About 15 percent of youth do not attend high school

BELGRADE - Five percent of children in Serbia are not attending primary school and 15 percent of them have not been enrolled in high school, and this and many other problems in education are among the priorities of the National Education Council (NPS), participants at the 100th NPS Council Session said in Belgrade Tuesday.

During the celebration and working session, NPS Chairwoman Desanka Radunovic and UNICEF Representative in Serbia Michel Saint-Lot signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) based on which UNICEF will be able to provide financial and logistical assistance to the NPS Council, body established by the Serbian parliament to monitor, analyze and make recommendations to reduce dropout of children from Serbian schools.

The council will be preparing proposals of measures to ensure continuation of education of persons who have left the educational system which, according to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, is 27 percent of the young population in the country, said participants of the NBS Council Session.

These young people are not listed in the country's labor market and education system, and the NPS and UNICEF will cooperate to ensure passing of measures to reduce the trend.

After the signing of the MoU, Radunovic pointed out that most endangered are children from marginalized groups, victims of the rising poverty in Serbia, who need the support to remain part in the education system.