The secret formula of education 2018

The

SECRET FORMULA OF EDUCATION IN SERBIA S P E CIA L S U P P L E ME N T

D I P L O M AC Y & CO M M E RC E 2018

C H A RT W E L L -

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Towards

ACCREDITED BY:

S C H O O L

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Excellence

• 16 years of experience • Caring environment tailored to the academic and personal needs of each child • • Preparing students to thrive in an increasingly technological and multicultural society • • Internationally renowned qualifications • Graduates accepted into prestigious colleges and universities worldwide • PRE-SCHOOL

LOWER PRIMARY

UPPER PRIMARY

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Teodora Drajzera 38 Belgrade, 11000 +381 11 3671 189

Tolstojeva 54 Belgrade, 11000 +381 11 3675 299

Lackoviceva 6 Belgrade, 11000 +381 11 3675 340

Uzicka 48A Belgrade, 11000 +381 11 2661 858

reception@chartwell.edu.rs

www.chartwell.edu.rs

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Formula of Education in Serbia

SCHOOLS WILL PRODUCE EXPERTS It was our pleasure to receive the recommendations from dual education experts from Switzerland, Germany and Austria. However, we did not copy any of the models that were presented to us, but in accordance with our economic, business and educational context, we defined and created our own, Serbian model

erbia is one of the few, maybe even the only Western Balkan country, that has consistently implemented dual education. We are talking to Assistant Minister for Dual and Entrepreneurial Education, Gabrijela Grujić about the distinctiveness of the Serbian dual education format.

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safety and rights, all with the view of boosting the opportunities for young people to find a job immediately after they complete their formal education.

All these activities were carried out in accordance with the national model of dual and entrepreneurial education and legal regulations that were the guidelines for our work.

In which way did Serbia set itself apart from other countries which have also been experimenting with this form of high school education?

— Serbia has demonstrated that team spirit, developed through a great cooperation with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and foreign partners from Switzerland, Germany and Austria, who showed a lot of willingness to help with their experience, has brought about such good results. As a team, we visited almost all corners of Serbia, talked with company and school representatives, and based our deductions on determined needs and possibilities. When I say deductions I am actually referring to decisions to modernize educational profiles in accordance with the latest technical and technological achievements, and to regulate the way in which students will learn and work in a real working environment, taking into account both the acquisition of functional knowledge and their

How important were the donors and their assistance for the successful implementation of this project?

— The assistance of the donors from Austria, Germany and Switzerland has been very valuable. These are the countries with a long history of dual education. Their assistance is directly aimed at supporting the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and the SCC in the implementation and development of dual education at the systemic level, as well as at the local level, by supporting schools through various projects.

The experts from these countries told us about the dual education models in their respective countries, helped us to modernize educational profiles, and provided the latest equipoment for classrooms / workshops in order to give students a modern learning environment.

We are grateful to them for such significant support. Nevertheless, it is important to underline that we have cre-

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I N T E RV I E W

GA B R I J E L A G RU J I Ć Assistant Minister for Dual and Entrepreneurial Education in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development

Companies that operate in Serbia have shown a high level of social responsibility in the process of training young people in their environments, while respecting all relevant laws

ated the Serbian model of dual education in accordance with the economic, business and educational context of our country.

During the enrollment period for 19 dual education profiles, 1,500 places were filled out of a total of 1,800.

Which education profiles were the most popular?

— There was really a lot of interest for dual educational profiles. For example, all places at the Air Force Academy in Belgrade were filled in the first enrollment round. The quality of knowledge acquired from the curriculum of 10 military and civilian profiles, which comply with the EASA standards, gives young people the opportunity to find employment immediately after the completed schooling and earn a salary that is significantly higher than the national average.

Also, there was a lot of interest shown in educational profiles such as electrical engineer for renewable energy sources, metal processing operator, fashion tailor, industrial mechanic, furniture processing operator, and machinist / welder. It is interesting to note that, for instance, both boys and girls applied for the machinist profile, which certainly speaks in favour of the quality of the curriculum itself, and of the possibility of finding a job fast when

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Formula of Education in Serbia

it comes to these profiles. There is a small number of vacant places for educational profiles in local governments because there are no companies in this segment in which young people could learn through work The dual education concept was met with a lot of scepticism and criticism.

When will the Ministry be able to come up with data that will refute the critics who say that we are creating a new precariat here?

