of the child. This means that no documentation is necessary for enrollment if the child does not have it, but the child is included in the system according to the existing procedures.

Our schools already have rich experience in the inclusion of migrant children, so the enrollment of children from Ukraine has already started and the children are already attending classes. Taking into account the circumstances of refugees, all schools are trained to introduce children into the system gradually with the primary goal of overcoming the traumatic experience and creating a friendly environment where children feel safe and accepted.