Long term projects


Lead for EcoJustice

“Lead for EcoJustice” is a regional ERASMUS+ project that is realized through the partnership of five organizations from four countries: the Network of Educational Policy Centers (NEPC) and the Forum for Freedom of Education - Croatia, the Pedagogical Institute - Slovenia, the European Research Institute - Hungary and our Centre for Education Policy. Within each of the mentioned countries, one partner primary school was selected (Janka Leskovara Primary School from Croatia, Brinje Grosuplje Primary School from Slovenia, Fezek Waldorf Altalanos Iskola Primary School from Hungary, and Kralj Petar I Primary School from Serbia). In each of them key project activities will be piloted and implemented at the national level, but also transferred to 4 additional schools in each country. The mentioned organizations and schools act as partners in achieving the overall project goals, and they also have their own specific roles. The project aims to develop examples of school cultures based on eco justice values by building capacities of education stakeholders and providing school leadership teams with the professional development program for developing diverse and democratic school cultures focused on what is fairest to all living beings. The project promotes green transition of schools based on eco justice and in line with school readiness for change. 

  • Development and piloting of an instrument for assessing schools' readiness for change and the development of diverse and democratic school cultures focused on hat is fairest to all living beings,
  • Realization of trainings for school teams in five schools on national level,
  • Support to schools in the development of Action Plans and process of implementing overall activities, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of activities within this plan and
  • Dissemination of results and examples of good practices within the project.
  • European Commission through programme ERASMUS+
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Dina Gradinac
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Gordana Kosanović
Duration: September 2023 - September 2026

Together in Transition – Support to Children from Vulnerable Groups in Transition to Secondary Education (Third Phase)

Project „Together in Transition – Support to Children from Vulnerable Groups in Transition to Secondary Education (Third Phase)” have been continuously conducted since 2017, in partnership with the Pestalozzi Children's Foundation and with support of Ministry of Education, with the aim to increase the number of students from sensitive groups that successfully complete primary education and continue their education on the level of secondary education. The activities focused at improving the quality of teaching and learning and enchancing development of inclusive culture and practices in schools are also implemented, in addition to strengthening the capacities of employees in schools to provide individualized support to students. Given the importance of a comprehensive, systematic and intersectoral approach to education of students from vulnerable groups, the project also aims at strengthening the capacities of local actors to provide support, within their competences, in overcoming the challenges that these students face on their educational path, which will be done through the establishing of sustainable communication and cooperation mechanisms between all relevant actors (schools, local governments, social work centers, health centers, youth, local civil society organizations, economy representatives, etc.).

In the third project phase (2023-2025), 15 primary and 10 secondary vocational schools from the following 10 local self-governments, participate in the project: Aleksinac, Bečej, Bor, Žabalj, Knjaževac, Leskovac, Niš, Novi Sad, Surdulica and Ćuprija.

 

  • Overall coordination and implementation
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Biljana Stojanović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Dina Gradinac
Duration: January 2023 - December 2025

Youth on Watch: Standing for and promoting human rights by students’ parliaments

Centre for Education Policy, in cooperation with the Center for Social Policy, is implementing a project which overall objective is to empower students’ parliaments (SP) from 16 secondary schools across Serbia, for standing for, promotion and protection of human rights and democracy, including advocating for social inclusion within education. This goal will be achieved through provision of overall support to schools and SPs which will be selected through an open call. Support includes mentorship, training programme for students and schools’ staff and other relevant actors from the level of local community, support in planning of SP’s actions and financial support. Student parliaments have been chosen as a primary instrument of youth participation in democratic processes which they encounter during schooling, as well as for the fact that SPs are already legally recognised as a school level relevant body. Additionally, the project team will develop materials that would be available to all SPs, as well as recommendation for increasing youth participation through strengthening the role of students’ parliaments, based on the lessons learnt. This project is funded by the European Union.

 

  • Overall project implementation and coordination
  • European Union 

 

  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Dina Gradinac
Duration: February 2023 - July 2025

All of US - Intercultural Program for Multiethnic Secondary Schools in Serbia

„All of US - Intercultural Program for Multiethnic Secondary Schools in Serbia“ is a project which is implemented by Centre for Education Policy and supported by the United States Department of State. The main goal of this project is to improve the cooperation of students of different nationalities, as well as to improve the competencies of students and school staff in the field of intercultural education. During the school year 2023/2024, two capacity building programs will be implemented (for students and for teachers), as well as intercultural events for students. Four schools from mutliethnic municipalities, that is, from territories of Regional school administrations in Nis, Novi Pazar, Novi Sad and Sombor will participate in the project. In addition to the activities that will be implemented in schools, Centre for Education Policy will also be in charge of monitoring and evaluation, that is, the collection and analysis of data that will be used to  measure the achievement of project goals.

 

Overall coordination and implementation

  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Dina Gradinac
Duration: September 2023 - November 2024

Memory Lanes - Shared Interventions of Memory

„Memory Lanes - Shared Interventions of Memory“ is an international project implemented in Germany, Poland and Serbia by the organisation Centropa (Central Europe Center for Research and Documentation - Center for 20th Century Jewish History) in cooperation with partners - Galicia Jewish Museum from Poland and Centre for Education Policy. General objective of the project is to develop competences of secondary school students on Jewish past, by researching biographies from Centropa’s archive, in order to understand the Jewish contribution to the development of society, economy and culture of Europe. Project activities include designing new ways of presentation of Jewish people lives and their contribution to the development of European society during historical development (performance, digital stories, maps, films, graphic novels, etc.), as well as designing a traveling exhibition through which the contribution of the Jewish people could be presented to the wider audience. In addition, designed materials will be publicly available through augmented reality technology on an open platform BerlinHistory App. Project partners in each of the countries will support students and their teachers during the creation of their memory activities. The project is funded by the Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" from Germany and the Federal Ministry of Finance, based on a decision of the Bundestag. Team from Serbia is consisted of 25 students from Third Belgrade gymnasium, First Belgrade gymnasium, Tenth gymnasium „Mihajlo Pupin“ from Belgrade and Technical school from Knjaževac, as well as three employees from aforementioned schools.

 

  • Coordination of all project activities in Serbia
  • Biljana Stojanović
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Dina Gradinac
Duration: September 2022 - August 2024

Support for the promotion and raising of awareness of inclusive education

The overall objective of the project "Support for promotion and raising awareness of inclusive education" is to raise the awareness of professionals and the general public about inclusive education as quality, fair, accessible and open education and the right of every child. Within the project, CEP will also provide support to local self- governments (20 in total) in advocating and promoting inclusive education, as well as their networking at the national level. CEP implements the project in partnership with the UNICEF Serbia, the Ministry of Education, the Center for Social Policy and the Center for Interactive Pedagogy. The mentioned project is part of the larger project " Enhanced Equal Access to and Completion of Pre-University Education for Children in Need of Additional Support in Education ", abbreviated name "We learn together" (more information about the project is available here):

 

  • Project coordination and implementation
  • Ministry of Education
  • Centre for Interactive Pedagogy (CIP)
  • Center for Social Policy (CSP)
  • European Union/UNICEF Serbia
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Sanja Prica
Duration: June 2023 - May 2024

ARISE: Action for Reducing Inequalities in Education

“ARISE: Action for Reducing Inequalities in Education” is a regional project implemented in Albania, Bosna and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey and funded by the European Commission. The aim of the project is to support inclusion of students with low socio-economic status (SES) by building national and regional partnerships of civil society organisations from six beneficiaries to engage in advocacy and constructive policy dialogue with governments, raise awareness among education stakeholders and pilot interventions targeting low SES students at school level. CEP, together with partner organisation from Turkey (ERI), is responsible for the policy analysis in the area of education, social care and health care and the research component of the project and will develop research methodology which will be applied in all beneficiaries. National researchers will conduct desk review and field data collection through focus group interviews with relevant stakeholders from systems of education, social care and health care. As main outputs of this component, national reports and policy briefs in the area of education, social care and health care will be produced, while CEP and ERI will develop a comparative report providing a clear picture of existing policies and current trends. CEP is also responsible for all project activities taking place in Serbia and will take part in activities related to policy outreach and advocacy on the national level, and in learning activities dedicated to partner organisations. In addition, CEP will be providing support to grassroots organisations and mentor support to selected schools in Serbia in implementation of school development programme.

