1. April 2025

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Rechtliche, staatliche und gesellschaftliche Lage von Menschen, insbesondere von Kindern, mit besonderen Bedürfnissen/Behinderung, die der Volksgruppe der Roma angehören     

Lage von gehörlosen Kindern 

Diskriminierung, Ausgrenzung           

Die folgenden Ausschnitte aus ausgewählten Quellen enthalten Informationen zu oben genannter Fragestellung (Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 1. April 2025):

Allgemeine Informationen zur Lage der Volksgruppe der Roma in Serbien, einschließlich Kindern, finden Sie zum Beispiel in folgenden Quellen:

·      BAMF – Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge: Länderkurzinformation Serbien – Situation der Roma, Stand: 09/2024, 6. September 2024
https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/DE/Behoerde/Informationszentrum/Laenderkurzinformationen/2024/laenderkurzinfo-serbien-09-24.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2

·      CoE-ECRI – Council of Europe - European Commission against Racism and Intolerance: ECRI Report on Serbia (sixth monitoring cycle), 27. Juni 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2114048/SRB-CbC-VI-2024-19-ENG.pdf

·      ENS – European Network on Statelessness & The AIRE Centre: European Court of Human Rights Application No. 32903/22 between Ramadani v. Serbia; Written Submission on Behalf of the Intervenors; The AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe) and the European Network on Statelessness (ENS) pursuant to the Registrar's notification dated 25th April 2024 on the Court’s permission to intervene under Rule 44 § 3 of the Rules of the European Court of Human Rights, 16. Mai 2024
https://www.statelessness.eu/sites/default/files/2024-06/ENS-AIRE%20TPI%20in%20Ramadani%20v%20Serbia.pdf

·      UN Human Rights Committee: Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of Serbia [CCPR/C/SRB/CO/4], 3. Mai 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2108969/G2405637.pdf

·      USDOS – US Department of State: 2023 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Serbia, 23. April 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2107724.html

·      Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia: Serbia: Geopolitical and Values-Based Alignment, 2024
https://www.helsinki.org.rs/doc/Report2023.pdf

·      Bertelsmann Stiftung: BTI 2024 Country Report Serbia, 19. März 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2105889/country_report_2024_SRB.pdf

·      CoE-ECSR – Council of Europe - European Committee of Social Rights: European Social Charter (Revised); European Committee of Social Rights Conclusions 2023; Serbia, März 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2110047/Conclusions 2023 SERBIA EN 2766-8227-4057.1.docx.pdf

Rechtliche, staatliche und gesellschaftliche Lage von Menschen, insbesondere von Kindern, mit besonderen Bedürfnissen/Behinderung, die der Volksgruppe der Roma angehören

Im Rahmen der zeitlich begrenzten Recherche konnten nur wenige Informationen zur rechtlichen, staatlichen und gesellschaftlichen Lage von Menschen mit besonderen Bedürfnissen, insbesondere von Kindern, die der Roma-Volksgruppe in Serbien angehören, gefunden werden. Im Folgenden finden sich auch Informationen die nur Angehörige der Roma-Volksgruppe, insbesondere Kinder, oder nur Menschen mit besonderen Bedürfnissen betreffen.

·      USDOL – US Department of Labor: 2023 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor: Serbia, 5. September 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2116139.html

„Barriers to Education Access

Constitutional and legal protections prohibit discrimination in the education system against individuals with disabilities. However, some individuals with disabilities, especially Roma children, face difficulties in accessing education due to a lack of appropriate infrastructure and social prejudices. Some Roma, Ashkali, and Balkan Egyptian children in Serbia also experience challenges in obtaining birth registration, which may make school enrollment difficult, and increase their vulnerability to child labor. In addition, placement in non-mainstream schools sometimes discourages Roma children from attending school. Roma children are also more likely to begin school at a later age and drop out of school more frequently than their non-Roma peers.“ (USDOL, 5. September 2024)

·      HRW – Human Rights Watch: World Report 2025 - Serbia/Kosovo - Serbia, 16. Jänner 2025
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2120114.html

„Children and adults with disabilities continue to be placed in institutional care, and almost 30 percent of children with disabilities who live in institutions are not enrolled in school.“ (HRW, 16. Jänner 2025)

·      Amnesty International: The State of the World's Human Rights; Serbia 2023, 24. April 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2107945.html

„Right to social security

One year after its implementation, the Law on Social Card left some people living in extreme poverty without any social assistance. The law weakened an already inadequate social assistance system, which covered fewer than half of the people living in extreme poverty. The law disproportionately affected Roma and people whose disabilities were not recognized, exacerbating their social and economic exclusion.“ (Amnesty International, 24. April 2024)

·      CoE-ECSR – Council of Europe - European Committee of Social Rights: European Social Charter (Revised); European Committee of Social Rights Conclusions 2023; Serbia, März 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2110047/Conclusions 2023 SERBIA EN 2766-8227-4057.1.docx.pdf

„In its previous conclusion (Conclusions 2019), the Committee asked what measures were being taken to help single-parent families.

The report states that the Government supports single-parent families by increasing the income ceiling [MOU1] (the income limit not to be exceeded to receive social assistance) by 20% or 30% depending on whether the other parent is deceased, unknown or unable to earn a living. The ceiling is also increased by 20% for guardians and parents of a child with developmental disabilities who is not placed in an institution. The ceiling is updated every six months on the basis of the consumer price index. The Government also allocates a higher amount to single-parent families and guardians under the family allowance, which is 30% higher than the normal amount. Parents of a disabled child receive a 50% supplement to child benefit. However, the maximum increase in child benefit is 80%.“ (CoE-ECSR, März 2024, S. 27)

„In the general questions, the Committee asked for information on measures to reduce child poverty (including non-monetary measures such as ensuring access to quality and affordable services in the areas of health, education, housing, etc.); to combat discrimination and promote equal opportunities for children from particularly vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minorities, Roma children, children with disabilities and children in care. It also asked for information on the extent to which child participation is ensured in work directed towards combatting child poverty and social exclusion.

The report states that in recent years, the share of children in poverty slightly decreased but financial social assistance to the poor is still relatively low. Ensuring the minimum financial security of the family is carried out through cash benefits, child allowance and a number of other measures. Various local benefits contribute to ensuring the standard of living of vulnerable population groups.“ (CoE-ECSR, März 2024, S. 33)

„In its previous conclusion, the Committee asked for the Government’s comments on the functioning of the family assistant project, as well as information on measures taken to support families and children at risk. It also asked to be provided with information on trends in public care and the deinstitutionalisation of children under the age of three and children with disabilities. It also requested information on the monitoring of care in institutions and other types of alternative care (Conclusions 2019).