— I think it's very valuable when an idea is criticised providing that that critique is substanitated by proper arguments.

If one of 'the objections' about dual education is that it is „generating cheap labour“, then the answer to that objection would be that one of the important factors that prevents young people from finding work after the completion of education and from getting an adequate salary is the lack of quality competences.

In dual model, in addition acquiring more skills under one educational profile, students also have the opportunity to absorb the latest technical and technological developments through learning in a real work environment where they are able to participate actively in the work process and to acquire professional theoretical and practical knowledge, the so-called soft skills, communication skills, and analytical skills that are all going to be valuable in their careers. In response to the critics, I would like to ask them the following: "Does an unregulated secondary vocational education system, which is supposed to ensure that students have quality practice, and where students are usually passive observers of production processes, without clearly defined implementation tasks and without adequate control, can provide such quality of knowledge that makes young people employable and respected in the labour market?" By introducing dual education, this kind of practice will cease to exist, because in we will enable young people to become real experts after completing their secondary vocational education.

Critics also complain about "earnings" of young people in dual education.

I would like to underline that the "earnings" stipulated in the Law on Dual Education is not a remuneration for their work, but rather motivation for acquiring some of the competences related to the profession they are learning about by working in companies. Scholarship, as a type of student motivation, has always

ing all the values that dual education has and to reply to their questions and eliminate any unknowns that this type of education might generate. The fact is that there has been a growing number of young students, primarily those from vocational colleges and faculties, who have been, for years, actively cooperating with companies on providing work practice, and who are now interested in getting involved in this type of education.

The National Student Pratice Model is a project that actively involves students, assistant professors, and doctoral candidates who are cooperating together with our Ministry, the SCC, the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, and the Career Leadership Centre of the University of Belgrade with their proposals in order to develop a quality document relating to the implementation and evaluation of student practice in the future. With the great support from the Serbian government, young people are creating a work practice model which will give them an opportunity to obtain work experience prior to getting their first job. The work practice, conducted in companies during studies, will be deemed as the first important experience that will help young people to make good choices, get a job and continue working in Serbia. That is why we called this project "My City, My Choice, My Career".

existed in our educational system, and the advantage of the dual model is that in this process, all students receive the fee in accordance with the time spent on work assisted learning. Does a student, who spends one or two days in work assisted learning, have sufficient capacity to take the place of experienced, educated employees in a company and assume their roles and responsibility, as critics claim? Of course not. Students are in the process of learning and do not contribute to productivity.

The current education reform is being implemented with the idea that children are introduced to the concept of entrepreneurship back in elementary school. To what extent is such concept represented in dual education?

— Analyzing the basic education of young people, we got the impression that our children mostly learn „to get a good grade“. Such attitude of young people towards the value of knowledge showed us that we must seriously deal with the fact that education does not mean just acquiring knowledge, but it is the way we teach our children to use their reasoning. That is why we started with the hypothesis that it is very important to respect student ideas, to form student co-operatives, to encourage the development of project thinking through joint projects, and to foster research spirit which is something that most young people only find out at universities. Through this reform, shools will incorporate inter-subject integration of curriculum which encourages young people to think for themselves and create links between the offered curricula, as well as to form career guidance and counseling teams in order to boost career management skills. All of the aforementioned aspects will allow young people to acquire knowledge management skills.

There hasn't been an education novelty that has been accompanied by such a strong promotional campaign and the Youth Spirit caravan such as dual education. What feedback did you get from parents, children and business people at these events?

— The Youth Spirit Caravan was a project implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and a youth organization during which we visited 34 towns and municipalities to talk to young people, their parents, business people, local government representatives and other interested parties with the aim of promot-

MODEL

EDUCATION SYSTEM The Serbian model, maybe more so than other dual models, focuses on education and development of the potential of all students in the formal education system.

The new Law on Higher Learning stipulates the opportunity for further education of children that are educated in line with the new programme.

How does this approach differ from the current higher vocational education?

— Dual education in Serbia is much more than just a three-year-long vocational training. When creating a certain educational profile, the number of years to be spent in vocational training determined by the quality of accomplished competencies for that specific educational profile.

After they complete their three years in vocational school, in line with the dual education rules, students have the right to take a matriculation exam if they have mastered the competency programme required by the graduation programme. In that case, they can continue with their education whenever they want to. So, work and lifelong education are the foundation of our national dual and entrepreneurial education model, which we, as a team, believe it represents "the golden age of education for the golden age in the economy".

