We learn together - a message of unity and diversity

Aleksinac, 15 April 2024 – The Sumatovac Biotechnical School in Aleksinac hosted an event promoting inclusive education and respect for diversity. The message that learning is possible only when all children learn together was conveyed by the Minister of Education Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of European Union, Emanuele Giaufret, the UNICEF Representative in Serbia Deyana Kostadinova, and the Mayor of Aleksinac Dalibor Radicevic. They emphasized the importance of inclusive education as a crucial step towards building a just, open, and democratic society. The event is part of the "We Learn Together" project, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Education and UNICEF, with financial support from the European Union.

Minister of Education Prof. Dr. Slavica Djukic Dejanovic emphasized that Serbia's educational system is open and supportive for all children.

“Students with developmental disabilities are enabled to be educated according to an individual educational plan, which involves adapting the teaching process to each child, in regular schools as well as schools for students with developmental disabilities. The number of students with developmental disabilities attending regular schools is four times higher than the number of students in special schools,” said Minister Djukic Dejanovic. She added that inclusive education is further developing, and the "We Learn Together" project helps establish additional support mechanisms involving various professionals, services, institutions, approaches, and methods.

Inclusive education is not only a fundamental right of every child but also an investment in the future of society. It enables every child to develop an understanding and respect for diversity and to progress in the labor market tomorrow and lead a dignified and productive life.

“Inclusive education means simply to follow the basic human rights, to respect and embrace human diversity. Recognizing the role of education in building positive attitudes towards diversity, the European Union has created a cohesive European Education Area – a corpus of guidelines and recommendations on how to create opportunities for all children and enrich the learning environment by exposing students to different perspectives and ideas. It is therefore only natural that we, as the biggest partner of the Republic of Serbia in the modernisation of the education system, partnered with the Ministry of Education and UNICEF in Serbia to implement the “We Learn Together” project worth 4,8 million euros. The project is helping establish important milestones adding to the quality of Serbian education – new mechanisms that will provide additional support in education tailored to the needs of an individual child,” said EU Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret.

Inclusive education is quality education that respects the abilities and potentials of every child and simultaneously provides additional support for learning to every child who needs it.

“Education is a fundamental right for every child, no matter where he or she lives and what family they come from. The education system in Serbia has been making significant strides on its inclusive education journey. Now, we should continue working together to ensure that every single child in every school across Serbia is included and learns together with his or her peers,” emphasized Deyana Kostadinova, UNICEF Representative in Serbia.

The Biotechnical School and the Municipality of Aleksinac actively participate in the project, serving as an example that clearly shows that it is possible to achieve inclusive education - education that enables every child, especially children from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, to participate equally and achieve their full potential.

“The Municipality of Aleksinac supports socio-emotional learning and inclusive education because we believe that every child deserves equal opportunities to learn and progress. In our primary schools, there are seven pedagogical assistants, and one in the "Lane" Preschool Institution, whose work is funded by the local government. Additionally, the municipality co-finances 50% of the transportation costs for high school students. Since 2022, we have been awarding scholarships to students from families receiving social benefits, as well as to students with disabilities,” said the Mayor of Aleksinac Dalibor Radičević. He added that this year, an intersectoral body for inclusive education was formed, consisting of representatives from multiple institutions, which will contribute significantly to further improving inclusive education through various activities aimed at adopting inclusive policies in the municipality of Aleksinac.

At the event, the "Inclusive Primer" was presented, a book celebrating diversity and unity, and the logo of inclusive education "We Learn Together."