The report states that the family assistant project due to a lack of financial resources [sic]. Guidelines for foster care were prepared and distributed, numerous activities have been undertaken to develop community-based services, such as: day care centres, assisted housing, help at home, child minders.

In addition, the report states that at the beginning of 2022, the 2022-2026 Strategy of Deinstitutionalisation and Development of Community-Based Social Protection Services was adopted.

The report further states that a child under the age of three shall not be placed in an institution. Currently, there are 600 children in Serbia in institutions and 5,000 in foster care. In 2019, one home for children without parental care was closed. The State is focusing on developing specialised foster care homes for children with disabilities.“ (CoE-ECSR, März 2024, S. 34-35)

„The report further states that, according to 2019 data, 85.4% of Roma children are enrolled in primary school (49% boys and 51% girls). So far, a total of 16,278 pupils have been enrolled in secondary schools, 55% of whom are girls. The drop out rate was reduced by 7%. During the 2021/2022 school year, 14,325 children attended mainstream schools and 3,344 pupils attended special primary schools. 860 pupils were in classes for disabled pupils in regular schools, 2,320 pupils were in secondary schools for disabled pupils and 2,105 pupils were in special classes in secondary schools.

The Committee notes from another source (UN Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, forty-third session, 1-12 May 2023) that Serbia was urged to put an end to de facto segregation of Roma children in public schools and to ensure access to quality education for Roma children, including through anti-racism and human rights training for school staff, awareness-raising efforts targeting parents and an increase in the employment of Roma teachers. It also takes note of the recommendation to Serbia to take measures to avoid the so-called ‚white flight‘ from schools in which Roma are enrolled, in particular by developing effective mechanisms with a view to preventing the continuation of de facto segregation in schools. The Committee considers that the situation in Serbia is not in conformity with Article 17§2 of the Charter on the ground that Roma children are subject to segregation in public schools.“ (CoE-ECSR, März 2024, S. 37)

·      Anmesty International: Trapped by Automation: Poverty and discrimination in Serbia's welfare state, 4. Dezember 2023
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2101724.html

„The impact of the social card registry

The introduction of the Social Card registry has, to some extent, reduced the administrative burden for some existing recipients. Automatically pulling available data from pre-existing databases has shortened a lengthy application process for people who previously had to visit numerous offices to collect paper copies of documents to prove their eligibility for social assistance. The registry has also allowed for the quick determination of whether existing recipients are eligible for additional assistance. According to the Ministry of Labour, in over 100,000 cases, existing recipients were notified that they qualified for additional benefits, such as child benefits or free childcare assistance.

However, a closer analysis of the implementation of the Social Card Law a year after it was introduced indicates that the Social Card registry has been far less successful in providing an adequate buffer against economic hardship for people most in need. During 18 months of implementation, thousands of people, including recipients living in the most economically precarious conditions, have lost access to social security assistance or had their benefits reduced. Indeed, even the Ministry of Labour’s own figures show a continuously decreasing trend in the number of recipients: as of August 2023, there were 176,000 recipients in the system, which is 35,000 fewer than in March 2022 when the Law entered into force. This figure does not necessarily capture all the people who lost social assistance solely due to the Social Card registry implementation. Without disaggregated figures, which the Ministry of Labour should possess but has not released, it is difficult to determine exactly how many people lost social assistance at any one time due to system discrepancies.

The law has had a particularly negative effect on Roma communities and people with disabilities, who are disproportionally represented in Serbia’s social assistance system. As Amnesty International’s research below shows, the Social Card registry was imposed on an already flawed and thoroughly inadequate social security landscape, plagued by multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination. Introducing the Social Card registry brought with it all the risks associated with the use of automation in delivering social assistance and reduced social workers’ role, who currently seem unequipped – or not empowered – to address errors of the semi-automated decision-making. […]

Members of marginalized communities, such as Roma, people with disabilities and women, are particularly vulnerable to poverty. Surveys show that 83% of Roma live in conditions of pronounced material deprivation, meaning that they are unable to provide for their basic needs, such as food. A 2019 government survey further indicated that 32% of substandard Roma settlements were not connected to electricity, and 38% did not have access to the water supply grid. In addition, Roma – perhaps more than any other group in Serbia – face persistent discrimination in all spheres of life, including significant barriers to accessing health, education, employment and government services. People with disabilities in Serbia are also at higher risk of experiencing poverty, partly due to significant barriers to accessing employment or education, key factors that increase a person’s risk of living below the poverty line. […]

Informal work is a necessity for many who live in poverty. This is especially true for marginalized groups who face persistent exclusion from the formal labour market. As noted above, Roma, people with disabilities, and single parents are among the most economically vulnerable groups in Serbia and face multiple barriers to employment. Roma, especially people aged 18-24, are twice as likely to be unemployed than their non-Roma neighbours. A lack of formal education, work experience, training and extreme discrimination are just some of the obstacles disproportionately facing many Roma seeking work. Of Roma men and women who have jobs, almost 70% are informally employed, including collecting recyclables or working in flea markets. Serbia’s most recent Strategy for Roma Inclusion recognized that members of Roma families facing severe deprivation often resort to working in the informal economy by necessity and proposed to gradually formalize this work.

Some informal Roma settlements almost entirely rely on the collection and sale of plastic, glass and metal to survive and were particularly affected by the introduction of the Social Card registry. In an informal settlement in Kraljevo, over a hundred families lost social assistance in the first months after the Social Card law entered into force because the system detected earnings from the sale of secondary raw materials. Although some have had their benefits reinstated since, many faced months without any support, while others are still engaged in lengthy appeals process. […]

Edna, a Roma woman aged 33 from Kraljevo, lives with six small children in a 20-person extended household. Her family received regular monthly social assistance of 20,000 dinars (about 170 euros) until May 2023, when the local Centre for Social Work started implementing the Social Card Law:

One day I received a call from a social worker who informed me that I was no longer eligible for the assistance because my husband made a small income, about 45,000 dinars (about 380 euros) over several months. He was now considered gainfully employed, which makes him ineligible for social assistance. Edna, aged 33 from Kraljevo

Edna explained that, like most people in the informal settlement that she lived in, her husband relied on selling scrap metal and glass from landfills to supplement their social assistance because it was not enough to meet their family’s needs. Edna’s home, which Amnesty International visited, was dilapidated and had no furniture. She said they were not able to properly feed their children nor buy them clothes so they could go to school.

