At what age do children go to school in Serbia?
By Konstantin Levushkin · 2 minute read · Updated on June 3, 2024
According to the Education Law (Art. 17-18), a child must be enrolled in a preschool institution (predškolskа ustanovа) at the age of 5.5 – 6.5 years.
A child must be enrolled in elementary school at the age of 6.5 – 7.5 years. This means if a child turns 6 years old on March 1st of the current year, they must be enrolled in school. For example, for the 2024/2025 academic year, all children born between March 1, 2017, and the end of February 2018 are to be enrolled in the first grade.
This rule is strictly enforced in Serbia, but there can be exceptions, which must be confirmed through a special procedure — usually, a school psychologist conducts a readiness assessment. For instance, if a child turns 6 years old between March 1 and August 31, 2018, they can be admitted to school for the 2024/2025 academic year.
From 2022 to 2024, foreign children could be enrolled in the first grade of elementary school later, for example, at 7.5 years old, at the parents’ request. The same occurred when enrolling in older grades. In international private schools, admissions often happen based on the results of an entrance assessment—this should be clarified directly with the school.
Grade equivalents in Serbia and international frameworks
| Age on September 1 | ISCED | Stages in Serbia | Grades in Serbia | Stages in Cambridge International | Grades in Cambridge International | Stages in International Baccalaureate (IB) | Grades in IB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-5 years | Pre-primary education | Vrtić | Cambridge Early Years | Reception |
Primary Years Programme (PYP) | Reception |
|
| 5-6 years | Predškolskа ustanova | Cambridge Primary | Year 1 | PYP 1 | |||
| 6-7 years | Primary | Osnovna škola, prvi ciklus | 1 razred | Year 2 | PYP 2 | ||
| 7-8 years | 2 razred | Year 3 | PYP 3 | ||||
| 8-9 years | 3 razred | Year 4 | PYP 4 | ||||
| 9-10 years | 4 razred | Year 5 | PYP 5 | ||||
| 10-11 years | Lower secondary | Osnovna škola, drugi ciklus | 5 razred | Year 6 | PYP 6 | ||
| 11-12 years | 6 razred | Cambridge Lower Secondary | Year 7 | Middle Years Programme (MYP) | MYP 1 | ||
| 12-13 years | 7 razred | Year 8 | MYP 2 | ||||
| 13-14 years | 8 razred | Year 9 | MYP 3 | ||||
| 14-15 years | Upper Secondary | Srednja škola | 1 razred | Cambridge Upper secondary (IGCSE) | Year 10 | MYP 4 | |
| 15-16 years | 2 razred | Year 11 | MYP 5 | ||||
| 16-17 years | 3 razred | Cambridge Advanced (A Level) | Year 12 | Diploma Programme (DP) | DP 1 | ||
| 17-18 years | 4 razred | Year 13 | DP 2 |
