Inclusion of migrant children in the educational system Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Abstract: This paper examines various aspects of the results of the analysis on the inclusion of migrant children in the education system of the Republic of Serbia. The subject of study in this paper are migrants in transit, to whom Serbia is one of the countries on the route to thefinal destination. That is the reason why the education of these children in Serbia had a temporary character and did not had the integration into Serbian society as a final goal, as it was the situation during the migration from the post-Yugoslav territories to which Serbia was the final destination. Since the beginning of the migration crisis in 2015 to the end of 2018, about 720,000 migrants passed through Serbia. Over 20 percent of the migrants were children. The inclusion of migrant children in the education system of the Republic of Serbia was a great challenge for the education system as well as for the migrant children. Between 2013 and 2015, the education of these children was mostly in the form of non-formal education. Since 2015, migrant children have been continuously involved in the institutional education system - in primary and secondary schools, most often in the vicinity of centers for accommodation and reception of migrants. The inclusion in the education system had been done with the support of relevant governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations and international organizations. The large influx of migrant children, along with language, cultural and administrative barriers, and non-inclusion in the education process in the country of origin, were the challenges that required great efforts for their inclusion into the education system of Serbia. The most significant factor is the transit character of their stay in Serbia, which has made it difficult to learn languages and monitor teaching, as well as their integration into the new social environment. The transit factor has also influenced the continuity of teaching, which was very difficult for the children and the schools. Parallel with the inclusion of migrant children in the education system, the procedures for their enrollment in school and the manner of supporting their education were regulated. Through various international projects, teachers have been trained to work with migrant children and additional support has been provided to schools. Special attention has been given to adaptation and overcoming stress, intensive language learning, didactic material, methods and engaging in extracurricular activities with peer support. Schools developed plans to support new students, established teams for inclusive teaching, conducted a preliminary check of the level of education and acquired knowledge directed to determine which class the child would be enrolled in, according to the age. During the education of the children, schools had an adequate communication with parents or guardians. The required documentation was kept on the migrant children involved in the educational process. Because of their discontinuity in teaching, these children were not graded according to the standard system, but with descriptive grades. The student's booklets are given to them mainly because of psychological effect. The school, prior to official withdraw from the school, produced a report in Serbian and English for each child, which is handed over to parents or guardians as the evidence for the purpose of continuing the education in the country of their next or final destination. The outcomes of the education of migrant children in Serbia can also be considered through the effects of intercultural exchange and as contribution to integration into the destination country.