  • Develop research methodology and respective instruments and guidelines
  • Develop methodology to identify social mechanism and policy effects related to inequality at national and regional level
  • Desk review of national policies in the area of education, social care and health care
  • Focus group interviews with stakeholders
  • Develop national report and comparative report
  • Contribution to activities related to policy outreach and advocacy on the national level
  • Participation in consortium learning activities
  • Providing support to grassroots organisations (mentoring)
  • Providing support to selected schools in implementation of school development programme in Serbia (mentoring)
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Milica Todorović
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Nevena Adžić

Project on social media:

Duration: April 2020 - April 2024

Supporting the learning of Refugee and Migrant Children through formal education in Serbia

"Supporting the learning of Refugee and Migrant Children through formal education in Serbia" is a project implemented by the UNICEF office in Serbia in partnership with the Ministry of Education and in cooperation with Centre for Education Policy. The goal of the project is development and improvement of high-quality learning support for refugee and migrant children, as well as for all other students who need additional support, through improving the capacities of school employees, providing mentoring, and establishing Learning Clubs as an innovative form of support in learning and overall students’ development. In addition, schools will additionally build their capacities through horizontal learning and connecting with other relevant projects and initiatives. Grants will be awarded to schools for the implementation of project activities. The project is implemented in a total of 20 primary and secondary schools located across Serbia.

 

  • Project coordination and implementation
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Biljana Stojanović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Dina Gradinac
Duration: September 2022 - December 2023

Regional Youth Leadership and Mobility Program (Second phase)

The "Regional Youth Leadership and Mobility Program - Second phase" is a regional project implemented in Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia with the aim of improving regional and intercultural cooperation of young people from these three countries, strengthening leadership competencies, competencies for active participation, engagement and advocating for changes in society, usage of data and research for the purpose of activism, critical thinking, advocacy skills, and so on. Within the project, 5 to 7 young people will be selected in each of the countries, who will conduct advocacy actions and will have the opportunity to get to know better other countries through mobility program, participate in a capacity-building program and, with mentoring support, work on topics in the field of youth policies. Project is jointly implemented by the Centre for Education Policy, the Center for Science, Innovation and Development (SCiDEV) from Albania and the Youth Educational Forum (YEF) from North Macedonia with the support of the Open Society Foundation from Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia. This project is a sequel of the project that was implemented by Centre for Education Policy and the Center for Science, Innovation and Development in 2021 and 2022, which had a focus on research and strengthening bilateral cooperation between the young people from Serbia and Albania.

 

  • Implementation of the project activities in Serbia
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Dina Gradinac
Duration: October 2022 - October 2023

Bridging the digital divide for the most vulnerable children - establishing EdTech libraries and providing additional support to schools and students

The project, that is being implemented within the wider initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, the European Union and UNICEF, has the aim toprevent the digital divide and support the quality of learning for the students from vulnerable groups in Serbia in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Project activities are directed towards increasing competencies of 900 employees in 30 primary schools that are attended by large number of Roma students, students from poor families and other students from vulnerable groups and increasing competencies of all pedagogical assistants in Serbia to support students from vulnerable groups in distance learning and overall increase quality of education for all students. Within the project, training for increasing pedagogical, phycological and digital skills of school staff will be implemented and 30 EdTech libraries and learning clubs will be established. Aim of the EdTech libraries is to ensure full coverage of students from vulnerable groups through distance learning, by obtaining around 2000 devices and establishing clear protocols for their use, while teachers and pedagogical assistants within learning clubs will provide additional educational support to students in need. Project schools will receive grants to equip learning clubs and other project activities.

  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Nevena Adžić
Duration: December 2020 - March 2023

Together in transition - Support to Children from Vulnerable Groups in Transition to Secondary Education (Second Phase)

This project presents the second phase of the project “Together in transition - Support to Children from Vulnerable Groups in Transition to Secondary Education” (2017-2019), which was implemented in 10 primary schools with the aim to increase the number of students from vulnerable groups who continue their education at the secondary level. Therefore, the project is based on experiences of 10 primary schools and the evaluation results of the first phase, which showcased that the project achieved significant results, and that there is a need to involve secondary schools and other local actors in order to ensure successful transition to secondary education and its completion. That is why the second project phase included those secondary schools which primary schools the from the first project phase cooperate the most with, as well as the local actors from their communities. The project includes implementation of three components - strengthening capacities of 10 primary schools for quality teaching and learning of students from vulnerable groups in transition to secondary education, strengthening capacities of 10 secondary schools for providing support to students, as well as strengthening capacities of local actors to understand, identify and support students from vulnerable groups in overcoming challenges they face in their educational paths. Project is being implemented in schools from Aleksinac, Becej, Bor, Zabalj, Knjazevac, Leskovac, Nis, Novi Sad, Surdulica, and Cuprija.

  • Overall coordination and implementation
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Milica Todorović
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Dina Gradinac
  • Maja Veselinović
Duration: January 2020 - December 2022

Quality Education for All

Within the programme “Quality Education for All (Quality Ed – Serbia)”, Council of Europe is implementing project that is built upon on the results of the project “Fostering a democratic school culture in schools in Serbia” (2017-2019). New project objective is to foster quality education by supporting schools and local communities in their efforts to fight prejudges and discrimination towards vulnerable groups, as well as violence in schools. Centre for Education Policy (CEP) provides team of local experts who deliver support to Council of Europe in local implementation of the mentioned project, i.e. in schools. Network of 20 pilot schools established within the previous project will serve as a base for sharing good practices and providing mentorship for new schools. CEP will continue to support 20 pilot schools from the previous project in designing and implementation of schools’ action plans as well as in building capacities of employees. In addition, CEP will support mentors, teachers and professional associates from 20 pilot schools, in sharing their practices towards new 40 schools. This project will, same as previous, utilise the CoE Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture in order to provide systematic support on two levels – school level, including their local communities and the level od education policy.

 

  • Partner in project coordination and implementation

 

  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Milica Todorović
  • Sofija Vujović
Duration: November 2019 - November 2022

Interactive and jointly created multimedia guides

"Interactive and jointly created multimedia guides" is a project implemented by organisations berlinHistory e.V. and the Office of Centrope (Central Europe Center for Research and Documentation - Center for 20th Century Jewish History) from Germany, with the partners - the Ravensbrück Memorial Museum (Germany), the Jewish Museum of Galicia (Poland) and the Centre for Education Policy (Serbia). The aim of the project is to develop modules for applications for creating interactive multimedia tours aimed at sites of persecution and suffering of civilians and anti-fascists during the Second World War. Multimedia tours will be jointly created by students (over 14 years old) from Germany, Poland and Serbia, which will contribute to reviving the past and the memory of sites of suffering and persecution of individuals, civilians and anti-fascists in Poland (Tarnow), Germany (Ravensbrück) and Serbia (Belgrade), and they will be publicly available from February 2022 on the websites of the project partners. Using the textual and visual ways, each multimedia tour will show the site of suffering before the Second World War, during the War and today, and will have specially created applications for educational quizzes. Students from Belgrade will show the following sites: concertation camps (Sajmište, Topovske šupe, Banjica camp, Dedinje), Gestapo headquarters (now the Serbian Army House) and Gestapo prisons (now Nikola Pašić Square and in Braće Jugovića Street), headquarters of the VII Department of Special police, known as the Jewish Police (the Fire Command building on Tasmajdan and then the building of the Palilula Public School at 21 George Washington Street). Project partners in each of the countries will support students during the process of creating multimedia tours. 

  • Coordination of all activities in Serbia
  • Biljana Stojanović
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Milica Todorović
  • Žaklina Veselinović
Duration: November 2020 - February 2022

Support in Development and Establishment of the National Model of Dual Education

The project ‘Support in development and establishment of the National Model of Dual Education’ has objective to support Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and Commission for the development and implementation of dual education in the development of different reform related documents (e.g. bylaws, guidebooks  for different stakeholders such as schools, parents, students, companies, etc.), the development of dual education monitoring and evaluation framework including accompanying instruments and in implementation of different research (e.g. research on stakeholders’ attitudes, challenges and good practices in implementation of the National Model of Dual Education, cost-benefit analyses for companies, etc.) in order to secure feasible implementation of the National Model of Dual Education in Serbia. Throughout all the project’s activities focus will be on the National Model of Dual Education aspects that are related to equity, access to education and relevance.

Within the project, Master plan for establishment and implementation of the National Model of Dual Education will be developed as a system tool for planning of complex reform processes, while one of the activities’ set will be dedicated to development of Communication strategy in order to secure better understanding on dual education notions by diverge target groups.

