Lifelong learning, but truly: The role of education in integration
Nada Jelić is a teacher at the Agricultural School with dormitory "Sonja Marinković" in Požarevac, and within the project Adult Education, she has been teaching in the Zabela penitentiary for seven years. At the beginning, she admits, it was a challenge for her and her school, but over time, everyone has realised how important this type of training is.
The Agricultural School with dormitory "Sonja Marinković" has been implementing the reform of secondary vocational education through European Union projects since 2002. With the adoption of the Law on Adult Education, the school has grown into a publicly recognised organiser of adult training activities.
Trainings in Zabela Penitentiary were organised for agriculture, food production and processing, chemistry, non-metals and graphics, mechanical and metal processing and forestry and wood processing.
Participants receive certificates of completed training, which later facilitates their reintegration into society.
"The adult education project is a great idea, because many participants improve their skills and knowledge. This European trend should also be expanded in our country, especially taking into account the percentage of people who have only primary education and those unqualified," Nada Jelić explains.
Sanela Milanović, the participant of the programme who passed the theoretical and practical training in the agricultural school "Sonja Marinković" confirms these words.
Formal adult education is intended for persons who have not completed general or vocational education programmes. It is realised in regular primary or secondary schools or the specialised ones.
According to the Law on Adult Education, it is part of the education system of Serbia, and its purpose is to provide adults with continuous acquisition of competencies and qualifications that are crucial for their employment, professional development and socially responsible behaviour.