The Forum of Secondary Vocational Schools has announced that the results of the final primary school exam serve as a warning that the state of education is serious, noting that the average score on this year’s native language test for admission to high schools was 10.67, which is 0.88 points lower than the previous school year.
The President of the Forum of Secondary Vocational Schools, Milorad Antić, emphasised that such a drop in results must not be ignored, and that it is necessary to speak openly about the causes and take responsibility.
“School heads, competent services, teachers, and the Ministry of Education – all participants in the education system – must ask themselves why the results, year after year, show worrying trends,” Antić stated in a press release.
He added that it is particularly concerning that there is insufficient emphasis on thinking, critical reflection, and the development of students’ functional literacy.
According to him, if students achieve high marks during their schooling whilst their final exam results show a lower level of knowledge, it is essential to re-examine both the curriculum content and the methods of assessment.
Antić assessed that consideration should be given to whether the volume of the syllabus is adapted to the students’ capabilities, as well as whether marking criteria are standardised across schools.
He noted that the question of whether there has been an “inflation” of top marks is being raised increasingly often, and whether assessment in certain cases has drifted away from the students’ actual level of knowledge.
“When the education system records results like these, someone must take responsibility,” Antić stressed.
He added that, in the interest of students, parents, and society as a whole, it is vital to determine where the shortcomings arise and to take concrete measures to improve the quality of teaching, the objectivity of marking, and the actual knowledge of students.
(Pressek, 25.06.2026)