Milan, a man aged 44 from Kraljevo, also lost his social assistance in May 2023, along with many others in his village:

I lost my social assistance because I made ‘too much money’. This is ridiculous. I literally made 1,000 or 2,000 dinars (8-17 euros) from selling old tins, and that meant I could no longer get monthly financial assistance of 8,000 dinars (80 euros). I am too ill to work full time and the assistance was not enough for a normal life. Milan, aged 44 from Kraljevo

Milan, who no longer received social assistance when Amnesty International spoke to him, sold second-hand clothes in the market, which he said was not sufficient to make ends meet. ‚Even when I have a good day and make some money, I can’t decide if I will use it to buy food or pay the bills. It’s impossible to survive on these meagre amounts.‘

Katarina lives with her family of five, including three small children. She also lost her assistance of 24,000 Serbian dinars a month (200 euros) in May 2023 because her husband made about 15,000 Serbian dinars (120 euros) from selling scrap metal. Katarina’s two teenage sons had to work four full days collecting empty bottles, crushing and selling the glass just to make about 1,000 Serbian dinars (about 8.50 euros):

We would prefer to work instead of relying on the assistance. My son finished secondary school, but he hasn’t been able to get any work. He applied many times, including at the new factory that was recently built in Kraljevo, but he never gets called. It’s impossible to find a job and we are left to rummage through containers and landfills to survive. Katarina from Kraljevo

Katarina’s family was among many in Kraljevo who either lost social assistance or had it reduced due to their modest earnings being flagged by the Social Card.

‚This new procedure caused chaos in the village. Most people lost assistance,‘ said Miloš, a middle-aged man from Kraljevo. Like many others, he was disheartened by now having to choose between receiving a meagre but regular social assistance and doing occasional informal work that made him feel more independent:

Two years ago, the Centre for Social Work and the mayor met with Roma representatives from the area and told us that we would be better off earning a proper income than relying on government handouts. And now they have removed almost the entire village from the assistance that was already too low because we tried to make some money by selling scrap metal to feed our families. Yet we can’t get regular work. Miloš, 24 April 2023, Kraljevo, Serbia.

Others continue to take the risk. Danica, the young single mother with a daughter aged six who has learning difficulties, said she didn’t have a choice. ‚I live in squalid conditions. I have no running water in my house, no bathroom. My electricity is also unreliable because I am connected to my neighbour’s house.‘ Danica receives 13,000 Serbian dinars (110 euros) in social assistance, but because this is far from enough to live on, she continues to go to the neighbouring landfill to collect bottles. ‚I have to take my daughter along because I can’t leave her with anyone, but it’s not safe to take her there. That’s not a place for a child. I have to keep an eye on her all the time. But I don’t have an alternative. I can’t survive on social assistance alone.‘

The minimum income conditions for social assistance are determined by the Law on Social Protection and related government decrees that have been in place since 2011. The prohibition of combining small earnings with social assistance is already penalizing families living in poverty for trying to bridge the gap between inadequate social assistance and the actual cost of living. However, introducing the Social Card registry has made the already restrictive criteria absolute and changed the role of social workers by removing the small discretion they could previously exercise to evaluate whether people’s supplemental income from informal work had a meaningful impact on their socio-economic standing. This has pushed many families deeper into poverty and forced others to make unacceptable trade-offs by having to choose between social assistance and a small income, neither of which on their own is sufficient to cover their basic needs. […]

People with disabilities and health conditions

The most recent census data identifies 8% of the Serbian population as people with disabilities. The Regional Cooperation Council, however, puts this figure at an estimated 10-15%. People with disabilities in Serbia face discrimination in accessing their rights to work and education and to an adequate standard of living. Only 9% of people with disabilities are in employment, while this figure drops to just 4% for women with disabilities. Of people with disabilities in employment, only a third said that their workplace had adapted to their needs. 12.2% of people with disabilities did not attend primary school, a rate significantly higher than the 2.7% for the general population. In light of such figures, it is no surprise that people with disabilities in Serbia are among the groups most at risk of experiencing poverty. Serbia’s National Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development includes measures to reduce poverty for people with disabilities by 2030. However, it also recognizes that a lack of resources presents a significant threat to the social inclusion of and poverty reduction for people with disabilities. Even when laws and policies include references to inclusion or a human rights-based approach to disability, ‚their practical application is missing‘, with multiple structural barriers keeping people in a ‚constant circle of poverty and social exclusion‘.

There are significant barriers to establishing reliable, inclusive data on people with disabilities in Serbia. This can be partly linked to the lack of a consistent and universal definition of disability across various sectors, with people with psychological and mental health issues, as well as other health conditions, often being overlooked. A recent country report on Serbia by the UN Partnership on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UN PRPD) recommended that the Serbian government improve inclusive data collection on people with disabilities. The UN CRPD [Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities] has also raised concerns about the Serbian authorities’ failure to collect and analyse data on the situation of persons with disabilities that provide sufficient information to implement the Convention.

Both the UN PRPD and the UN CRPD recommend amending national anti-discrimination legislation to recognize both intersectional discrimination and the denial of reasonable accommodation as a specific form of disability-based discrimination.

