At its fifth session, held on 21 May, the Education Committee discussed and endorsed in principle the Bill Amending and Modifying the Act on the Foundations of the Education System.

The Minister of Education and Sports, Ljiljana Colic, presented a detailed explanation of the Bill, adding that the amendments and modifications would preserve the tenor of existing legislation, which aims at integrating our country into the European education system. An important role in the reform of education is to be played by the professional improvement of teaching staff, which will be monitored and assisted by the government.

The proposed solutions aim at decentralising, democratising and depoliticising the education process; an important role in their implementation is to be played not only by the Ministry, but also by the new Education Improvement Agency and National Education Council, elected by the National Assembly. The Education Quality Monitoring Agency, whose members are to be nominated by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, is another new institution envisaged by the Bill.

The Bill envisages eight-year primary education, while descriptive marking is to be kept only in the first grade of primary school.