Research activities and activities related to Master plan are going to be implemented in cooperation with Swiss Economic Institute (KOF) of the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (ETH), Zurich.

  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Milica Todorović
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Dina Gradinac
  • Jelena Oljačić
Duration: June 2018 - December 2021

Evaluation of the performance and operational audit for the grant program for improving the inclusive preschool education at the local level within the project "Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care"

The project "Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care" (IECEC) is a five-year developmental project implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MoESTD) in the period from 2017 to 2022, with the support of a World Bank loan. Its overall aim is to improve the availability, quality and fairness of preschool education for every child from birth to 6.5 years, especially for children from socially and economically disadvantaged social groups. Achieving this goal is approached through three project components: 1) improving the accessibility of preschool education, 2) improving the quality of inclusive preschool education and 3) supporting children and families from vulnerable social groups. Under project component 3, more precisely subcomponent 3.2. (“Communication with families from socially vulnerable groups”), grants were awarded to local governments which were selected on based on the municipal eligibility index, and in accordance with the World Bank ranking, within two cycles. The main task of specific local teams (local self-governments and relevant local institutions) was to map the needs, i.e. to make an analysis of needs of their community in the field of IECEC, and then to implement designed project measures and solutions to overcome obstacles and challenges and achieve improved access, quality and equality of services in the early childhood. The subject of evaluation is the evaluation of implementation, as well as the operational audit of implemented development projects within seven selected local self-government units (LGUs) from the first cycle, after little more than a year of project activities implementation. Additionally, the evaluation is focused on the overall procedures and steps related to all phases of the implementation of the grant program. The same approach in the evaluation will be applied to the sample of five LGUs from the second cycle at the end of 2021.

  • Development of the methodological framework and the respective set of instruments
  • Organisation and realisation of evaluation activities on a sample of 12 local self-government units
  • Designing two evaluation reports with recommendations for improvement

 

  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Dina Gradinac
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Milica Todorović
  • Ljiljana Levkov
  • Slađana Benković
Duration: October 2020 - November 2021

Research on schools’ response on public health crisis in Serbia, Romania and Kazakhstan

In cooperation with Network of Education Policy Centers, with the support of the Open Society Foundation, Centre for Education Policy is conducting research on schools’ response on public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, Romania and Kazakhstan.  The aim of the research is to collect data on practices, activities and circumstances in which schools in Serbia, Romania and Kazakhstan organize work and organize and conduct teaching process in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Centre for Education Policy is in charge of methodology design, conducting research in Serbia, including the preparation of the national report for Serbia, as well as the preparation of a comparative report covering the three countries, while in Romania and Kazakhstan the research will be conducted by Schools for All (Kazakhstan) and Center for Applied Education (Romania). The research in Serbia includes primary schools, secondary vocational schools, general secondary schools and secondary art schools, thus directors and teachers of these schools. Online events with the aim of presenting the research findings to interested parties will be organised within the project.

  • Designing research methodology
  • Conducting research in Serbia
  • Designing national report for Serbia
  • Designing comparative report
  • Organising online events
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević

Partners:

Center for Applied Education (Romania)

School for all (Kazakhstan)

Duration: October 2020 - June 2021

ICE Club – Overcoming segregated multiculturalism: parents and teachers towards interculturalism

National Association of Parents and Teachers of Serbia, Fund for an Open Society and Centre for Education Policy are implementing project that has the aim of improving intercultural dimension of education in primary and secondary schools (strengthening openness towards cultural differences and intercultural values such as tolerance, solidarity and antidiscrimination) through activities conducted by the educational institutions and parents-teachers clubs in different municipalities/cities in Serbia. During the project, selected schools and parents-teachers clubs will unite and build their capacities for implementation of joint activities that aim at introduction of and enhancing intercultural activities into the education practice (through teaching and extracurricular activities). In order to achieve so, pairs of schools and parents-teachers clubs have been defined, which gained support in terms of grants for realisation of project ideas and mentorship. Good practice examples that foster intercultural learning, understanding and joint activities of different schools, families and local communities will be collected and promoted during the project.

 

  • Partner in project implementation

 

  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Dina Gradinac
Duration: June 2019 - December 2020

Educational support in prevention of child marriages and dropout

The project is built on the results of the UNICEF project “Towards the prevention of child marriages” (2018-2019) and UNICEF and CEP joint efforts centered on reducing school drop-out. Namely, UNICEF and CEP developed Dropout prevention model (DPM), that was firstly piloted and then upgraded within the projects “Combating Early School Leaving in Serbia through effective drop-out prevention and intervention measures at the school level” (2014-2016) and “Establishing foundation for integrative approach to combating school dropout” (2017-2018).Project “Educational support in prevention of child marriages and dropout” involves stakeholders that were identified as crucial for project implementation i.e. Republic Institute for Social Protection. Project is implemented in schools from Pirot and Novi Becej, which continue to implement DPM with focus on prevention of child marriages, in cooperation with Roma NGOs, while in Belgrade a new target group has been established and it comprises 30 young girls who already dropped out from school. In cooperation with Bibija Roma Women Center, CEP will support to this target group in terms of providing training on developing job-finding skills and attritional professional orientation activities. Roma Women Center Bibija activists will also provide mentor support to girls who already dropped out from school.

  • Overall coordination and implementation
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Sofija Vujović
  • Maja Veselinović
Duration: May 2019 - April 2020

Together in transition – Support to Children from Vulnerable Groups in Transition to Secondary Education (First Phase)

The project aims at increasing the number of students from vulnerable groups who continue their education at the secondary level. This project will strengthen the schools' and teachers' capacities to collaboratively plan and provide support to students from vulnerable groups in transition to secondary education, and respectively for individualisation of preparation for graduation exam and professional orientation. Schools and teachers will be empowered through accredited seminars, seminars developed for project purposes, regular meetings and support of project associates. In addition, the selected schools will receive grants of 3,600 euros for the implementation of project activities which are mainly dedicated to providing support to students and parents.

The project is being implemented in 10 selected primary schools across Serbia, located in the teritories of the local self-government units in which an increased need for intervention aimed at encouraging students' transition into high school was identified - Aleksinac (Žitkovac), Bečej, Bor, Brestovac, Đurđevo, Knjaževac, Leskovac, Niška Banja, Surdulica i Ćuprija.

 

  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Dejan Stanković
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Maja Veselinović
Duration: January 2017 - December 2019

Accessible and quality education for Roma girls and boys

This project is being implemented within the broader framework for support to schools and students in improving the quality and enhancing the accessibility of education, which is provided by Center for Interactive Pedagogy and Save the Children organization. In the first phase (from February to November 2018), Centre for Education Policy (CEP) has been engaged to deliver a set of mentorship measures within in 12 primary schools in Serbia. CEP was engaged for delivering an accredited training for teachers on the subject of students’ dropout prevention, as well as for providing support in designing and implementation of schools’ action plans for students’ dropout prevention. Evaluation of the first phase showcased that there is a need for providing continuous mentor support to these schools but also a need for including new schools, bearing in mind that measures that teachers conducted were effective, indicating that those measures should be implemented in other schools. In the second project phase (from June to December 2019), CEP has been engaged to provide support to new schools in the same manner, as well as to continue to provide support to schools from the first project phase, with focus on engagement of local community in overcoming challenges which schools and students face. In the first project phase, project was implemented in schools from Belgrade, Bujanovac, Vlasotince, Leskovac, Surdulica and Trgovište, and respectively in Belgrade, Vlasotince, Krusevac, Leskovac, Nis, Surdulica and Trgoviste, in the second project phase.

 

  • Providing support to schools in student’ dropout prevention

 

  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Milica Todorović
Duration: February 2018 - December 2019

Financial Management, Accounting and Controlling Curricula Development for Capacity Building of Public Administration (FINAC)

The main goal of FINAC project is to contribute to the higher quality of budgeting, finance management, accounting and controlling in Albania's and Serbia's public administration by building its capacities in mentioned areas. This goal will be achieved through: designing and developing three new master degree programmes in Serbia and two new master degree programmes in Albania in the field of financial management, accounting and controlling; provision of trainings for public administration employees in Serbia; modernisation of one master degree programme in the field of public financial management in Serbia. All master degree programmes will be developed on the basis of learning outcomes, flexibility in terms of choice of elective subjects and consequent specialisation, choice of teaching and assessment methods in order to ensure fulfilment of the learning outcomes.