People interviewed by Amnesty International highlighted the additional barriers they face due to their own or a family member’s disability or health condition. For many people, their disability or a health condition that may not be recognized as a disability under Serbia’s laws was an additional barrier to accessing employment. Buying medication and other healthcare treatments was also an additional significant strain on their already tight budgets. Katarina from Kraljevo told Amnesty International that she and several members of her family had multiple chronic health conditions requiring medication and treatment – the cost of which they had to cover with their social assistance payments. She told Amnesty International that just one inhaler – a medical necessity– cost 3,000 Serbian dinars (25 euros). This placed a significant burden on their household budget as they only received 24,000 Serbian dinars (204 euros) in monthly social assistance.“ (Amnesty International, 4. Dezember 2023)

·      ZIRF – Zentralstelle für Informationsvermittlung zur Rückkehrförderung: Individualanfrage zu schutzbedürftigen Personen, August 2021
https://files.returningfromgermany.de/files/2021-2 Serbien Vulnerable Personen.pdf

„Eine Frau möchte mit ihrem Kind freiwillig nach Serbien zurückkehren. Das Kind hat medizinische Einschränkungen (Hörgerät, Hüftdysplasie). Sie gehören der Gruppe der Roma sowie den Zeugen Jehovas an. […]

Unterstützende Einrichtungen:

Die Person kann sich zur Unterstützung an den Verband der Gehörlosen und Hörgeschädigten wenden, der sich in jeder größeren Stadt in Serbien befindet. Ihr Kontakt in Belgrad ist:

Adresse: Svetog Save 16-18

Telefon: 011/3087-242 i 011/2437-338

E-Mail: gog.beograd@gmail.com

Die Person kann sich auch an die Nationale Organisation für Menschen mit Behinderungen in Serbien wenden, um deren Unterstützung und Hilfe zu erhalten. Ihr Kontakt ist:

Straße: Mutapova no. 12 Belgrad

Tel +381 11 2414-328
http://www.noois.rs/ […]

Jugendämter in Serbien: Leider gibt es so etwas wie ein Jugendhilfezentrum/ Jugendamt in Serbien nicht. Das Zentrum für Sozialhilfe ist die universelle Organisation, die die soziale Unterstützung aller Bürger einschließlich der Kinder abdeckt. Rückkehrende Personen sollten sich bei Bedarf mit dieser Behörde in Verbindung setzen, um an dieser Stelle Unterstützung bzw. Betreuung zu erhalten.“ (ZIRF, August 2021, S. 1)

Folgende Quellen enthalten Informationen zum Rahmenwerk betreffend Kinder mit besonderen Bedürfnissen und Kinder, die Angehörige der Volksgruppe der Roma sind:

·      Government of Serbia: Common core document forming part of the reports of States parties; Serbia [24 June 2022] [HRI/CORE/SRB/2022], OHCHR (Hg.), 3. Oktober 2022
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2087460/G2251075.pdf 

·      Government of Serbia: 12th National Report on the implementation of the European Social Charter submitted by the Government of Serbia; Articles 7, 8, 16, 17, and 19 of the European Social Charter for the period 01/01/2018 – 31/12/2021; Cycle 2023 [RAP/RCha/SRB/12(2023) ], 28. März 2023
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2090265/RAP_RCha_SRB_12_2023.pdf

„Serbia has largely reformed the legislative, strategic and institutional framework in areas relevant to the realization and protection of the rights of children from vulnerable groups, including changes in the field of education and anti-discrimination, as well as capacity building for the implementation of inclusive education at the level of educational institutions, at the local and national levels. Reforms were intensively continued through the adoption of the new Education Development Strategy until 2030. With the aim of strengthening the principles of fairness, quality and facilitating access to the education system for children and students from vulnerable social groups, the Ministry continuously implements a series of support measures: […]

- children belonging to the Roma national minority, as well as children with disabilities, have the possibility of using the affirmative measure of enrolment in secondary school under more favourable conditions;” (Government of Serbia, 28. März 2023, S. 137)

·      CoE-ECRI – Council of Europe - European Commission against Racism and Intolerance: ECRI Report on Serbia (sixth monitoring cycle), 27. Juni 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2114048/SRB-CbC-VI-2024-19-ENG.pdf

„Annex of the Republic of Serbia to the Report on Serbia by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) within the sixth monitoring cycle […]

Regarding ECRI's conclusion that Roma children are still overrepresented in ‚special schools‘, we note that according to the regulations, a student can enroll in a school for students with developmental impediments and disability only based on the positive opinion of the interdepartmental committee and with the consent of the parents, which excludes the possibility that a child is sent to such schools without the proper justification. If there are deviations from this procedure, the educational inspectorate shall react in such cases.“ (CoE-ECRI, 27. Juni 2024, S. 40, 47)

·      UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund: Assessing Disability of Children in Serbia – Country Case Study, Februar 2023
https://www.unicef.org/eca/media/31156/file/Assessing%20disability%20of%20children:%20Serbia.pdf

„The Individual Education Plan (hereinafter: IEP) is a special document that plans additional support in education and upbringing for a particular child and student, in accordance with its strengths and abilities. The aim of the IEP is optimal development of a child/pupil, inclusion in the peer collective and achieving general and special outcomes of education and upbringing, i.e., satisfying the educational needs of the child. The IEP is developed based on previously realized and recorded measures of individualization and the elaborate pedagogical profile of the child/student. IEP is made according to the educational needs of the child […]

The IEP is adopted by the educational institution pedagogical board, based on the proposal from the schools’ technical team for inclusive education, or the team for providing additional support to the child or student (the latter is formed for a specific child).

The team in a preschool consists of an educator, professional associate, associate, parent, or guardian, and, if needed, a pedagogical assistant and/or the child’s personal assistant (companion), at the suggestion of the parent or guardian.

The team at the school consists of a class teacher or relevant subject teacher, a professional associate, a parent, or a guardian, and if needed, a pedagogical assistant and/or the child’s personal assistant (companion), at the suggestion of the parent or guardian.

The parent or guardian must consent to the implementation of the IEP. During the first year of implementation, IEP is evaluated quarterly, and in each subsequent school year semiannually. Implementation IEPs is monitored by the Ministry of Education and Upbringing. Detailed instructions on IEPs development, implementation and evaluation are provided by the Minister for education.

Students with developmental difficulties and disabilities take the final exam, in accordance with their motor and sensory abilities, i.e., conditions required by a certain type of disability. Students with developmental disabilities and disabilities passe the general graduation in accordance with their motor and sensory abilities, i.e., conditions required by a certain type of disability, and may be exempt from taking part in certain graduation exam subjects for which their standards of achievement had been adjusted during education.

