Is your child starting Kindergarten in Belgrade? 10 shocking facts about Kindergarten in Serbia.

You have arrived in or are planning to relocate to Serbia or, maybe you’ve been here before but now you suddenly are faced with the decision that is “school” and kindergarten to be exact. And you have to navigate through the system to decide which school would best suit your child’s needs and interests. Whether you are a parent looking into schools or a teacher looking to move to Belgrade, here are some things you should know before you start to help with your decision.

NATIONAL KINDERGARTENS.

1. Kindergartens/preschools in Belgrade are called “Vrtic”. They usually have children aged 2 -7. In some cases, they’ll take in children from 13 months on wards.

2. Parental involvement. You know those Kindergartens where parents can come into school, volunteer for activities, observe their child during the day when needed? Or receive a report and pictures about their child’s day every day? Well, that maybe a challenge. Some schools give a weekly report and others, monthly. It’s mostly pictures of your child doing different activities but parents are not necessarily supposed to comment just to observe.

3. Adaptation. This mostly depends on the school. So far, I’ve not had an orientation process where the parent is asked to collaborate with the school to come up with an appropriate assimilation plan. So most times the child either immediately blends in or cries themselves tired until pickup.

4. Daily routine. Most schools have a set schedule for drop off, meals, nap time and pickup. The rest is often driven by the mood of the teacher. What they feel like doing that day and how they feel like going on about that. As an educator, this has been my most challenging part about Kindergarten as the whole “putting learners needs first” concept doesn’t necessarily apply.

5. Individualized learning and instruction. Every child is different and learns differently. I had a principal once that insisted that “ Children should be taught how they can learn not how the teacher knows to teach”. Unfortunately it’s not the case here as I’ve seen teachers and schools struggle with this. It’s common to hear school owners say “ I have __ years experience with children” without considering current trends and learners evolving needs. Also note that Kindergarten here considers “nurses” as teachers in kindergarten.

6. Literacy. Most kindergartens do not have a curriculum in place to emphasize literacy from reading to writing or simple numeracy skills required in primary school. (Note that these skills are expected in grade one elsewhere). I had a colleague once tell me “it’s not important for us so don’t stress yourself teaching them. They’ll learn in primary” . So if the goal is to keep them in Serbia and attend primary school here, it’s okay. They’ll learn these at 7/8. If not…. Find a private tutor or work with your child independently at home.

7. Language. Serbian is the dominant language of instruction and communication through the school day. Some private kindergartens try to incorporate foreign languages like English. These are also very rare. Unless foreign teachers are on board, then it will be just Serbian. I’ve also seen private Russian kindergartens where Russian is the language of communication and instruction.

8. The menu. Most schools provide food. The menu is usually shared weekly “in Serbian” and it’s dominated by Serbian meals from fruit to soups and other local dishes. Schools also do not insist that a child eats and so if they do not like what is cooked, they’ll just starve until pickup time. Schools also often have a “no outside food” policy so you can not pack a preferred snack for your child.

9. Outdoor activities. Most schools especially in and around the center of Belgrade do not have a garden or outdoor space for children to play and run about freely. In some cases, children maybe taken out to a park. These are often communal spaces in neighborhoods and require a up to 20minutes of walking. If these schools are in the center, then children have to navigate busy roads with traffic.

10. Teacher- pupil ratios. Many schools embrace open curricula where groups are taught together regardless of age. So you’d have your 6 year old learning with a 1 or 2 year old. Whereas this is nice in some activities like during meals and play(sometimes), it does limit time for individual development based on age. It also limits access to age appropriate activities that are necessary for learning and development. It also means that children do not have a specific teacher they are assigned to to monitor their growth, learning goals and development and a lack of consistency.

PRIVATE KINDERGARTEN

There are a number of private kindergartens too. Following different programs from Cambridge to IB, Montessori among others. These often follow international standards for Kindergarten. With the language of instruction and communication being English with the exception of Russian, French and German schools that use Russian, French and German respectively. These have better structures and curriculum in place and should work like your Cambridge school back home. Preferably, request a tour while school is in session to observe the facilities and teaching atmosphere.

And good luck navigating schooling in Serbia.