Region Serbia
City Kragujevac, Serbia
Website http://www.politehnickakg.kg.edu.rs
Secondary Vocational School from Kragujevac is the oldest vocational school in the Balkans, founded in 1854. Throughout the development of historical and social circumstances in Serbia, the school has been changing its curricular content and structure. At the present time, the school provides five fields of 4-year and 3-year educational programs: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Transport, Culture, Arts and Public Information, Civil culture.
The school has approximately 1700 students and there are 186 teachers and qualified associates. There are 61 classes, 56 specialized classrooms and 3 workshops for performing teaching and learning process. The organization applying for this project is a secondary school, registered within the educational system of the Republic of Serbia. It is a non-profitable organization with a long history of education (over two centuries). Opened for cooperation and applicant in many international projects, both in the field of professional development, as well as in the fields of multiculturalism, mobility, career guidance, etc.
Within the school, a Project Writing Team has been formed with the initiative that all employees have the same chance to become members of the project team. On the school's notice board, calls for various workshops are posted for writing of the Tempus Foundation project, the RYCO Foundation, for ACES projects, etc. The Project Writing Team (MEET, SUPPORT AND EXCHANGE/PEERS UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER BEST) consists of 14 members delegated by the Professional councils, psychological service and school management, harmonized according to the criteria for valid coverage of general education subjects and selection criteria. A team full of enthusiasm and dedication to pedagogical-psychological work and work with a groups of students, longstanding actors of extracurricular activities, developing both formal and informal education. A team that presents many years of experience in the compatibility of individuals and groups.
Secondary Vocational school tends to implement the best educational systems and to improve the competences of teachers and management through international cooperation, which will directly affect the development of students' competences in the sphere of lifelong learning. The goal of the school's international strategy is to provide all students with equal opportunities to acquire multidisciplinary skills and improve their own competencies, as well as to overcome the difficulties they face in the post-covid environment.
Vocational high school is attended by students aged 15-19, with different profiles. We especially work with marginalized groups - students from broken and foster families, members of the LGBT population, health-impaired, poor students and students from rural areas. The majority of students belong to families with unemployed members and with worse economic and social predispositions. Among them there are also members of socially sensitive groups who integrate well into school activities. The difficulties of the marginalized position have been drastically worsened by the impact of the pandemic and a key area of action in the direction of improving their positions has been observed.
The school has a long-standing system of support for students who have problems in schooling and has a tendency to continuous upgrade Secondary Vocational school is attended by students from the entire region and mostly children from sensitive social frameworks, poor and rural areas, children with less chances to reach the level of socially responsible life with the need to become more incriminated within the local community and achieve personal success.
Bearing in mind that young people face the consequences of the transition from virtual reality to the real world, a special emphasis in the school is on lifelong socially responsible learning, creating communication models that are based on IT education. The socially responsible awareness of young people is realized through a combination of digital means of communication and through a real influence on young European individuals. A basic aspect is the formation of a socially responsible individual who has a responsible attitude towards the environment. The green aspect of learning reflects on the entire local community and is marked as crucial which must be improved. European responsibility and openness to intercultural and diversity are especially nurtured through the curriculum of implementing European values and active participation in Erasmus programs.