A pedagogical assistant provides assistance and additional support to a group of Roma children and children with disabilities or students, in accordance with their needs. She/he also assists teachers, educators, and professional associates to improve their work with children or students who need additional educational support. She/he should cooperate with parents and guardians, and together with the school director cooperate with relevant institutions, organizations, associations and local self-government unit.“ (UNICEF, Februar 2023, S. 58)

Ältere Informationen zu Kindern in Serbien, die Angehörige der Roma-Volksgruppe sind und sich im „Sonderschulsystem“ befinden, finden Sie in folgender Quelle:

·      Open Society Institute: Roma Children in „Special Education“ in Serbia: overrepresentation, underachievement, and impact on life, 2010
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/uploads/b61d6fa6-a304-4a65-917c-2110aa53e24e/roma-children-serbia-20101019.pdf

Lage von gehörlosen Kindern

·      Government of Serbia: Textbook in Serbian sign language introduced for first time, 22. September 2023
https://www.srbija.gov.rs/vest/en/212973/textbook-in-serbian-sign-language-introduced-for-first-time.php

„Prime Minister Ana Brnabic attended today at the Children's Cultural Centre the celebration of the International Week of the Deaf and the promotion of digital tools for learning the Serbian sign language. On that occasion, Brnabic stated that for the first time in history, a textbook in the Serbian sign language was introduced in our country, pointing out that an agreement was reached to introduce two more from the next school year – for Mathematics and for the World around Us for the first grade of elementary school.

Today is a historic day for me – the day when we mark the fact that for the first time in history we introduced textbooks in Serbian sign language, and that is just the beginning, the Prime Minister said. We managed to provide a primer and reading books for the first and second grade for elementary schools in Serbian sign language, but there is a whole range of subjects for which we still do not have such textbooks, Brnabic said. This means that there is still a huge gap between children who are deaf and hard of hearing and everyone else, just as there is a gap between children with other forms of disability, in wheelchairs for example, who cannot walk to their school or can only they go to the ground floor or the first floor, and they cannot have access to the subject-based classrooms along with the rest of their peers, the Prime Minister explained.

Stating that the state tries to change these things every day, she pointed out that all the schools that are being renovated today have such access.

Brnabic also reminded that the SOS application for the deaf was recently presented, which enables free phone calls through an interpreter for the Serbian language. That application helps all of us, both those who can hear and those who cannot hear, the Prime Minister said.

She also announced that service information in sign language will be introduced at the Prokop railway station from 20 October, when it opens.

President of the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Serbia Mihajlo Gordic also pointed out the importance of discussing the implementation of the Declaration concerning the Rights of Deaf Children, which includes, among other things, the right to sign language, the right to bilingual education, the right to interaction through sign language etc.

UNICEF Deputy Director Yosi Echeverry Burckhardt said that partnership is the key word when it comes to things like this.

I want to highlight the fact from 2015, when the Serbian sign language was adopted and recognized as the mother tongue of hearing-impaired children, which marked a big step forward, encouraging social equality for the deaf and hard of hearing, Burckhardt said.“ (Government of Serbia, 22. September 2023)

·      Serbia without barriers: Deaf Union of Serbia, ohne Datum
https://srbijabezbarijera.rs/en/deaf-union-of-serbia/#

„As one of the oldest organizations, the Union [Deaf Union of Serbia] takes comprehensive care of the deaf and hard of hearing through local organizations within its system. Headed by Anela Durakovic as its president, the Union presently gathers 45 local associations, including the Deaf Union of Vojvodina and its members

The Union represents deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, striving to achieve common goals and interests by working on early detection of newly born deaf individuals and their early rehabilitation, taking care of the education of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, their professional orientation and rehabilitation and employment.

Deaf organizations very quickly established cooperation with schools for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Serbia, and one of their most important tasks was providing training to deaf students […].“ (Serbia without barriers, ohne Datum)

·      Raičević Bajić, Dragana & Nikolić, Gordana: Are we reaching a turning point in Serbia with respect to deaf education in Serbian Sign Language?, October 2022
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dragana-Raicevic-Bajic/publication/363668368_Are_we_reaching_a_turning_point_in_Serbia_with_respect_to_deaf_education_in_Serbian_Sign_Language/links/63ca905d6fe15d6a573427d2/Are-we-reaching-a-turning-point-in-Serbia-with-respect-to-deaf-education-in-Serbian-Sign-Language.pdf?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9u·in19

„The curriculum for deaf students changed in 2009 as a reflection of the inclusion process. Based on the Law on the Fundamentals of the Education System in 2009 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, no. 72/09), inclusive education was introduced and special schools were defined as resource centres (Article 27). Article 77 of the Law on the Fundamentals of the Education System stipulates that special needs students must follow the general curriculum, while there is an option of applying specific educational approaches that match the individual needs of the child through an individually designed programme (Nikolić, Lukić and Janković, 2010). A set of specific goals concerning inclusive education and special needs pupils were outlined in the Strategy of Education until 2020, which the Serbian government adopted in 2009 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, no. 107/12). Within the system of inclusive education, deaf and hard of hearing students were encouraged to join regular schools. This had impact on deaf schools, which were no longer solely for deaf and hard of hearing students, but began to cater to children with other special needs. Apart from the important changes in the curriculum for deaf students, the year 2009 brought a crucial change to SZJ [Serbian Sign Language] from a legal standpoint. On July 31, 2009, Serbia ratified the UNCRPD [United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]. The ratification was particularly important for SZJ since the UNCRPD equates sign languages to spoken languages. Importantly, UNCRPD highlights access to a natural sign language as a prerequisite to success in deaf education. Thus, changes in deaf education policy brought about by inclusive education in 2009 were supported by the emerging legal recognition of the importance of a sign language for deaf people in all walks of life. The Serbian deaf community and the national deaf association used the ratification of the UNCRPD to strongly advocate for the legal recognition of SZJ. While there were evident changes in policy, the situation in practice with respect to the use of SZJ in deaf education remained unchanged. Deaf children became even more invisible in the system of inclusive education with no sign language support or true consideration for their educational needs. Oralism remained as strong as ever, while SZJ continued to remain at the margins of deaf education.“ (Raičević & Nikolić, October 2022, S. 272)

„The Strategy of Education is an official document developed every ten years by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia. The strategy provides an overview of the existing domestic and international legislation concerning education, an overview of the current state of education in Serbia, as well as lays out future goals with respect to primary, secondary, and tertiary education. For the first time in Serbian history, the Strategy on Education until 2030 considered the role of Serbian Sign Language in the education of deaf students. In the overview and analysis of the current state of inclusive education referring to accessibility in education as outlined in UNCRPD, the Strategy accurately summarised the plight a deaf student's education in Serbia: […] the analyses show that the education of children and pupils whose mother tongue is Serbian Sign Language do not have adequate access to an educational system in their mother tongue, nor do they have adequate support. Similarly, even though the Law on Higher Education grants the opportunity of studying in Serbian Sign Language, the law does not define the entity that needs to provide this opportunity. Hence, numerous generations of deaf students, despite their efforts, do not manage to get the necessary support. This results in poorer achievements of deaf students who either remain in the system of education or quit before completing higher education (pp. 32- 33, our translation).” (Raičević & Nikolić, October 2022, S. 274)