 

 

Go to project homepage
  • Mapping of current level of knowledge of employees in public administration in the field of financial management, accounting and control;
  • Mapping of current qualification structure of public administration employees;
  • Report on the harmonisation of national strategies with EU directives;
  • Mapping of knowledge and expertise of trainers at the regional partner universities;
  • Coordination of meetings and harmonisation of plans regarding designing and developing master degree programmes;
  • Organisation of Steering Committee meetings;
  • Distributing country reports;
  • Participation in other project activities.
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Dejan Stanković
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
Duration: October 2016 - October 2019

Towards the prevention of child marriages

Within the project “Towards the prevention of child marriages” UNICEF has initiated support activities towards boy and girl pupils under the risk of early marriages and dropout, in partnership with Centre for education policy and with support of the Ministry for education, science and technological development. The project unites good practices and the instruments used in the project “Combating Early School Leaving in Serbia through effective drop-out prevention and intervention measures at the school level” which was highly successfully realized in 10 schools in Serbia (2014-2016). Aim of the project is further improvement of education employees’ capacities for dropout prevention as well as development of mechanism for prevention of child marriages on the local level, especially for Roma girls who are the most vulnerable group of children when it comes to child marriages. Local level activities will be implemented in 8 primary and secondary schools in Novi Bečej, Belgrade and Pirot.

  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project

 

  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Nevena Adžić
Duration: May 2018 - April 2019

Hacking Participation in the Balkans – A better region starts with youth -Innovative ways of empowering Balkans youth to impact policy making processes

The leader of the project is the Centre for Comparative and International Studies (Tirana, Albania) in partnership with Centre for Education Policy (Belgrade, Serbia). This project aims at empowering youth to understand what their rights are, and equipping them with the necessary tools and skills to reach out to institutions on issues of interest to them. The project will work with youth in Albania and Serbia, and it will help young people understand that their peers in other Balkan countries face the same issues, and it will equip them with knowledge and skills to tackle such issues, while also contributing to the systematic lowering of barriers between them. The project will achieve its aim through a continuous learning process and mentoring programme on participation in decision making though digital mobility. The project activities are conducting workshops on developing key competences for active participation and impact on policy processes such as communication, digital competences, social and civic competences, organising study visit on participation and the use of digital tools to enhance participation amongst youth, as well as organising Hackathon as an innovative way of empowering Balkans youth to impact policy making processes.

 

  • Coordination and mentoring
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Lola Hasanović
Duration: June 2018 - February 2019

Fostering a democratic school culture in schools in Serbia

The overall goal of the project is to improve the quality of education by fostering a democratic culture in the system of formal education through applying anti-discriminatory approaches based on the standards and practices of the Council of Europe. Specific aims are to enhance knowledge and awareness of the teaching and non-teaching staff, students and local communities on the concept, policies, practices and benefits from inclusive education and a democratic school culture, as well as to raise teachers capacities for implementation of activities that aim on developing competencies for democratic culture through teaching, within extracurricular activities and in cooperation with local community.  Main project activities will include applying framework of competencies for democratic culture in school setting, as well as peer learning between participating schools.  A total of 20 primary and secondary schools from the territory of 14 local self-governments across the region have been selected to participate in this project. Another project goal is to use gained experience to develop national level recommendations.

 

  • Partner in project coordination and implementation.

Council of Europe

  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Dejan Stanković
  • Ivana Cenerić
Duration: April 2017 - February 2019

Our Story

The leader of the project "Our Story" is the Government of Serbia Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja (CB) while the Centre for Education Policy (CEP) is a partner in the project. In the municipalities of Medvedja, Bujanovac and Presevo classes in elementary schools are realized in either Serbian or Albanian language and there is no form of cooperation within which students would have the opportunity to mutually interact and cooperate. The aim of the project is to establish a link between students and teachers of the two elementary schools in Presevo through the organization of extracurricular activities for students belonging to different national communities, as well as to increase the capacities of teachers from Presevo to strengthen intercultural practices through teaching and extracurricular activities.

The project will attempt to contribute to the building of mutual trust and respect among students from different national communities present in Presevo and will document a process that can serve as a model of good practice, potentially useful for other multicultural environments where decades of segregated education is present.

  • Realization of training for students and teachers
  • Mentoring in the planning and implementation of student projects
  • Creation of a publication with the results of the project
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Aleksandar Avramović
Duration: June 2017 - December 2018

Establishing foundation for integrative approach to combating school dropout from the education system of the Republic of Serbia

The aim of the project is to contribute to an integrative approach and to enhance cooperation between the education sector and social protection sector in preventing the dropout from the education system of the Republic of Serbia at elementary and secondary school level. Respectively, aim of the project is to utilse the capacities of the both systems (education and social protection) in best possible way in providing support to students which are in risk of dropout and usually belong to vulnerable social groups (e.g. students coming from a family with a low socio-economic status, or from non-stimulating environments, etc.). Within the project, a plan for integrating measures of these two systems will be developed for students who are identified as those at risk of dropout, and methods for supporting pupils will be proposed and improved. Capacity building for teachers and social workers in the application of the integrative approach is also planned.

  • Partner in project coordination and implementation
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
Duration: August 2017 - November 2018

Help on the Route - Fostering Protection of Human Rights of Migrants Passing Through Macedonia and Serbia

The project is implemented by the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, in partnership with the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland, Novi Sad Humanitarian Centre and Macedonian Helsinki Committee. The overall objective of the project is to protect the human rights of migrants through activities of civil society organizations in different fields. The specific objectives of this project are to empower civil society organizations supporting migrants through networking and capacity building, as well as creating a more favourable environment for the prevention and eradication of all forms of violations of human rights through advocacy of public policies aiming to ensure the protection of migrants' and asylum seekers rights. Within the framework of this project, the Centre for Education Policy supports the realization of the rights to education of the migrants and refugees’ children through the analysis of the capacities of organizations working in collective centres for support in ensuring the right to education for all children, training of employees in collective centres, developing of advocacy and information materials, as well as monitoring the realization of the right to education.

 

  • Implementation of activities aimed at supporting the realization of the right to education
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
Duration: June 2017 - November 2018

Youth in multicultural community 2

The aim of the project is to examine the intercultural skills of pupils and teachers in multicultural communities in Serbia, as well as their connection with indicators of intergroup relations (e.g. social distance). This research is based upon the results of the previous project that was determining the link between students' intercultural skills and their attitudes towards different ethnic groups in 6 local self-government units in Sandžak region (project "Youth in multicultural community 1" 2016/2017). This project seeks to examine factors that can shape the relationship between intercultural skills and intergroup relations. The research will involve 10 schools that are attended by pupils of different cultural backgrounds and mother tongues, and the instruments that are most often used for academic purposes will be applied. Schools from Subotica, Novi Sad, Bor, Preševo and Bujanovac are participating in the project. 

 

  • Research implementation
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
Duration: December 2017 - August 2018

Improving the quality of the education system of the Republic of Serbia and developing horizontal learning between schools (SHARE)

The main idea of the project is to initiate and develop mutual exchange and learning between schools with the aim of improving everyday practice of all participating schools. The project will support cooperation between 10 good schools and 10 pilot schools in need for additional support, as assessed through the process of external evaluation. The Project will assist good schools in taking a role of ‘critical friend’ by empowering them to recognise their own strengths and to reinforce their capacities for providing support and exchange of good practices with other schools. On the other hand, 10 pilot schools will be supported in taking actions to improve educational opportunities for their students. In order to do so, these schools will get continuous support from the CEP, IEQE, external expert mentors and peers from good schools. Based on lessons learned, the Project will provide recommendations how this novel practice could be scaled up to the system level.

  • Partner in overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Dejan Stanković
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Borislava Makismović
  • Saša Glamočak
  • Biljana Radosavljević
Duration: June 2015 - January 2018

Supporting VET teachers’ Continuous Professional Development through e-Portfolio

General objective of the project is to promote the ePortfolio use in VET system in Serbia, while the specific objectives of the project are raising policymakers’ awareness of the ePortfolio’s potentials in fostering teachers’ continuous professional development (CPD), improvement of teaching practice and development of 21st century skills, building capacities of VET teachers to use ePortfolio as a method for enhancing self-learning and self-reflection skills, as well as strengthening school management capacities to institutionally use its ePortfolio, to plan, guide ePortfolio integration at the school level and select appropriate ePortfolio tools e.g. (Mahara, Google Drive).