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Formula of Education in Serbia

WE NEED CLEAR CRITERIA The best evaluation of the quality of education provided by each faculty and university can be generated from their ranking.

We propose a clear ranking system based on the best global practices so that we can ascertain how well everybody fares

y estimate is that there are very good higher learning institutions which are not founded by the state authorities, but they are few and far between - Professor Slobodan Aćimović, PhD, from the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, and an advocate of clear criteria for accreditation of higher learning institutions, says.

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The number of highly educated people has been growing rapidly in Serbia, but there are strong reservations among the professional and general public about the quality of curricula.

Can the faculty and curriculum accreditation process bring more order into this area?

— I am pleased to see that the number of highly educated people in Serbia is growing. In our country, the share of university-educated people in the overall population is still lower than in the leading EU countries. This growth is partly attributed to the increase in the number of (private) faculties. It is true that certain educational institutions of lower quality have ‘infiltrated’ the higher learning segment with the launch of new faculties, and that the public perceives these educational institutions as being too lenient towards students.

Such faculties obviously did not properly understand their educational mission as they see higher learning exclusively as a profitable business. This approach

I N T E RV I E W Professor

S L O B O DA N AĆ I M OV I Ć PhD, Faculty of Economics, Belgrade

"SLOW-TO-MOVE" STATE FACULTIES How ready are our faculties to adapt their curricula and teaching to the economy’s needs?

— This is an especially painful issue for state faculties and universities. It seems that the gap between what the economy wants and what faculties are offering in their curricula and syllabi has been widening over the years. The reason for this is the sluggishness in changing the curricula, which again depends on the decision-making process at faculties (it’s a kind of self-management). While traditional and very "slow-tomove" state faculties are almost stagnant in terms of changing their curricula and syllabi, the economy, on the other hand, is changing rapidly. We believe that our higher learning institutions would benefit from having a mandatory advisory board, comprised of business people who are experts in the fields that each faculty / university is teaching, and whose opinion would be very appreciated in the process of improving curricula and accreditation.

It is the professors who hold the key to devising the market-orientated curricula and syllabi. If these professors are in regular touch with businesses, than they are more willing to participate in changing the curricula and syllabi at their respective faculties. Unfortunately, by default, such professors are minority.

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PRO C E S S

CLEARER INPUT If the process of ranking of higher learning institutions was better organized, young people enrolling in college would have much clearer input where to get the best possible education.

to higher education is not typical only of certain private faculties, as certain state-run faculties also have such business-like approach and "soft" educational procedures.

The current accreditation process did yield some results. However, the growing pains of accreditation have somewhat annulled positive results.

The biggest problem lies in the unequal implementation of laws and accreditation rules and especially their control between two accreditation cycles (5 years), with the majority of the faculties subsequently undergoing changes that did not comply with the terms of their accreditation.

Which segments of the existing accreditation process can improve?

— I expect that the changes in the accreditation system, that came into force with the new Law on Higher Learning, will lead to progress in this process.

The assumption is that there will be a much more effective organization of accreditation activities. Instead of an independent body (the Accreditation Commission), which was often influenced by the opinions of different interest groups, we now have a model of a stern state authority, which has directors, clear authority and responsibilities. First and foremost, I expect more regular monitoring of the implementation of standards, especially between the two accreditation cycles. I believe that the understanding of faculty founders, deans and rectors will change gradually so that they finally

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realize that faculties are not businesses, but higher learning institutions. They are not private companies where the owner can also be lifelong director (or appoint his child to that position). I also hope that they understand that deans and rectors are chosen from the best professors and are appointed to that position for a limited amount of time, and that diploma is not a commodity, but the symbol of the most important knowledge that is transferred to young people.

What effect did the emergence of such a huge number of private faculties have on the state faculties and could you compare the quality of the two?

— We probably had expected that the launch of such a huge number of private faculties would bring about a new quality compared to the traditional state faculties. It’s more than obvious that that did not happen! This is mainly due to a rather irresponsible behaviour on the part of private faculties. The state-run faculties are also not ideal but they do have a lot of opportunities to improve.

State and private faculties are equal in the eyes of the law, and both groups of faculties have shortcomings.

Considering that there is more emphasis on acquiring skills than obtaining classical academic knowledge, how is this going to affect the evolution of curricula in higher learning institutions?

— I am not fond of swinging from one extreme end of the pendulum (dominant theory) to the other (dominant skills). If skills were to dominate the curriculum, than we would not have faculties, but rather some type of adhoc learning modules (courses). There

The shortcomings are mostly noticeable at private faculties, and somewhat less at the state ones

has to be balance between the classical theoretical knowledge taught to students and the skills they train for. It is difficult to come up with a universal formula for this relationship, but the current situation, that favours theoretical knowledge, especially in the first years of studying, has to change.

Economy is right! It doesn’t want to further educate graduates, because it neither has time, nor is that its job.

This comes under the jurisdiction of individual faculties.

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Formula of Education in Serbia

SIMPLER, MORE ENTERTAINING AND MORE INTERESTING LEARNING There are quite a few creative and ambitious people among teachers in Serbia, who love their job and are utilizing the benefits of digitalization in an innovative way. BIGZ Školstvo has developed a number of didactic tools that encourage both teachers and students to use the potential of information technology in teaching

I N T E RV I E W

y listening intently to the needs of both students and teachers, the publishing company BIGZ Školstvo has created a number of tools that enable a new, more creative approach to acquiring knowledge, while also developing the classic printed textbooks that are written by the leading experts in different educational areas.

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What can BIGZ Školstvo offer to educational institutions in terms of information technology?

— In an effort to make learning and working easier for all participants in the teaching process, we have launched the projects called e-manual and e-textbook which are interactive electronic accessories to be used with textbooks.

While being aware of the time we live in, the speed of technology development and the importance of computer literacy for future generations, over the past two years, BIGZ Školstvo has developed an application that encourages teachers and students to use the potential of information technology in teaching.

How much are teachers ready to engage in the preparation of digital materials?

— Although teachers have recognized the great potential of our educational application and the advantages it pro-

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O L I V E RA D J I KA N OV I Ć Editor-in-Chief at the BIGZ Školstvo Publishing Company

T E AC H E R S

RESPONSE We are satisfied with the response we got from the teachers, and we have been particularly pleased with certain creative solutions.

vides in terms of their work with students, printed textbooks still remain a basic didactic teaching tool. By relying on the printed textbook, which are created by teams of people (experts from the given field, psychologists, education specialists, teachers-practitioners, editors, designers and illustrators), we have created digital materials that accompany our printed textbooks in order to make them more creative and more interesting.

Teachers don’t fear digital technologies anymore because they have realized how much digital content can facilitate their work. There are teachers who are digitally very literate and who cannot wait to be given the opportunity to introduce the curriculum to children with the help of a slightly different methodology.

What digital textbooks bring to the educational process? How can they animate children to become more interested in the material and develop their knowledge and skills?

— The basic value of e-manuals and e-textbooks, that separates them from classical teaching aids, is based on the possibilities of their transformation and creation of teaching content by adding own materials to suit the needs of both students and teachers. The content of e-textbooks stimulates student engagement and their research spir-

it, and develops individual learning styles, while acquiring knowledge is more entertaining, more interesting and easier because they are full of multimedia content - photos, sound and video, 3D models and animations, interactive tests, presentations and additional texts to expand the knowledge.

What does the teachers’ response to the competition "The Digital Knowledge Base" tell you about their readiness and willingness to creatively use digital technologies?

— The idea of launching the prize competition came as a result of years of closely cooperating with teachers. Bearing in mind that many of them already use information technology in teaching, while others are still scared to step into the digital world, we decided to encourage them and help them to freely engage in the preparation of digital materials in order to assist them in making their classes easier, more creative and more interesting. We are satisfied with the response we got from the teachers, and we have been particularly pleased with certain creative solutions. The teachers’ response shows us that they are willing to improve the teaching process, and that there are very creative people with good ideas among them who are truly devoted to their work.

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Formula of Education in Serbia

THE FRENCH SCHOOL IN BELGRADE he French School in Belgrade is a foreign educational facility recognized by the Republic of Serbia’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development. The school’s curriculum is taught in accordance with the plans and programmes of the Republic of France – from kindergarten and primary school to gymnasium.

After graduation, those pupils wishing to study in France or any other

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foreign country, are entitled to certain benefits when enrolling into universities abroad, and especially in France, because the French baccalaureate certificate is widely recognized in the world.