·      Government of Serbia: 12th National Report on the implementation of the European Social Charter submitted by the Government of Serbia; Articles 7, 8, 16, 17, and 19 of the European Social Charter for the period 01/01/2018 – 31/12/2021; Cycle 2023 [RAP/RCha/SRB/12(2023) ], 28. März 2023
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2090265/RAP_RCha_SRB_12_2023.pdf

„The Ministry of Education provides free textbooks for primary education students. The following categories of students have the right to free textbooks, in accordance with the appropriate decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia:

- students from socially/materially disadvantaged families (recipients of cash social assistance)

- students with disabilities who attend primary school education according to individual education plan

- students who do not attend according to an individual educational plan, but need adaptation (enlarged font, Braille, electronic format)

- primary school students who are the third or every subsequent child in the education system.

For the school year 2022/2023, the news is that in addition to students from the above categories, the right to free textbooks is also exercised by:

- students with exceptional abilities who receive primary school education according to an individual educational plan with expanded and enriched content, that is, according to IEP 3; and

- first and second grade students who are deaf, and who need adapted textbooks in electronic format, with video content in Serbian sign language. […]

The Ministry of Education, as part of the Free Textbook Procurement Program, also provides textbooks that are adapted for students with disabilities. The textbook is adapted in terms of font and/or format, so the adapted textbook can be: 1) printed in Braille, 2) printed enlarged on appropriate paper, 3) adapted in electronic/digital format, 4) adapted for the use of assistive technology.“ (Government of Serbia, 28. März 2023, S. 131)

„According to the Law on Financial Support for Families with Children (‘Official Gazette of RS’, No. 113/2017, 50/2018, 46/2021 - US decision, 51/2021 - US decision, 53/2021 - US decision, 66/2021 and 130/2021) stipulates that children of pre-school age without parental care, children in foster families, children with developmental disabilities and disabilities, children of beneficiaries of financial social assistance have the right to reimbursement of the costs of staying in a pre-school institution, as well as children from financially disadvantaged families they have the right to regress the costs of their stay in a pre-school institution. The method and conditions for regressing the costs of staying in a pre-school institution are determined by the local self-government unit. Law on preschool education and education: 18/2010-48, 101/2017-8, 113/2017-276 (dr. law), 10/2019-3, 129/2021-15 defines the following: ‘For a stay in a preschool institution , i.e. to the school, the parent or other legal representative of the child of a foreign citizen pays the economic price per child, and the parent or other legal representative of the child without citizenship and citizenship seeker, exiled and displaced person, pays the price per child determined by the founder, in accordance with the law which regulates financial support for families with children.

Children without parental care, children with developmental disabilities and children from materially disadvantaged families are exempted from payment obligations in full-day and half-day stays, in accordance with the regulations regulating financial support for families with children. In the budget of the local self-government unit, funds are provided for: realization of preschool education and education activities (half-day and full-day care, nutrition, care and preventive protection of children of preschool age) in the amount of up to 80% of the economic price per child, including all funds for wages, allowances and other incomes, social contributions at the expense of the employer, severance pay, as well as assistance to employees in a preschool institution, expenditures for the preparatory preschool program except for those for which funds are provided in the budget of the Republic of Serbia. If there are not enough places for all children in pre-school institutions founded by the local selfgovernment unit, co-financing of the inclusion of children in pre-school upbringing and education is carried out in accordance with the conditions prescribed by the local selfgovernment unit, whereby parents pay 20% of the economic price in a private pre-school institution, while the municipality or city reimburses parents 80% of the economic price (based on the Decision of the City/Municipality).“ (Government of Serbia, 28. März 2023, S. 76)

„Children with developmental disabilities, according to the Law on Social Protection (Article 41), are beneficiaries of social protection services if they have developmental disabilities (physical, intellectual, mental, sensory, speech-linguistic, socio-emotional, multiple), and their needs for care and material security exceed the family's capabilities. In relation to the care of children, the Republic of Serbia implements a policy that ensures support for parents to fulfil their responsibilities towards children and is primarily aimed at preventing the separation of children from the family through appropriate financial support and through services aimed at strengthening the family's capacity. Home accommodation services are provided to children and young people whose needs cannot be met within the biological, kin or foster family, or through community-based services, based on the decision of the guardianship authority or the court, i.e. the decision of the centre for social work, until the return of the child or young person to their biological family, or else until placement in a kin or foster family, adoption or until independence. Re-examination - the revision of the accommodation is carried out once a year, and then the case manager, in cooperation with the professional workers of the home and the beneficiary himself/herself, reviews the his/her options for returning to the family or a different arrangement that involves leaving the institution.

The number of children in foster care in Serbia is significantly higher (90%) compared to the number of children in residential institutions (10%), but it is lower when it comes to children with developmental disabilities. That is why the state places special emphasis on the development of specialized foster care with intensive and additional support. Efforts have been intensified to develop the occasional foster care service, which is used for children with developmental or health difficulties who live in a biological family or a foster family and who are placed in another family for a short period of time for respite and preservation of the capacity of the foster or biological family for further care of the child and prevention of crisis situations that can lead to the separation of the child from the family and placement in an institution. In the Republic of Serbia, there are 7 centres for family accommodation and adoption. Their task is to provide support to foster families, train foster parents to provide the service, report on the work of foster parents and the functioning of families that provide family accommodation services, etc. The plan is to establish another institution of this type.“ (Government of Serbia, 28. März 2023, S. 109)

„The budget of the Republic of Serbia provides funds for the education of children and students as well as adults in institutions established by the Republic of Serbia, autonomous provinces and local self-government units. The budget of the local self-government unit provides funds intended for: transportation of children and their companions to attend the preparatory preschool program at a distance of more than two kilometres; transportation of primary school students at a distance of more than four kilometres from the school's seat; transportation, accommodation and nutrition of children and students with disabilities and their companions, regardless of the distance of the place of residence from the school;” (Government of Serbia, 28. März 2023, S. 122)