 

 

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  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Jelena Radišić
Duration: January 2017 - December 2017

The Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE)

The Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) is a regional platform for countries’ cooperation in the field of education and training. Members of the ERI SEE are signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Role and Organisation of ERI SEE: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Serbia. The aim of the ERI SEE is to contribute to enhancement and implementation of national reforms in education and training in the region, bearing in mind the specific needs and conditions in every member county, as well as the broader context and trends.

In 2010, the ERI SEE Governing Board designated CEP too be the host of the ERI SEE Secretariat until the registration of the ERI SEE Secretariat in the Republic of Serbia. In the period 2010-2017, CEP has been successfully realizing numerous ERI SEE activities (regional thematic seminars, training events, project development workshops, study visits, international conferences etc.) aimed to support information exchange between member countries, building regional institutional networks (South East Europe Vocational Education and Training Network - SEEVET-Net), and development of the regional projects as well as coordination of development and implementation of Education and Competences dimension within the South East Europe 2020 Strategy. CEP was also actively involved in the transformation process and the founding of the ERI SEE Secretariat in Serbia.

 

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  • Interim ERI SEE Secretariat
  • Implementation of the ERI SEE Work Programmes from 2010 to 2017.
  • KulturKontakt Austria (KKA)
  • NL EVD International
  • The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
  • ERI SEE member countries
Duration: August 2010 - December 2017

Democratic Competences in the Digital Era

The goal of this project is to implement several indicators from the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (CDC) related to the media and social networks. The pilot project consists of following activities: literature and curriculum review, assessment of how competencies are currently reflected in the education systems in partner countries. Project also included research on teachers’ opinions and needs related to the CDC and its implementation in the digital space, development of a common approach and support to teachers for using new didactical approaches in teaching, as well as preparation of the strategic document with recommendations and best practice toolkit. Beside Serbia, this project is being implemented in Romania, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Armenia and Croatia. Centre for Education Policy is in charge for project implementation in Serbia.

 

  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Nevena Adžić
Duration: January 2017 - September 2017

Supporting education of migrant/refugee children in Serbia

This project is based on the Work Plan for the implementation of the Cooperation Programme between UNICEF and the Government of the Republic of Serbia in the field of education in the period 2016-2017. The project goal is to enable successful integration of migrant/refugees children into the education system, starting from preschool education to the end of high school. It would be achieved through the development of training programs for educational institutions and school administration, as well as for the associations that implement programmes of informal education in refugee centres, thorough providing mentoring support and small grants to educational institutions, as well as by providing linguistic and professional support to schools and preschool institutions which would enroll these students. In the first phase of the project, targeted were those institutions in the municipalities/cities where the refugee centres are located (Belgrade, Lajkovac).

The second phase of the project is based on the results of the first phase, which involves the implementation of the National School Welcome programme for migrant/refugee children and support of the school for its implementation. Local coordinators were involved in the project in order to assist educational institutions in organizing daily activities for children and students. Schools also received small grants and tailor-made materials which will help them support migrant/refugee students. The second phase of the project included schools from Belgrade, Subotica, Sombor, Vranje, Sid, Sjenica, Pirot and Kikinda. Within the project a Handbook for schools on realisation of Professional instruction for education integration of migrant students has been designed.

 

  • Development and implementation of programmes to improve the capacity of educational institutions, school authorities and civil society organisations
  • The establishment of grant scheme for educational institutions and coordination of their plans of including children and students
  • Providing support to institutions for the successful integration of children and students
  • Cooperation with all interested parties, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and social welfare centres in enrollment of children
  • Coordination of meetings and mentor team
  • The distribution of relevant materials, reports and promotion of good practices
  • Ensuring quality education for children and students who are enrolled in regular education
  • Ivana Cenerić
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Radmila Gošović, mentor
  • Saša Glamočak, mentor
  • Jelena Vranješević, mentor
  • Snježana Mrše, mentor
  • Borislava Maksimović, mentor
  • Jasmina Slemanović, local coordinator
  • Tanja Subotić, local coordiantor
Duration: September 2016 - September 2017

Strengthening of Intercultural Practices in Culturally Diverse Schools

The goal of this project is strengthening of teachers, principals and professional associates of participating schools for the realisation of intercultural education. It foresees planning and implementing intercultural educational activities in five primary and secondary schools that are attended by large percentage of students belonging to national minorities from different regions of Serbia, strengthening of school teams for the implementation of intercultural school practices, testing of intercultural school activities on a selected sample and providing recommendations for further strengthening of intercultural practices in schools in Serbia, taking into account the capacities of institutions and possible support of the civil sector. Project is being implemented in schools in Belgrade, Valjevo, Novi Pazar, Kovačica and Subotica. 

 

 

  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Danijela S. Petrović
  • Radmila Gošović
Duration: July 2016 - July 2017

Teachers’ Interventions based on Research Findings

Building upon the project "Teachers - Reflexive Researchers of Inclusive Educational Practice" (NARIP), when local teachers teams conducted research in the fields of inclusive and intercultural education and based on the data obtained proposed adequate interventions for improvements in local communities, project “Teachers’ Interventions based on Research Findings” deals with the last phase of the action research - implementation of proposed interventions. More precisely, the goal of the project is to support five teams of teachers researchers in planning, implementation and monitoring of interventions, affirming in that way the role of teachers as leaders of positive changes in their local communities.

  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Nevena Adžić
Duration: September 2016 - June 2017

Making Roads Safer Using a Gender-targeted Approach

In order to improve transport and road safety, the World Bank Transport and ICT Global Practice (in the Europe and Central Asia region) received a grant for an analytical project "Road safety through a gender lens making roads safer using a gender targeted approach". Within this engagement, local partner organisation Union of Persons with Paraplegia and Quadriplegia of Serbia (SPIKS) will deliver a road safety awareness campaign through focused intervention to high-school students in selected schools, while Centre for Education Policy will conduct preformative and impact evaluation od the campaign.

  • Qualitative research including analysis of data collected for the purpose of campaign improvement
  • Implementation of the impact evaluation pre and post intervention in the schools (sample size over 1500 students)
  • Preparation of the reports
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Dejan Stanković
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Nevena Adžić
Duration: August 2016 - May 2017

Youth in multicultural community 1

The goal of this project is to examine the intercultural sensitivity of young people, their parents and teachers in the region of Sandžak, as well as their attitudes towards intercultural education, in order to gain insight into their competencies for participation in democratic culture and life in culturally diverse society. Upon the realisation of the research, the research results will be publicly presented, firstly in Sandžak region, followed by other relevant conferences and events. The project is realised in partnership with the organisation Urban In, in the following cities: Novi Pazar, Sjenica, Tutin, Prijepolje, Priboj and Nova Varos. 

  • Overview of foreign and domestic literature in order to develop research design
  • Creating a questionnaire and defining of sample
  • Realisation of research
  • The systematisation, processing, analysis, interpretation, contextualization of data and writing the report
  • Research results presentations 
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Nevena Adžić
Duration: July 2016 - May 2017

Towards the Institutionalisation of Inclusive Education Monitoring

The main aim of the project is to make new proposal of The Standards of Quality of Education for next revision in 2016, which should include created and adapted indicators of National Framework of Inclusive education in Republic of Serbia made by Institute of Psychology. Institute of Evaluation of Quality of Education (IEQE) as partner on the project participates in creation of the proposal for new revision of The Standards of Quality of Education which should become more sensitive to capture different school aspects of inclusive education. Proposal of old, new and adapted standards and indicators, as well as evidences that serves in process of verification of standards and indicators, will be piloted in 20 primary schools across Republic in Serbia in order to achieve measurable, feasible, relevant, economic and informative set of standards, indicators and evidence of inclusive education with strong correlation with quality of education. As a result of this piloting, a study Standards, indicators and evidence that inclusiveness proposed for inclusion in the Framework for external evaluation of schools has been designed.