For more information, please visit our website www.efb.rs, or the Facebook page francuskaskola . You can also contact us at the phone number +381 11 369 17 62, or via mail secretariat.eleves@efb.rs and efb.admi@efb.rs.

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Formula of Education in Serbia

OPEN OUR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION TO FOREIGNERS C O R P O R AT E

Our College welcomes the initiative of the Ministry of Education to launch a new project 'Study in Serbia', with the aim of returning foreign students to our universities and colleges. We will do everything to make our school attractive for these students. Being a Greek who has been educated in Serbia I believe that Serbia is able to be able to offer good quality education to foreign student

he secret formula refers to the changes in the approach in the process of education, which first of all refer to the opening of our institutions of postsecondary education towards foreign students. I believe that Serbia is able to be the country which offers good quality education to foreign students. Being a Greek who has been educated in Serbia I am certain about it.

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According to the data from the 1980s, around 20 000 foreign students attended Serbian universities and colleges. If we look at the data from 2005, only 184 foreign students attended Belgrade University. However, in the last years the number of foreign students has slightly increased to 1470.

In accordance with the initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, which is

CO L L EG E O F A P P L I E D H E A LT H SCIENCES IN C U P R I JA

It is important to emphasize the validity of diplomas obtained in our country and in our school

launching a new project `Study in Serbia`, with the aim of returning foreign students to our universities and colleges, College of Applied Health Sciences in Cuprija wants to send a message primarily about openness of Serbia, and the College itself for welcoming students from abroad Not only has the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development recognized the importance of foreign students, but I as well claim and believe it is the right time to raise the reputation of the domestic postsecondary education. For start, it is important to emphasize the validity of diplomas obtained in our country and in our school. This includes education programs that are compatible with programs in similar institutions abroad.

By that, the process of recognition of degrees is simplified, and the employment of graduate, both our and foreign students, facilitated. This is a good way for presentation of our school abroad.

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Formula of Education in Serbia

We do possess basic opportunities for the implementation of this project and we will try to provide accommodation facilities and facilitate administrative processes in addition to adapting and eventual updating of the educational program.

In our country, the largest number of foreign students used to be from the countries of Mediterranean Africa, the Middle East, but also from the surrounding countries, most of them from Greece.

Today, young people from China and countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Turkey as well as the countries of Latin America show the desire to study in Serbia. We will do everything to make our country and our school attractive for students from abroad. In addition to promoting the quality of our education, we will be given the opportunity to make significant additional income.

I think that I am fully competent in this regard, because I also earned my education in Serbia, graduating in 2000 at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, and I defended my doctoral dissertation at the Medical Faculty in Kragujevac in 2014.

In the Member States of the European Union (EU), a nurse possessing certain professional qualifications belongs to a group of highly valued and permanently needed professions. Sisterhood (nurses for general health care), along with eight other professions, EU politicians identify as a "regulated profession" that could have an impact on public health and safety, that is, that it is a public interest. Sisterhood in Serbia is still not at an enviable level, although it is invested heavily in several aspects.

On the one hand, there are forms of education at different levels, level of college education, specialized studies, and recently master vocational studies and additional short programs which on the other hand, are not recognized in the employment system and as such are not valued.

A regulated society with expectations of nursing, whose action has an impact on public health and safety, is obliged to offer the best solution. As an educational institution we remain consistent in the education of high-quality personnel, comments the director, Christos Alexopoulos.

In the last two decades nursing has undergone profound changes in all parts of the world. The expectations that are set before the nurses are increasing, from the use of various sophisticated medical

diagnostic and therapeutic devices to the planning and implementation of nursing care according to modern protocols.

Consequently, there have been changes in postsecondary education which has progressed from one-way teaching (lecture) to multifactoral way of teaching (lectures, practical lessons, seminars, presentations). Practical teaching enables the performance of certain skills in controlled conditions, which gives greater security to students, and the result is independent and competent action.

The development of nursing through the elaboration of new sisterhood theories, the strengthening of the quality of nursing care through nursing research, is the shift in education and represents the balance between human and moral action in relation to the increasingly present commercialism. Developing a

S T R AT E G Y

FRAMEWORK Developing a framework for professionalizing nursing through a strategy for the development of postsecondary education in Serbia, the education process is increasingly relying on multidisciplinarity.

framework for professionalizing nursing through a strategy for the development of postsecondary education in Serbia, following the European Strategy, the education process is increasingly relying on multidisciplinarity. Building a multidisciplinary research capacity for nursing, interdisciplinary education is directly related to cross-sectoral cooperation and partnership in the society in order to ensure and implement the necessary care and improve health outcomes.

