Main actors 

As described in the national description in Eurydice database/ 1.6 Administration and Governance at Central and/or Regional Level, the Ministry of Education has overall responsibility for developing and implementing education policy in Serbia. 

The Ministry is organised in the following way, and it carries out its work through sectors responsible for specific levels and aspects of education: 

The Institute for Education Quality and Evaluation is a body established by the government with the aim of evaluation of education and providing recommendations for the provision of the system of quality education. Key activities of the Institute are defining standards in education, evaluation of education, training participants in the education system. 

The Institute for Improvement of Education is a body established by the Republic of Serbia that performs developmental, advisory and research work in preschool, primary and secondary education in order to monitor, ensure and improve the quality and development of the educational system. 

In addition, the National Education Council, the Council for Vocational and Adult Education, and National Council for Higher Education also constitute the system of education in the Republic of Serbia 

National Entity for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education of Serbia - NEAQA is established by the Government to perform the tasks of accreditation, to check the quality of higher education institutions and units within their constituency, to evaluate study programs and to ensure quality in higher education.   

The Office for Dual Education and the National Qualifications Framework is founded on the basis of a regulation adopted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia. Main activities of the Office are developing plans in the field of dual education, and implementing measures taken in this field by other state bodies. It performs these tasks within the legal framework composed of laws, national strategies, and international treaties and conventions. The Office prepares drafts of laws and bylaws on dual education in secondary and higher education, career guidance and counselling, as well as on the National Qualifications Framework of the Republic of Serbia. 

The Qualification Agency carries out tasks related to the development, regulation, and management of the national qualifications system in Serbia. It reviews initiatives for introducing new qualifications and updating existing ones, prepares and amends qualification standards, maintains relevant registers, and classifies qualifications. The Agency provides professional and administrative support to sector councils, recognizes foreign educational documents and higher education diplomas for employment purposes, evaluates foreign study programs, grants authorization to adult education organizations (PRAO), keeps records, and performs external quality assurance of PRAO providers. It also participates in development projects and monitors career guidance services. 

General distribution of responsibilities 

The Ministry of Education has established 18 district school authorities responsible for conducting professional and pedagogical supervision, performing external evaluations of institutions’ work, supporting development planning, and improving the overall quality of institutional performance. 

Within the district school authorities, the Ministry: 

Local self-government bodies, their structure, authority and scope of action, as well as the role of other organizations and institutions at the local level, are regulated by the Law on Local Self-Government. In addition to this law, the work of local self-government is in more detail regulated by the municipal or city statute. Among other responsibilities, municipalities address citizens’ needs in the areas of education (preschool, primary, and secondary), scientific research and innovation, culture, health and social care, child protection, sports, and physical education. 

In accordance with the Law on Youth (Zakon o mladima), the National Youth Council and Local Youth Councils serve as advisory bodies of the Government, Municipal Assembly, or City Assembly, responsible for cross-sectoral cooperation. The Council brings together representatives of various authorities, youth offices, national minority councils, youth organisations, organisations for youth, and their associations. This structure enables a cross-sectoral, horizontal, inter-ministerial, and interdepartmental approach to youth policy‑making across different policy fields, with the aim of maximising the potential and effectiveness of youth policy. The Council encourages, coordinates, and monitors activities related to the development and implementation of youth policy and proposes measures for its further improvement. The Youth Council has two important roles: