Study on inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as the Roma population, in preschool education

Roma children in Serbia are still not sufficiently integrated into the education system, with early stages of education being a particular challenge. According to UNICEF research data, total coverage of children with preschool education in Serbia is 52% for boys and 49% for girls in the general population, compared to only 5% of Roma boys and 7% of Roma girls, who live in informal settlements. Children with disabilities are in a similar position. Only 1.2% of these children attend a preschool program, while a total of 5% of children in this age group have some form of disability.  

Collected data should enable development of recommendations for better inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as Roma children and children with disabilities into the education system. Information will be collected through focus group discussions with parents (guardians) of children between 3 and 6 years of age who have not been enrolled in preschool institutions or programs and through interviews with directors of preschool institutions in ten selected municipalities in Serbia.

The project aims to assist the implementation of initiatives such as the Strategy for Development of Education and the Strategy for Improvement of the Status of Roma in the Republic of Serbia for a period of ten years (2015-2025) as well as the Action Plan from this Strategy.