 

  • Overall coordination
  • Piloting of standards and indicators and evidences
  • Creating proposal for revision of standards of quality of education
  • Comparative analysis of international school practices with special classes
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Jelena Najdanović Tomić
  • Jasmina Đelić
Duration: December 2015 - December 2016

Combating Early School Leaving in Serbia

The project aims to contribute to decreasing dropout and early school leaving of children and adolescents through the establishment and enforcement of mechanisms for early identification of children at risk of dropping out, responding to this and through the implementation of efficient prevention measures and intervention at the school level. It is implemented in 10 selected primary and secondary schools. Project activities are aimed at decreasing the dropout rate in selected schools through testing the measures for dropout prevention and strengthening schools’ capacities for independent elaboration and implementation of policies in this field. Target groups of this project are children at risk of dropping out and their parents, other children in school, teachers, local community and relevant institutions (centres for social welfare, local self-governments etc.), civil society organisations, while the beneficiary will be the wider community. One of the project aims is to develop recommendations for decision-makers in order to adopt nacional mechanisms for prevention of students' dropout from education system.

Within the projects, set of three publication has been designed - How to Be a Caring School – A Study on the Effects of Prevention and Intervention Measures for Preventing the Dropout of Students from the Education System of the Republic of Serbia, Handbook for planning, implementing and monitoring of measures to prevent students from dropping out and publication Towards a High-quality Remedial Instruction - Support to improvement and good practice examples. Study How to Be a Caring School has been declared for one of the best UNICEF researches for 2017.

Another product of this project is the Training for planning, implementation and monitoring of measures for dropout prevention, designed for employees in primary and secondary schools, which is accredited i.e. has the status of a program of public interest which is approved by the Minister.

Towards Sustainable and Equitable Financing of Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia (FINHED)

The project aims to contribute to ensuring a more efficient, effective and equitable financing of higher education in the Western Balkans through (a) gathering and analysing fundamental and essential evidence on system-level and institutional financing and equity in higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia; (b) introduction and implementation of the EUROSTUDENT survey in the three countries of the Western Balkans; (c) strengthening local expertise in developing policies on financing and equity in higher education; (d) policy framework for an efficient, effective and equitable higher education systems in the three countries; (e) university financing models based on sensible diversification of income streams; and (d) the establishment of Regional Resource Point with the purpose to sustain results and disseminate them across the region.

Within the project, a set of publications on social dimension on higher education has been produced, i.e. EUROSTUDENT report for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia.

 

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  • Coordinate the analysis of financing and equity in three HE systems, including the EUROSTUDENT Survey;
  • Contributing to the preparation and delivery of the content for workshop and assist EU partners in developing content for study visits and seminars;
  • Coordinating the activities and contributing to the work of national experts in policy and strategy development;
  • Establishing and maintaining Regional Resource Point;
  • Contributing to project dissemination and exploitation.
  • The project is supported by the European Commission within the framework of the Tempus Programme (project number: 530550-TEMPUS-1-2012-1-RSTEMPUS-SMGR)
  • Ivana Živadinović
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Dejan Stanković
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Nikola Dejanović
Duration: October 2012 - April 2016

Teachers - Reflexive Researchers of Inclusive Educational Practice (NARIP)

The project is based on the assumption that all the changes in the educational system cannot come to life if they do not directly involve those who are the main actors in the process of teaching - teachers themselves. The backbone of the activities in this project is the idea of a teacher as a researcher, a person who examines and based on concrete evidence improves practice and actively contributes to the improvement of conditions for quality education for every child. The project aims to support local teams of teachers researchers to research and promote inclusive practices in their school and community. Additionally, project idea is to improve the cooperation of teachers and other participants in the educational process, to identify issues in practice for improvement as well as proposals for their solution. Throughout this process, aim is also to increase the professional satisfaction of teachers, to contribute to the development of a knowledge base on education, teaching and learning and its promotion.

 

  • Overall project coordination and implementation
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Nevena Adžić
Duration: December 2014 - December 2015

Intercultural Education in System of Education in Serbia

The goal of this research is to provide insight into current state of Intercultural education in Serbian system of education and to formulate recommendations for policy makers based on the evidence and emerging conclusions. The research contains following analyses: analysis of legal and strategic framework, analysis of programmes at Teacher education faculties, analysis of Draft National Curriculum Framework, analysis of Catalogue of programmes for in-service teacher professional development and analysis of project activities in civil sector. Apart from these analyses, an overview of teachers' experiences of capacity building for Intercultural education was done as well as a research on teachers' intercultural sensitivity. Additionally, besides recommendations for policy makers, a proposal of indicators for monitoring Intercultural education in Serbia was given.

  • Overall coordination and implementation of the project
  • Author of analysis, research, overviews, recommendations and proposed indicators
  • Publication editing and dissemination. 
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Tijana Jokić Zorkić
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Danijela S. Petrović
  • Radmila Gošović
  • Blagica Zlatković
  • Saša Milić
Duration: June 2015 - December 2015

IPA — Increasing the Capacity of the Serbian VET System in Improving the Quality, Coverage and Relevance of the Vocational Education and Training

Together with the GOPA Consultants (DE) and Ecorys UK Ltd (UK), Centre for Education Policy is part of the consortium led by WYG International Limited (UK), which is implementing an EU funded project “Increasing the capacity of the Serbian VET system in improving the quality, coverage and relevance of the vocational education and training”. The purpose of the project is to increase capacity of Serbian VET system in improving the quality, coverage and relevance of the vocational education and training through: 1. The assessment, revision and implementation of training programmes in the area of VET; 2. Capacity building of institutions involved in VET reform; 3. Development of the National Qualification Framework (NQF) for VET.

  • WYG International Limited (UK)
  • GOPA Consultants (DE)
  • Ecorys UK Ltd. (UK)
  • European Commission
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
Duration: December 2013 - December 2015

Support to Pilot Schools for Implementing Inclusive Education Policies and Practices

Joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe aims to improve social inclusion and social cohesion in the region, by promoting inclusive education and training. The project includes the countries of Southeast Europe - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo*. Seven selected schools per country will receive technical and financial support in the form of small grant loans (donations) for the improvement of inclusive education. In addition, there will be established a regional network of inclusive pilot schools (Inclusive School Net), for mutual learning and exchanging of experiences. Centre for Education Policy is a part of consortium, in charge of providing schools in Serbia with the technical support during the project lifetime.

  • Partner in implementation of the project in Serbia
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Nevena Adžić
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Ana Vušurović Lazarević
Duration: January 2013 - October 2015

Equal Access for All: strengthening the social dimension for a stronger European Higher Education Area (EQUI-ED)

The overall objective of the project is to diversify and enlarge the student body to mirror the society structure in Serbia. The specific objectives are to (a) enhance and improve efficiency of national support programme for diversifying and enlarging the student body entering and completing HE; (b) to establish and institutionalise practice of data collection and analysis in the domain of social dimension of higher education, both at the system and institutional level; (c) to establish institutional framework supporting student population to participate equally in higher education.

 
  • CEP’s role in the project was to contribute to the baseline study on social dimension, enhancement of the statistics on higher education, as well as to the development of the policy framework on equal access to higher education in Serbia
  • The project is supported by the European Commission within the framework of the Tempus Programme (project number: 516851-TEMPUS-1-2011-1-RS-TEMPUS-SMGR)
  • Ivana Živadinović
Duration: October 2011 - June 2015

Conducting Graduate Surveys and Improving Alumni Services for Enhanced Strategic Management and Quality Improvement (CONGRAD)

The CONGRAD project’s wider objective is to enable Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to continuously conduct graduate surveys for the purpose of enhancing study offerings and facilitating permanent modernisation processes. CONGRAD is expected to contribute to the improvement of institutional self-evaluation processes by collecting systematic and reliable information on the links between study offerings and subsequent employment of graduates, as well as enable the evidence based evaluation of higher education reforms and curricular changes in the last decade. CONGRAD results will be exploited through the development of an action plan for future graduate surveys including other HEIs in the Western Balkans.

 
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  • Conducting analysis of existing alumni data collection system
  • Providing trainings (maintenance of contact database; field work and online survey system)
  • Creation of contact database
  • Establishment of online survey system
  • Field work
  • Questionnaire development
  • Data verification and coding
  • Data analysis and reporting
  • Development of action plan for future graduate surveys
 
  • The project is supported by the European Commission within the framework of the Tempus Programme (project number: 517153-TEMPUS-1-2011-1-DE-TEMPUS-JPGR)
  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Ivana Živadinović
  • Dejan Čabrilo
Duration: October 2011 - October 2014

Teachers’ Alliances - Road to Quality Education

The aim of the project is raising awareness of teachers about the teaching profession beyond the subject affiliation, started with project Teachers’ Attitudes towards Their Profession (RANON), familiarising teachers with the advantages of the formal partnerships in order to facilitate greater influence on the formulation and implementation of inclusive education policies, acquainting them with the importance of  these policies and strengthening their professional capacities through trainings for their successful implementation.