With the new educational concept, we develop an integrative concept of nursing, which will create the right position of nurses. They would mediate between users of health services and team members and they would participate in autonomous-interactive legal and administrative affairs.

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Formula of Education in Serbia

NEW GENERATION DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS In creating new e-books, our authors and editors have been trying to make contents that would stimulate creative work in our students and enable them to obtain new knowledge in an interesting way. All of these changes made us as a leading publishing and socially responsible group

C O R P O R AT E

he 21st century has already seen many technological advances and developments that have changed the way we live. Younger generation has specially been influenced by all the technological innovations which meant the need for educational system and method to be adapted and the right approach to so called Generation z to be found. Klett Group Serbia and Novi Logos within it, as publishers of educational textbooks, have invested a lot in finding the right measure of traditional and new in our publications so that we have the desired outcome – motivated students eager to learn. E-book surfaced as an excellent solution.

All of these changes made us as a leading publishing and socially responsible group think of a new product that students would relate to. Thanks to our broad experience and knowledge we were able to create a structure that would enable high quality education. In Novi Logos, just like in whole Klett Group, textbooks are made by creative professionals who try not only to fulfill curricula demands but also to make textbook content interesting and readable, to support learning

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process and lead to fulfillment of defined outcomes. We have always tried to provide and offer additional sources for students besides printed books that would help them in their individual learning, revising and expanding gained knowledge. E-book was an obvious sequel and solution for the situation in which we use digital material that students nowadays are used to and react positively to.

While creating new e-books, our authors and editors have been trying to make contents that would stimulate creative work in our students, enable obtaining new knowledge in an interesting way and testing what they have learnt using modern technology.

Furthermore, e-books provide numerous additional interesting contents to enrich students’ knowledge, practice skills and defend their stands – says Nebojša Orlić, Managing Director of Novi Logos.

E-books contain various digital contents that make teachers’ work easier and motivate students to learn: films, animations, simulations, interactive exercises, experiments, photo galleries, useful links, games, graphics, tests and homework tasks. Films used in

All of us in Klett Group hope that our e-books will be the right solution for motivating and educating great minds of ‘digital natives

our e-books are made by well-known productions and translated into Serbian. Simulation as a kind of experiential knowledge and learning through practice encourage problem-solving and research-oriented teaching and learning.

Interactive exercises not only test the knowledge but also stimulate students’ interest. Whatever task students are solving they immediately get the feedback if their answer is right or wrong.

Instead of traditional linearly presented content, our e-books implement a new concept – students search the contents in order to find a solution, they choose which form of presenting the material they find easiest for studying.

In addition to all these benefits, our e-books are compatible with advanced online platform - Learning Management System (LMS). LMS provides opportunity for teachers to create virtual classrooms in which all the activities of their students are registered and make it possible for teachers to analyze and have a clear insight into the level of knowledge acquisition, on both individual level of each student and a classroom as a group. Thanks to this platform parents can also follow their kids’ work and knowledge.

All of us in Klett Group hope that our e-books will be the right solution for motivating and educating great minds of ‘digital natives’ with short attention span whose future is in our hands – Nebojša Orlić concludes.

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Formula of Education in Serbia

LEADERS IN INFORMAL EDUCATION OF TEACHERS For 15 years, the Filipović Academy has been actively participating in educating teachers about computer literacy and providing schools with latest IT equipment

ased in Jagodina, the Filipović Academy specializes in providing informal education for teachers, educators and non-teaching staff that is involved in the education process.

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What educational programmes do you provide?

— The Filipović Academy specializes in educational programmes that cover computer literacy while implementing the latest trends in the field of professional development of teachers in various work segments in the education system. We are accredited by the Republic of Serbia's Institute for Promotion of Education. We also provide regular technical support and a wide range of products that are used in upgrading and modernizing the work done by educational institutions. Our students can obtain the required practical knowledge and skills, while the Academy guarantees full support and encouragement to its students by providing professional lecturers.

Who are your educational programmes intended for and how is the curriculum structured?

