INTERVIEW TIBOR NAVRACSICS EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR EDUCATION, CULTURE, YOUTH AND SPORT
We Support Serbian Reforms
I If Serbia wants to secure its transition to a knowledge-based economy and catch up with Europe, improving the productivity and well-being of its citizens, the country must invest, among other things, in education. Ensuring a systematic approach to teachers' education, as well as developing and maintaining the current positive trend of enrolment in early childhood education and care, represent steps in that direction
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EDUCATION
f Serbia sometimes doubts interest in the accession process of the countries of the Western Balkans within the European Union, Serbia needs to turn to the number of benefits it gets from the EU's education programmes, in which it participates. Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, expects that – following the adoption of the EU-Western Balkans Strategy and the Sofia Summit of 2018 – learning and mobility opportunities for Serbia and the rest of the region within the Erasmus+ programme will rise exponentially in the coming years. It was in this optimistic tone that we commenced this interview with Mr Navracsics, with yet another good news item.
signed on 5th February, will create more room for direct contacts between people, helping to build mutual understanding between Serbia and the EU. It also means that Serbian organisations can now reach out to partners beyond Europe in ways that were not previously possible.
In our increasingly knowledge-based economies, education seems to be one of the key pillars of growth, enhanced productivity and the wellbeing of citizens. In which areas of education should Serbia invest the most? - Three aspects of reform seem to be particularly important for Serbia: ensuring a systematic approach to teacher education and development, maintaining the current positive trend of enrolThe EU will support Serbia has just become ment in early childhood Serbia with an a full member of the education and care, and additional 28 million Erasmus+ programme. consolidating the wide euros to be used for How we should take adrange of existing quality assurance mechanisms. vantage of this? the improvement of Serbia adopted a - This is indeed wonderful teacher education, forward-looking educanews – and a step-change the development in the way people and ortion strategy in 2015 that of a modernised will run until 2020. The EU ganisations from Serbia qualifications system decided last year to supcan benefit from the and the education of opportunities offered port these reforms: this minorities by Erasmus+. Now that means an additional 28 Serbia is a Programme million euros will be availCountry, its young people, academic personnel able to be invested in Serbia's education system, and educational institutions can get involved in in order to improve teacher education, develop a a much wider range of activities. Besides higher modernised qualifications system and support education and activities related to non-formal the education of minorities, including Roma. and informal education, such as volunteering and capacity building for youth organisations, the To what extent has Serbia already been taking other parts of Erasmus+ are now also fully open advantage of the opportunities offered by the to participants from Serbia: sport, vocational Erasmus+ programme? education and training, as well as school and adult - Serbia has been participating in Erasmus+ since education projects. This is how the agreement, 2014, as what we call a Partner Country. This has