„According to the Law on Financial Support for Families with Children (‚Official Gazette of the RS [Republic of Serbia]‘, No. 113/2017, 50/2018, 46/2021 - CC decision, 51/2021 - CC decision, 53/2021 - CC decision, 66/2021 and 130/2021) it is prescribed that children without parental care, children with disabilities, children receiving cash social assistance are exempted from the obligation to pay for full-day or half-day stay in a preschool institution, which falls within the domain of the rights of general public interest and their provision is the responsibility of the Republic of Serbia, as well as children from materially disadvantaged families whose rights are taken care of by the municipality or city.” (Government of Serbia, 28. März 2023, S. 123)

„Serbia has largely reformed the legislative, strategic and institutional framework in areas relevant to the realization and protection of the rights of children from vulnerable groups, including changes in the field of education and anti-discrimination, as well as capacity building for the implementation of inclusive education at the level of educational institutions, at the local and national levels. Reforms were intensively continued through the adoption of the new Education Development Strategy until 2030. With the aim of strengthening the principles of fairness, quality and facilitating access to the education system for children and students from vulnerable social groups, the Ministry continuously implements a series of support measures: […]

- children belonging to the Roma national minority, as well as children with disabilities, have the possibility of using the affirmative measure of enrolment in secondary school under more favourable conditions;” (Government of Serbia, 28. März 2023, S. 137)

In folgender Quelle finden sich ältere Informationen zum rechtlichen Rahmenwerk betreffend Bildung gehörloser Personen (siehe Kapitel 6.1, ab Seite 33) und zu speziellen Schulen für gehörlose Kinder in Serbien (siehe Kapitel 6.2, ab Seite 36), einschließlich Aussagen von betroffenen Fokusgruppenteilnehmer·innen:

·      Žižić, Desanka et al.: The report on the position of the deaf community in Serbia in the field of media, availability of interpreting services and education, Viribus Unitis Foundation, December 2015
https://socijalnoukljucivanje.gov.rs/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/The-report-on-the-position-of-the-Deaf-community-in-Serbia-in-the-field-of-media-availability-of-interpreting-services-and-education-2015.pdf

In folgender älterer Quelle finden sich auf S. 44 Informationen zu einem gehörlosen Kind:

·      HRW – Human Rights Watch: ‘It is my dream to leave this place’, Juni 2016
https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/serbia0616web_0.pdf

Weitere ältere Informationen zu gehörlosen Kindern finden sich in folgenden Quellen:

·      CRPD – UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Concluding observations on the initial report of Serbia [CRPD/C/SRB/CO/1], 23. Mai 2016
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1106682/1930_1471526427_g1610077.pdf

·      NOOIS – National Organization of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia et al.: Alternative Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Republic of Serbia, Juli 2015
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1066660/1930_1463494236_int-crpd-lit-srb-21108-e-1.doc

Open Society Institute: Roma Children in „Special Education“ in Serbia: overrepresentation, underachievement, and impact on life, 2010
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/uploads/b61d6fa6-a304-4a65-917c-2110aa53e24e/roma-children-serbia-20101019.pdf

Diskriminierung, Ausgrenzung

Im Rahmen der zeitlich begrenzten Recherche konnten nur wenige Informationen zu Diskriminierung und Ausgrenzung von gehörlosen Kindern in Serbien gefunden werden. Im Folgenden finden Sie auch Informationen zu Diskriminierung und Ausgrenzung von Kindern mit besonderen Bedürfnissen in Serbien im Allgemeinen.

·      Government of Serbia: Common core document forming part of the reports of States parties; Serbia [24 June 2022] [HRI/CORE/SRB/2022], OHCHR (Hg.), 3. Oktober 2022
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2087460/G2251075.pdf 

„Non-discrimination and equality

The Constitution, definition and legal grounds for non-discrimination

203. Constitution stipulates that everyone is equal before the Constitution and the law, and that everyone has the right to equal legal protection, without discrimination. Any discrimination, direct or indirect, on any grounds, in particular on the grounds of race, sex, nationality, social origin, birth, religion, political or other opinion, property, culture, language, age, and mental or physical disability, is expressly prohibited. Special measures that RS [Republic of Serbia] may introduce in order to achieve full equality of persons or groups of persons who are essentially in an unequal position compared to other citizens are not considered discrimination.

204. Law on Prohibition of Discrimination regulates the general prohibition of discrimination, forms and cases of discrimination, and procedures for protection against discrimination. In addition, this law establishes, as an independent state body, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality.

205. The principle of equality, as defined in the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination, guarantees equality and the enjoyment of equal position and equal legal protection, regardless of personal characteristics. Everyone is obliged to respect the principle of equality, i.e., the prohibition of discrimination. Forms of discrimination recognized by this law include direct and indirect discrimination, as well as the violation of the principle of equal rights and obligations, the invocation of responsibility or association for discrimination, hate speech, harassment, degrading treatment, or sexual and gender harassment, and incitement to discrimination. In addition to the general prohibition of discrimination, the law regulates special cases of discrimination, namely: discrimination in proceedings before public authorities; discrimination in the field of labor; discrimination in the provision of public services and use of facilities and areas; discrimination in the field of education and vocational training; discrimination based on sex, gender, and gender identity; discrimination based on sexual orientation; discrimination against children; discrimination based on age; discrimination against national minorities; discrimination on the grounds of political or trade union affiliation; discrimination against persons with disabilities; discrimination based on health status; discrimination in the field of housing.

206. In May 2021, amendments to the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination were adopted, taking into account the recommendations of the United Nations mechanisms for human rights and the EU, which, among other things, strengthened the role of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality. With the amendments to the law, the notion of indirect discrimination is fully harmonized with the corresponding EU legislation, and incitement to discrimination has been introduced as a form of discrimination. Segregation is defined as ‚any act by which a natural or legal person separates without objective and reasonable justification another person or group of persons on the basis of personal characteristics.‘ In order to improve existing records, the amendments to the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination from 2021 prescribe the obligation of courts to keep records of final judgments and decisions made in litigation for protection against discrimination, of final judgments and decisions made in misdemeanor proceedings for violations of provisions prohibiting discrimination, and of final judgments and decisions made in criminal proceedings for criminal offenses related to discrimination and the violation of the principle of equality, as well as to submit these records anonymously to the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality.“ (Government of Serbia, 3. Oktober 2022, S. 62)

„Persons with disabilities

[…] 216. Of particular note in relation to persons with disabilities, the corpus of antidiscrimination laws was supplemented by the adoption of the Law on the Use of Sign Language and the Law on the Movement of Blind Persons with the Help of a Guide Dog.