— All our educational programmes take into account the optimal connection, the needs and expectations of the participants, and the outcomes of the joint

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work on the curriculum. Our seminars are known for a very creative and engaging atmosphere that is created by our professional team who continues to provide full support to our students even after their training ends. The key elements of our work are pragmatic knowledge and high applicability of the acquired knowledge in practice. Our Academy's seminars cover various areas of both educational and pedagogical process like psychology, pedagogy, inclusive education, and especially information technology. The latter includes very popular seminars on the topics of "Multimedia content in the function of education", "Distance learning through multimedia", "Electronic portfolio of teachers and pupils" and others. Over 30,000 students attended the Academy's accredited programmes, seminars and courses.

What are your selection criteria for lecturers and are your educational programmes licensed?

— All lecturers at the Filipović Academy are top experts in their respective fields. An important criterion for selecting a lecturer is the feedback we get from the seminar participants after the training has been completed. The Filipović Academy is conducting internal quality monitoring through compulsory evaluation sheets completed by seminar participants. All our educational

I N T E RV I E W

B RAT I S L AV F I L I P OV I Ć MSc, Director and Proprietor of the Filipović Academy

The Academy's core activity is holding seminars, as well as creating hardware and software solutions that facilitate teaching and organization of teaching process

programmes are licensed and are featured in the Institute for Promotion of Education's catalogue.

Where do your classes take place and which teaching tools do you use?

— Our accredited seminars are held in our clients' schools, which eliminates both travel and accommodation expenses. Furthermore, we offer many other benefits that help schools with covering seminar costs. So far, this kind of work format has been applied in several municipalities and cities throughout Serbia, and has proven to be acceptable and, most importantly, economically viable. We have successfully organized seminars in a large number of municipalities and cities in Serbia which local governments have recognized us as a serious and cost-effective partner. So far, we held seminars in Indjija, Jagodina, Despotovac, Petrovac na Mlavi, Palilula, Rakovica, Zemun, Novi Beograd, Dimitrovgrad, Pirot, Trgovište, Surdulica, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Tutin, Kosovska Mitrovica, Zubin Potok, Gracanica, Preševo, Srbobran, Alibunar, Sombor, Subotica, Novi Bečej, Bač, Majdanpek, Negotin, Lazarevac, Pančevo, Ivanjica, Arilje, Gornji Milanovac, Šid, Stara Pazova and many other towns.

If the school is not adequately equipped for our seminars, the Filipović Academy provides the required

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equipment such as laptops, slide projectors, interactive boards, etc.

Considering your expertise in providing IT support for schools, could you please tell us more about your product range and solutions for a modern approach to education?

— The Filipović Academy follows modern trends in education system, and is working on developing web applications that every educational institution should have today. We have created several applications which together create a serious information system that is applicable, very useful and greatly facilitates the work done by education staff, from nurseries to universities. These are: Teacher and Student Portfolio, Electronic Pedagogical Notebook, Annual Training Plan at School Level, Self-Evaluation, Parent Interface, printing report cards, e-Library, School Website Design Platform, Distance Learning Platform (e-learning), electronic grade book, and a psychological – pedagogical (PP) programme. In cooperation with eminent

companies, we distribute programmes for class scheduling, 3D modeling and other educational software. What distinguishes our system from others is that it is applicable in all types and forms of educational institutions: nurseries / pre-schools, primary, secondary, music, ballet and special schools of a predefined type.

Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Srpska as a favourite didactic tool for teachers because of its high technical perfomance and simple use. In addition to the aforementioned countries in which our interactive board is already popular, our plan is also to launch it in Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania.

Interactive boards are one of your more popular products. What features do they have?

— Interactive boards have become an irreplaceable part of every modern classroom. Portable interactive boards are particularly interesting thanks to their small size and easy handling. With these boards, any room can be converted into an interactive classroom. Our interactive boards are delivered with the appropriate software.

In mid-March 2018, we are going to launch the Portable Interactive Board FBIWB 2700A which will be produced in Serbia. The prototype of this device is already accepted in many schools in

To what extent are the multimedia content and modern IT solutions applied in the education system in Serbia and the region?

— In recent years, mostly thanks to the activities of the Filipović Academy, modern IT solutions have become increasingly present in the education system in Serbia. The following solutions have proved to be the most popular - School Information System, Portable Interactive Desktops FBIWB 2700 and the MozaBook Programme.

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EXPERTS The Academy's team consists of eminent experts who, owing to their professional experience and knowledge, can successfully motivate and direct teachers in adopting and applying new skills and knowledge.