 

  • Overall project coordination
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Žaklina Veselinović
  • Vitomir Jovanović
Duration: October 2013 - July 2014

European Integration in Higher Education and Research in the Western Balkans

The project seeks primarily to strengthen the capacity of partner institutions in the Western Balkan countries in the area of educational research in general, and higher education and research policy analysis in particular, as well as to strengthen the basis for evidence based policy making in the area of higher education and research in the Western Balkans. At the same time, the project looks into the dynamics of higher education and research systems in the Western Balkans, while placing them against the backdrop of European integration processes. The project aims to contribute to knowledge within education research, higher education and research policy analysis and European studies, given that the information and analytical studies of higher education and research in the Western Balkans countries is rather limited.

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  • Coordination of the project activities
  • Setting up the project web site 
  • Mapping of existing data – focus on validity and reliability 
  • Further literature review to develop an overarching analytical framework and guide data collection and analysis
  • Development of the data base – distribution and collection of questionnaires, interviews and study visits
  • Preparation of the final book 
  • Participation in open seminars
  • Jelena Branković
  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Žana Bogunović
Duration: March 2011 - February 2014

Building Capacity for Structural Reform in Higher Education of Western Balkan Countries (STREW)

The project objective is to strengthen capacity for higher education structural reform in Western Balkan countries and facilitate a coherent convergence of the Region towards European Area of Higher Education, as a prerequisite for genuine implementation of Bologna agenda. Specific project objectives are (a) to enhance Regional cooperation in higher education issues and address questions concerning coherent convergence of the Region towards EHEA; (b) to strengthen capacity for change in public administration of Partner Country’s higher education institutions, on the issues related to the EU modernisation agenda; (c) to develop joint regional roadmap for structural reform and benchmark it with the best European practice.

  • Delivering training courses for higher education administrators on the collecting and instrumentalising evidence in university policy making, policy evaluation and monitoring of implementation.
  • Supporting the establishment of the Western Balkans Higher Education Expert Network
 
  • The project is supported by the European Commission within the framework of the Tempus Programme (project number: 511335 -TEMPUS-1-2010-RS-TEMPUS-SMHES)
  • Jelena Branković
  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Milica Grahovac
Duration: October 2010 - October 2013

Education Policy Study Programme in Serbia and Montenegro (EPSP)

The project objective is to contribute to the reform of education system in Serbia and Montenegro through establishing modern, flexible and internationally recognised programmes (master level) on education policy, compliant with the highest European standards and designed to meet constantly changing needs of education systems and to respond to expectations of different groups of learners and users.

  • Producing a report on benchmarking analysis of education policy study programme;
  • Contributing to the curriculum development activities.
  • The project is supported by the European Commission within the framework of the Tempus Programme (project number: 159074-TEMPUS-1-2009-1-RS-TEMPUS-JPCR)
  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Jelena Branković
Duration: December 2009 - September 2013

University’s Social Responsibility

The research aims primarily at identifying and interpreting the internal and external perceptions of the social contract between university and society in Serbian context (through qualitative techniques), by addressing the issue of university’s social role and responsibility, as seen by its members, on one hand, and salient external stakeholders, on the other. In parallel, the research seeks to identify (through quantitative techniques) key characteristics of the protagonists of academic profession in a changing higher education environment.

  • Project coordination
  • Coordination of the research team
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Publication of results
  • Jelena Branković
  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Ivana Živadinović
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Isidora Jarić
  • Jelena Kleut
  • Nada Sekulić
  • Dušan Spasojević
Duration: November 2011 - May 2013

Teachers’ Attitudes towards Their Profession (RANON)

The project strives to contribute to the development of the teaching profession, as well as creating a solid empirical base on teachers' attitudes and perceptions on key educational topics (teaching profession and its improvement, responsibility, quality of education, cooperation of teachers within the school, at the municipality level etc.) for the purpose of further in-depth analysis and research. The project also aims at creating the pre-conditions for the development of education policies based on research and with participation of teachers as key actors in the educational process; providing teachers with the information on modern trends in education and their role in improving the quality of education and, finally, providing teachers with the information about opportunities for self-organization at the municipality level and the possibilities of strengthening teachers' associations. 

  • Coordination of the research team
  • Development of the focus groups based research framework and methodology
  • Conducting focus groups interviews 
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Report writing
  • Presentation of the results during regional events
  • Administrative support
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Nataša Pantić
  • Jelena Radišić
  • Jelena Raković
  • Aleksandra Maksimović
  • Mirjana Kovačević
Duration: November 2011 - March 2013

Monitoring Inclusive Education

This project is being implemented within a broader plan for short-term follow-up of monitoring of the implementation of inclusive education policy, which should provide regular reports and feedback needed in order to enable education system to generate quick corrective actions of different actors involved in the implementation of the inclusive education policy. The project is focused on school work and cooperation in local communities as essential objects for monitoring. In-depth qualitative analyses of practices of inclusive education (that did not exist in current practice) is being be used as monitoring methodology. Monitoring of work of a small number of schools are being be part of an analysis that would identify what worked well in practice so far, what are the key school pillars in the implementation of Individual Education Plans, what are the difficulties and barriers they faced, what are experiences gained and what schools and communities have learned from the experience of implementing inclusive education.

  • Documentation of existing practices in the implementation of inclusive education, specifically the implementation of Individual Education Plans, developing pedagogical profile of the child and the individualization of teaching, enrolment procedures and organization of overall educational and social support for the child within the school and the local community;
  • Mapping the existing problems in the implementation of inclusive education and analyze their causes;
  • Formulate proposals and concrete solutions in implementation of inclusive education for the purpose of better achieving the objectives of the inclusive education policy (correction of existing support measures and proposals of new measures);
  • Developing the model for monitoring the inclusive education at the school level together with the model for the observation of teaching focused on the elements of inclusive education.
 
  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Julija Jeremić
  • Vitomir Jovanović
  • Péter Radó
  • Danijela Petrović
  • Zdenka Milivojević
Duration: August 2011 - March 2013

Advancing Teacher Professionalism for Inclusive, Quality and Relevant education (ATEPIE)

The main goal of the project is to formulate national qualification frameworks for teachers in Western Balkan countries which can act as guidelines for further changes of educational practices and the reform of educational system. Their elaboration entails engagement of decision makers in the field of education, teachers’ educators, researchers and teachers themselves. A special attention is given to the voice of parents and pupils, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable groups, in order to assure a truly inclusive and anti-discriminatory approach. The project also strives to empower teachers within the related project “International Teacher Leadership,” as well as to provide support to young researchers of South Eastern Europe and disseminate policy recommendations, proposals and education research results.

 
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  • Overall project coordination
  • Project implementation
  • Centre for Educational Initiatives Step by Step
  • Institute for Social Research in Zagreb
  • Foundation for Education and Cultural Initiatives Step by Step
  • Pedagogical Centre of Montenegro
  • Gordana Miljević
  • Milica Grahovac
  • Nataša Pantić
  • Jasminka Čekić-Marković
  • Vlasta Vizek Vidović
  • Zoran Velkovski
  • Saša Milić
  • Radmila Rangelov Jusović
  • Graham Danaldson
  • Jelena Radišić
Duration: April 2011 - March 2013

Campaign for Inclusive Education

The overall goal of the campaign for inclusive education is creation of an inclusive culture and practice for all children - increasing the enrolment rate of children from marginalized groups and improving the quality of education that they receive in preschool, primary and secondary education. The campaign included over 100 events across Serbia together with media campaign at the national and local level, publishing of articles on the topic of inclusive education and preparation of materials for educational institutions in Serbia about quality educational practices harmonized with the principles of the Education for All. The campaign included a brochure providing an overview of basic concepts related to inclusive education was prepared in order to better understand the concept of inclusion and inclusive education, as well as the importance of inclusion in society in general.