217. The reform of social protection, started in 2011, is aimed at developing integrated social protection through the development of services, a pluralism of providers, and improving the quality of services and the quality of professional work. In this sense, efforts are being made to move from a model that relies significantly on residential institutions to a model of community-based services for individuals and families (deinstitutionalization).

218. The regulations on social protection define the quality standards of social protection services provided in the local community, but these services are still provided unevenly across the territory of RS. In the records of the Centers for Social Work in 2018, there were 10,857 children and 60,831 adults with disabilities. In 2017, persons with disabilities accounted for 11.8% of users of Centers for Social Work (‚Centar za Socijalni Rad‘ hereinafter: CSR).

219. The number of children in foster care in Serbia is significantly higher, 5,000 children (88%), compared to the number of children in institutions for accommodation, which is 600 (12%), but the percentage in foster care is lower when it comes to children with disabilities. Children with disabilities make up over 70% of the total number of children in residential accommodation and only 14.3% of those in family care (foster care). For that reason, the state places special emphasis on the development of specialized foster care with the provision of intensive and additional support. Efforts have been intensified to develop a periodic foster care service for children with developmental or health difficulties living in a biological family or in foster family, by which these children are placed in another family for a short period in order to enable the primary care providers to take a break and preserve the capacity of the foster or biological family to further care for the child and prevent crisis situations that may lead to the separation of the child from the family and his/her placement in an institution. There are seven centers for family accommodation and adoption in RS, with two new centers having been recently formed in Novi Sad and Subotica. Their primary functions are to provide support to foster families, train foster parents to provide services, report on the work of foster parents and the functioning of families that provide family accommodation services, among other responsibilities. Another institution of this type is planned to be established.

220. Guidelines have been created for foster care, for the development of emergency foster care, and for occasional family accommodation, all of which have been published and distributed to all Centers for Social Work and centers for family accommodation and adoption. The aim of these guidelines is to strengthen the professional competencies of employees in social protection, to inform and educate parents, children, and guardians, and to inform and educate providers of foster care services. Trainings for the application of guidelines and mentoring visits to institutions have been realize and have also been presented at conferences to professional audiences and the general public.

221. During the most recent reporting period, numerous activities were undertaken in the development of community services, such as in day care, supported housing, home help, and personal companions of a child, while accommodation in institutions (homes) is a service that is to be provided if no form of other support that is less restrictive can be provided. In this sense, the mechanism of earmarked transfers was introduced in Serbia in 2016 to provide funds from the national budget to those local governments at a lower level of development than the national average and therefore which lack sufficient funds in local budgets for the establishment and development of appropriate social protection services in their environment.“ (Government of Serbia, 3. Oktober 2022, S. 65)

„231. Law on Preschool Education and Upbringing prescribes the enrollment of children with disabilities in regular groups in kindergarten or in development groups enrolling children with extremely complex disabilities, as well as the development of an individual educational plan for children who require additional support for education and upbringing.

232. Students with disabilities have the right to education within regular primary schools, within departments for the education of students with disabilities at regular schools, and within schools for the education of students with disabilities. Students are provided with educational support through measures of additional educational support (individualization and adaptation, an individual educational plan – IEP [individual educational plan], and additional health and social support), the need for which is determined by the relevant interdepartmental commission.

233. Students with disabilities are enrolled in schools and departments for the education of students with disabilities and with the consent of their parents. There are 47 schools for the education of students with disabilities in Serbia. In schools for the education of students with disabilities, individual educational plans with a modified curriculum (IEP2) are applied. In the period 2017–2021, over 7,500 requests for an assessment of the need for additional support were submitted to inter-ministerial commissions (in 2011 there were 1,300). Support in education is provided by more than 1,000 personal companions and 280 pedagogical assistants (until 2018, this number was 175) in preschool institutions and primary and secondary schools. Over 2,000 students who are educated according to an individual education plan (IEP) receive support from employees of schools for the education of students with disabilities. Students with disabilities, students with learning disabilities, and students from other vulnerable groups have the right to an individual educational plan. […]

234. Advisors, 37, external associates for the field of inclusive education, have been hired. For students with developmental disabilities and disabilities who attend classes according to the Individual Education Plan, textbooks are provided through the Free Textbook Program that are adapted to certain developmental disabilities or other disabilities. In the last three years, 43 accredited professional development programs for teachers have been accredited in the field of preventing the dropping out of education. In the reporting period, 309 trainings were realized in the field of inclusive education, involving 7,983 participants. Also, 123 additional trainings from the list of trainings of public interest were attended by 3,030 participants for the training of regular school teachers who have students using Braille.“ (Government of Serbia, 3. Oktober 2022, S. 67-68)

·      USDOS – US Department of State: 2023 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Serbia, 23. April 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2107724.html

„Persons with disabilities were unable to access education, employment, health services, information, communications, buildings, transportation, the judicial system, or other state services on an equal basis with others. Laws requiring such access existed, but the government did not enforce them. Persons with disabilities and their families experienced stigmatization and segregation because of deeply entrenched prejudices and a lack of information. Women with disabilities were at risk of discrimination and were largely excluded from public and political life. The media perpetuated prejudices and stereotypes regarding persons with disabilities.

Information and communication in formats accessible to persons with sensory disabilities were seldom available. Many persons with disabilities were poor or at risk of becoming poor, had difficulty getting a job, and lacked adequate education. The law required all public buildings to be accessible to persons with disabilities, but public transportation and many older public buildings were not accessible. Many children and adults with intellectual disabilities remained in institutions, sometimes restrained or isolated.

Persons with disabilities faced discrimination in hiring and access to the workplace. Labor NGOs worked to improve the conditions of persons with disabilities in employment or occupation.“ (USDOS, 23. April 2024, Section 6)

In folgenden Quellen finden Sie ältere Informationen zu Diskriminierung und Ausgrenzung von Kindern mit besonderen Bedürfnissen:

·      CRPD – UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Concluding observations on the initial report of Serbia [CRPD/C/SRB/CO/1], 23. Mai 2016
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1106682/1930_1471526427_g1610077.pdf

·      NOOIS – National Organization of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia et al.: Alternative Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Republic of Serbia, Juli 2015
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1066660/1930_1463494236_int-crpd-lit-srb-21108-e-1.doc