The kick-off conference of the State Matura Project, held in Belgrade on March 29, 2019, gathered about 150 representatives of the educational community. Through introductory presentations, panel discussions, and working groups, they discussed the organisation of the state matura, preparation of students and teachers, cooperation with universities and how the Project will support these processes.
Opening the conference, the Minister of Education, Mladen Šarčević, emphasised that all system parts must work in synergy due to the importance of graduation.
- The state matura will enable an external assessment and check of the quality of the work of the educational system, but it will also enable young people to enter the university with better quality. In order for everything to be completed, the graduation exam should be accompanied by changes in other areas as well - principal's licenses, teacher training, digitalization. When it comes to graduation, what is essential is that we do not have to choose any known model, but make our own that will include elements of national languages and cultures, all that are the peculiarities of Serbia - said Minister Šarčević.
In the modernization of the education system, which is a priority in the European Union, creating a credible exam system is the biggest challenge and the most important goal, said Yngve Engstrom, Head of Cooperation at Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia.
- The mission of European educational institutions is changing towards education that enables students to succeed in a complex world in which rapid technological, cultural, economic and demographic changes occur. The state matura is vital because focusing on outcomes and ensuring the reliability and quality of knowledge testing leads to a better quality education system. Gaining and maintaining the trust of all participants in this process is the biggest challenge - concluded Yngve Engstrom.
The state or, as it used to be called, high school matura, will be taken by all high school students in Serbia at the end of four years of education: high school students will take the general graduation exam, art school students - art exam, and vocational school students - vocational matura; students studying for three-year educational profiles will take the final exam.
According to the Concept of final exams prepared in 2017 and the letter of the law, the state matura, which checks the standards of student achievement, outcomes and competencies, will replace the entrance exams for enrollment at the faculty. However, the faculties will reserve the right to organize additional examinations to test the unique talents and abilities of the candidates if they deem it necessary.
A key feature of the new state matura is applying the same standards and assessment criteria for all students within one educational profile. This will contribute to greater fairness of the system and allow a unique and objective assessment of the achievement of educational outcomes, thus providing the information necessary to further improve the quality of education.The panel discussion, which representatives of all relevant institutions attended, highlighted the most critical dilemmas and challenges and the readiness of all institutions to actively contribute to the state matura preparations. The panel concluded that there would be many open issues for which there will be no instant solutions in the coming period. The road to the state matura is arduous and challenging, and the goal set - improved quality of education - is achieved only through many years of dedicated work.
The three working groups organized within the conference then brought suggestions and open questions. They pointed out the importance of information and training of all participants in the process because it will enable better understanding, acceptance and support of the state matura.
The work of the State Matura Project is based on these principles, so in the coming period numerous preparatory activities will be implemented: an organisational model for exam preparation will be defined, legal and institutional frameworks will be harmonised, necessary instruments and manuals will be prepared, training for teaching and administrative staff in education will be implemented, two trial tests will be organised.
A particular segment of the Project is dedicated to preparing higher education institutions for the new way of enrolling students - support will be provided for defining criteria for enrollment and adjusting enrollment instruments, tools and procedures, and training aimed at better understanding the new system. Finally, within the activities of the Project, special attention is paid to informing the public - all information about the new Matura will be available on a specialised portal, and with students, parents and teachers will be communicated through social networks and various events.