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  • Nevena Adžić
  • Vanja Ivošević
  • Emina Ferizović
  • Mirjana Ilić
  • Gordana Josimov
  • Borislava Maksimović
  • Milena Mihajlović
  • Zdenka Milivojević
  • Nataša Nikolić Gajić
  • Marija Ristovski
  • Tatjana Stojić
  • Vesna Zlatarović
Duration: October 2010 - September 2011

Research Policy, Financing and Performance: Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia in comparative perspective

The aim behind the study was to provide an informative comparison of policy developments, financing and performance in the three countries which were once part of the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia: Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. The research looked into the degree to which financing as a policy instrument is conducive to the development of scientific research within these countrie. The results can primarily be used by policy makers in Serbia, and though to a lesser extent other two countries, as well as international institutions and organisations approaching or seeking to enhance their understanding of the research systems under study.

  • Project coordination
  • Coordination of the research team
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Book writing and publishing
  • Jelena Branković
  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Norbert Šabić
  • Mihajlo Babin
Duration: December 2009 - April 2011

Mapping Policies and Practices for the Preparation of Teachers for Inclusive Education in Contexts of Social and Cultural Diversity in the countries of Western Balkans

The overall objective is to contribute to the promotion of inclusive education and training policies and practices in Western Balkan countries (Albania, BiH, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) in contexts of social and cultural diversity. The specific objectives are (a) to analyse policies and practices regarding teachers’ pre-service training and in-service professional development schemes at the country level, to identify issues, challenges and good practice in the 7 participating countries with regard to the skills and competences required for inclusive education practices by teachers from primary and secondary education; (b) to identify in a cross country report the key findings from the country analyses in regard to major issues, challenges and good policies and practices for preparing teachers for inclusive education.

 

  • Research coordination in general in phase 1
  • Development of the conceptual framework and key research tools
  • Coordination of the country research teams, including management and administration of expenses
  • Expert support for teams in drafting the reports
  • Coordination of research in Serbia in phase 1
  • Preparation of the synthesis report
  • Nataša Pantić
  • Vanja Ivošević
  • Martina Vukasović
  • Bojana Rokvić
  • Anthony Camilleri
  • Daniela Proli
  • Ivana Batarelo Kokić
  • Lejla Kafedzić
  • Bardhyl Musai
  • Ognen Spasovski
  • Tamara Milić
  • Xhavit Rexhaj
  • Pavel Zgaga
  • Alison Closs
Duration: June 2009 - June 2010

Autonomy of Higher Education Institutions in the Countries of Former Yugoslavia

In cooperation with Magna Charta Observatory, CEP conducted research on the concept of autonomy in higher education in the former Yugoslavian countries. The research was focused on the following questions: Who is autonomous? What does autonomy mean? How autonomy is "implemented"? The analysis of the concept of autonomy on the basis of laws and regulations was conducted as well as an analysis based on interviews with key stakeholders in all ex-Yugoslavian countries. The research addresses four dimensions of autonomy, namely, organizational structures and institutional governance, staffing, finances and academic matters. Preliminary results of the research were presented at the 24th annual CHER (Consortium of Higher Education Researchers) conference in Iceland in June 2011.

  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Vanja Ivošević
  • Martina Vukasović
  • Jelena Branković
  • Bastian Baumann
Duration: September 2009 - May 2010

Reproduction of Social Inequalities through Education Transition & Efficiency and Equity of Student Standards

As part of a wider research project dedicated to the analysis of poverty in Serbia, two analyses were conducted by CEP: (1) an analysis of reproduction of social inequalities through education transitions and (2) an analysis of efficiency and equity of the student welfare system in Serbia. The first study focused on issues related to the reproduction of social inequalities through the education system in Serbia, with special attention to the system solutions about the rules of registration in high school and colleges, and to the transfer points where social reproduction becomes evident. The second study was dealing primarily with a system of scholarships and student loans in Serbia. The aim of the research was the assessment of equity and efficiency of the distribution of such assistance to students taking into account socioeconomic status of students.

  • Identification and consolidation of available data bases (PISA, TIMSS, higher education in Serbia data base etc.)
  • Analysis of data on three education transitions: from primary to secondary, from secondary to higher education and from higher education to work
  • Analysis of statistical data about student grants and loans awarded in the course of 5 years
  • In-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 students from various socio economic backgrounds
  • Writing of (1) An analysis of reproduction of social inequalities through education transitions and (2) An analysis of efficiency and equity of the student welfare system in Serbia.
  • Martina Vukasović
  • Nataša Pantić
  • Mihajlo Babin
  • Sanja Petakovska
Duration: November 2008 - February 2009

Working Conditions of Teaching Staff in Higher Education

The aspect of higher education teaching staff working conditions are very often neglected in higher education reform plans and even the institutions that have started developing their own quality assurance systems often do not pay attention to this aspect of quality, although it is often points out that teachers have a key role in education reforms. Through analysis of relevant documents (legal framework, statutes of universities and colleges, rulebooks) and interviewing of staff, different aspects of teachers' work were addressed  (nomination and promotion, teaching function and it’s possible training, research function and it’s possible training, administrative function and it’s possible training, the satisfaction of staff with the working conditions, etc.).

  • Project coordination
  • Research coordination
  • Research design and implementation
  • Martina Vukasović
  • Marija Mitrović
  • Jana Baćević
  • Sanja Petkovska
  • Isidora Jarić
Duration: January 2008 - December 2008

National Qualifications Framework

Publication about the National Qualifications Framework primarily serves as a key reference text for the implementation of the National Qualifications Framework in Serbia (and possible other countries in the region). The publication contains basic information about NQF relevant for the implementation of NQF in Serbia and examples of implementation of NQF in other countries.

  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Bojan Komnenović
  • Martina Vukasović
  • Vanja Ivošević
Duration: January 2008 - December 2008

Factors of Low Efficiency of Studying in Higher Education in Serbia

In cooperation with the Czech scientific institute CERGE-EI, CEP conducted research on the inclusiveness and efficiency of higher education in Serbia. The research involves analyzing the structure of the student population in terms of socioeconomic characteristics. Furthermore, during the research the possible impact which socioeconomic characteristics of students have on access, progress and finishing of higher education was considered. The research results were presented in the form of scientific article for publication in the Higher Education Policy in English and the journal of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory in Serbian.

  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Martina Vukasović
  • Marija Mitrović
  • Isidora Jarić
  • Jana Baćević
Duration: January 2008 - December 2008

Financing Higher Education in South-Eastern Europe: Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia

The research of higher education funding models in SEE has been launched in order to made available information about higher education funding in selected countries of SEE, but also to deepen the higher education funding theme with the systematic review of the theory about higher education funding. The research approach was by the three analytical levels: system, institutional and individual student's level. The key intention of the study is to provide material for widening and deepening the ongoing discussions on financing higher education in the region and to offer a solid overview of the current situation to interested national and international audiences alike.

  • Predrag Lažetić
  • Martina Vukasović
  • Vanja Ivošević
  • Klemen Miklavič
  • Mihajlo Babin
Duration: January 2007 - December 2008

Tuning Teacher Education Curricula in the Western Balkans

The research was designed in order to provide information about the competences that teachers need in practice and that could serve as a base for development of programs and courses for teacher education. For this purpose, the project was designed to help in determining disparities between demands of practice and existing programs for teachers’ education. The aim of this research project was to examine the possibility of reform of curriculum for teachers’ education towards education based on the competencies they need in practice. Using the methodology of the European Tuning project, these competencies are defined in consultation with students and staff from institutions for training teachers, but also with a greater number of staff from future employers, e.g. kindergartens and schools. The survey included institutions for teachers’ education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia.  

  • Definition of the conceptual framework and development of the preliminary list of teachers competences
  • Consultations with stakeholders, finalization of the list of teacher competences, distribution and collection of questionnaire and analysis of results
  • Overview of the existing policies and study programs in teacher education and identification of necessary improvements with respect to competences needed
  • Preparation and writing of the Analysis of Teacher Education Curricula in the Western Balkans
  • Preparation of the publication Tuning Teacher Education Curricula in the Western Balkans
  • Coordination of the regional experts’ team
  • Administrative support and coordination
  • Nataša Pantić
  • Zoran Grac
  • Anči Leburić (University of Split)
  • Ivana Zec (University of Split)
  • Lejla Kafedžić (University of Sarajevo)
  • Ivana Zečević (University of Banja Luka)
  • Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović (University of Zagreb)
  • Ivan Jerković (University of Novi Sad)
  • Violeta Arnaudova (University of Skopje)
  • Ognen Spasovski, (University of Skopje)
  • Bojka Đukanović (University of Podgorica)
  • Mirko Đukanović (University of Podgorica)
  • Biljana Stanković (University of Belgrade)
Duration: July 2006 - June 2007