Chapter 7: Rural Education in Serbia: Conflict Between Rhetoric and Reality

In spite of a dearth of research, of reliable and disaggregated education data and the problematic definition of rural, some negative trends in rural education in Serbia can be discerned. There are evident conflicts indicated between the declared aspirations in the education laws, the constitution, and reality. The ideal of free, compulsory, universal primary education conflicts with the violation of rural students’ rights to education, as shown by the reality of a lower enrollment and a higher dropout rate for students in rural schools, with a lack of compensatory mechanisms for students from remote and poor areas. The ideal of quality education for all conflicts with the reality of the increasing gap between rural and urban schools (e.g., the quality of ambience, resources, equipment, teaching and learning processes, teacher quality, and lower student achievement). The ideal characteristics of the school network conflict with the needs of rural students and the support of rural development. The ideal of enhancing rural development as an economic priority for the country conflicts with the evident neglect of rural education and cultural development. Even the reality of the regional development of Serbia conflicts with the population migration to cities, especially the migration of families with children. Many measures could be recommended and implemented, even in a developing country in the process of transition, as is the case with Serbia.