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Primary education

Primary education is compulsory, takes eight years and is carried out in two educational cycles.

The first cycle covers the first four grades. All subjects in this stage are taught by class teachers, while some subjects, such as arts and foreign languages, may be taught by subject teachers, who teach these subjects in the second cycle. The second cycle covers 5th through 8th grade, where each subject is taught by subject teachers.

Children are admitted in the first grade of primary school when they are not less than 6.5 and not more than 7.5 years old, with the certificate of preschool programme attendance. Primary education is free of charge in state schools, while in private schools parents bear the costs of education.

Primary music education and primary ballet education

Besides the compulsory primary school, the system also includes primary music and primary ballet schools and schools for music and ballet talents. These schools are not compulsory. Their attendance is free of charge and funded at central and local levels. Primary music education takes 2 to 6 years and ballet education takes 4 years.

Primary adult education

Primary adult education takes from three to five years and is organized by grades, from first to eighth grade (as a rule, 2 grades are completed in 1 year). Students who turned 15 can be admitted to adult education. In Serbia there are only 14 schools for adult education, and regular primary schools can also implement programmes for primary adult education.