How much can these tools help with organizing more accessible and more efficient teaching for students with special needs?

— Tools like MozaBook and interactive boards greatly facilitate the educational process for students, because they encourage the development of their motor and cognitive skills. They also encourage learning, develop work habits and boost self-confidence, and give teachers greater creativity and approach in accordance with individual characteristics of children. Using interactive boards, teachers can handle the learning material in a lighter, more creative way, and include students in the teaching process.

In the era of technology expansion, multimedia content and solutions can definitely improve and boost teaching methods for children with different types of special needs.

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THE SECRET

Formula of Education in Serbia

SUPPORT TO INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Electronics engineer Ljubomir Adamov is both the creator of AGE and the company’s proprietor. He used his extensive knowledge and experience as the leading technology expert in lower and higher education systems in ex-Yugoslavia in his own company, creating the renowned AGE Concept AGE specializes in multimedia, interactive and communication technologies applied in conventional and inclusive education, and in assistive technology. Practically speaking, AGE is an integrator of complete turnkey systems in the aforementioned fields.

AGE has been operating in the entire Balkan region for almost two decades. Owing to its

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C O R P O R AT E

AGE D.O.O. BELGRADE +381 64 85 93 090 info@age.co.rs www.age.co.rs

solutions (AGE Concept) and production of sensory integration and psychomotor re-education devices and segments, as well as its presentation technologies, the company is well recognized all over the former Yugoslavia.

At the time of regional budget cuts and financial difficulties, and thanks to its production and solutions, AGE has managed to produce and implement the lat-

est technologies on par with the leading global counterparts, at much more affordable prices.

By strongly supporting inclusive education, AGE gives its contribution to the present trend of supporting and equipping institutions and schools throughout the Region with new technologies in this very sensitive, and, one could say, marginalized area of education.

THE SECRET

Formula of Education in Serbia

Sensory dysfunction manifests in three ways: • Hypersensitivity • Hyposensitivity • The mix of the two (which is a combination of both hyper- and hyposensitivity) The work with the children displaying sensory dysfunction could be individual, and is planned based on the individual assessment of each child. It can also be group / theme work.

The work done is a sensory room prepares the child for real classroom.

Often, the work in sensory rooms makes children more cooperative while ensuring they display a required level of collaboration and communication required for school tasks.

For instance, hyperactive children calm down after spending time in sensory rooms, while children suffering from extreme insecurity become more confident.

This is also suitable for children with various handicaps who have the elements of sensory disintegration in their medical diagnosis.

In order to help these chil-

dren, we build sensory rooms that contain specialized equipment for stimulation of child’s entire sensory system, or all five senses: 1. Visual stimulation (sight, lights of various wavelengths like UV light etc.)

2. Stimulation of taste and smell, i.e. aromas 3. Stimulation of touch (skin is the biggest sensory organ) 4. Materials of different texture for tactile stimulation 5. Massagers for deep stimulation (touch, vibration, pressure) 6. Stimulating one sense with another where technology plays the role of interface between senses.

In addition to the aforementioned, sensory room is a space that is injury-proof. All walls are covered in soft mats up to 2m high, while the floor is also laid with mats that are between 8 and 10cm thick.

Sensory rooms are practically interactive rooms, helping users to gain control over equipment they use.

The latest technologies, especially the ones in the field of electronics, has made incredible

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TREATMENT Sensory integration and psychomotor re-education are applied in the treatment of persons with single and multiple disabilities and handicaps, as well as in the segments of habilitation of rehabilitation.

leaps and bounds and has created fascinating solutions in the area of interactivity and demonstration of sensory integration.

Sensory room provides an opportunity of dosing the level of stimuli for each sense that is adjusted to individual characteristics of each user. It creates an atmosphere where a child pupil chooses the level of sensory impulses adjusted to his or her own needs thus developing independence, freedom and initiative to choose his or hers own activities. The idea is to promote development of awareness and learning through relaxing that is contrary to the conventionally structured curricula and is necessary for working with this kind of population in all other areas too.

In this way, the outside world doesn’t appear that confusing and threatening anymore, but it rather becomes a source of pleasantness. Anxiety, aggression and auto-aggression are all reduced, concentration, focus, communication and the need to be with other people are increased, and child slowly transitions from the sensory room into the outside world.

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Formula of Education in Serbia

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