The Libertarian Club – Libek presented its study of the efficiency of the education system in Serbia on the elementary school level and a policy paper suggesting the introduction of school choice in Serbia for a more efficient and fairer system.
The elementary students in Serbia finish elementary school significantly lagging behind their peers in the neighboring countries. According to PISA tests, the gap between Serbian elementary students and their peers in the neighboring countries is comparable to two school years of primary education. Even though the students in Serbia spend similar amount of time in schools, their ability to apply the knowledge is significantly behind that of the students in some other countries in the region.
The school system in Serbia costs the parents significant sums of money which they pay through different taxes and private tutoring fees. At the same time, parents stay excluded from the decision making process . The funding for education mostly goes to teachers’ salaries, and is distributed in a way which is not fair and efficient. Very small amounts are invested in development.
Libek’s study and the policy paper were presented in the Economic Caucus in the Parliament. The Economic Caucus gathers prominent members of the parliament from all of the represented parties, along with business representatives and non – profits. The meetings aim to build a consensus about economic policy and other reforms among the members of the parliament and allow for productive exchange of information among the MPs and between them and the business community and non – profit organization. Libek is one of two non – profits taking part in the work of Caucus on regular basis.
The feedback from the MPs was positive and constructive, and several obstacles to reform were addressed. In Jun 2015, Libek will organize an expert panel on the topic and after that another meeting in the Parliament will take place, with the representatives of the Ministry of Education at the meeting.