site.btaSerbia's Education Ministry Extends School Year Due to Strikes and Blockades

The Serbian Education Ministry has extended the school year in Serbia because of strikes and blockades, Serbian media report. With amendments to the regulations for the current school year, education will last five days longer in primary schools, 20 days longer in secondary schools and 25 days longer in high schools, a press release from the Education Ministry said.

The Ministry said that the extension of the school year applies to those schools which, after having suspended classes because of the blockades, have not been able to catch up on the school material.

"Secondary schools that have already started or will start studying from today at the latest will avoid referring students for examinations on all the material in each subject and the school year will end on time," the Education Ministry said.

Teachers, high school and middle school pupils refused to enter class and joined students blocking faculties in Serbia following the tragedy in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, where the train station's canopy fell on November 1 2024, killing 16 people.

On April 1, the day that marked five months since the incident, students from several high schools in Belgrade stopped traffic for hours on the Gazelle Bridge over the Sava River, which is part of the European route E-75.

As early as last November, a wave of social tension rose across the country and protests began, organised mainly by students, joined by university professors, lawyers, artists, farmers and others. A call for a general strike was made twice, and public television RTS was blocked for 14 days.

According to the protesters, the tragedy in Novi Sad occurred because of corrupt practices that led to shoddy and expensive repairs at the station. They want political and criminal responsibility for what happened to be taken, they insist that corruption be fought and that institutions work without political pressure and influence.