The number of Serbian students achieving the prestigious ‘Vuk Karadžić’ diploma has significantly declined over the past decade, with a notable decrease of nearly 1,500 recipients. In the 2023/2024 school year, only 7,780 students received this honor, a drop from 9,257 in the 2015/2016 academic year. This trend highlights a broader issue within the Serbian education system, where the overall number of top-performing students is decreasing, yet elite schools in Belgrade are reportedly experiencing an increase in high achievers due to grade inflation.
Milorad Antić, president of the Forum of Secondary Vocational Schools, attributes the decline in top-performing students to stricter grading criteria in smaller towns, while elite schools in larger cities like Belgrade are seeing a rise in students with perfect grades. Antić suggests that this increase is due to the prevalence of “gifted” grades, particularly in schools with a high concentration of children from intellectual families, including doctors and pharmacists. He notes that this trend is a result of pressure from these families, which can influence school administration and grading practices.
The data from the Serbian Institute for the Evaluation of Education and Upbringing reveals a consistent decline in the number of students receiving the ‘Vuk Karadžić’ diploma over the past decade. The statistics show a gradual decrease in the number of diploma recipients, with the most significant drop occurring in the 2022/2023 school year, where only 7,454 students, or 12.7% of the cohort, received the diploma. This is a stark contrast to the 2015/2016 school year, where 14.2% of students were awarded the diploma.
Regional disparities in student performance are also evident, with southern Serbia, particularly the Nišavski district, having the highest concentration of diploma recipients. In this region, nearly 20.7% of students receive the diploma, compared to less than 10% in western and central Serbia, such as in the Valjevo and Užice school districts.
Antić emphasizes that the current system of grade inflation undermines the value of academic achievements and creates a misleading perception of student capabilities. He argues that the practice of awarding undeserved high grades leads to a loss of respect for educators and diminishes the integrity of the education system. Antić advocates for the implementation of end-of-year exams to accurately assess student knowledge and hold teachers accountable for their grading.
This decline in educational standards is occurring alongside alarming results from the 2025 PISA testing, which revealed that Serbian students performed poorly in science, literacy, and mathematics. The PISA results have sparked a call for urgent educational reforms to address the systemic issues within the Serbian education system.
The broader implications of this decline in educational standards are significant for Serbia’s future workforce and societal equity. The decrease in top-performing students and the regional disparities in educational outcomes could affect the country’s ability to develop a skilled and competitive workforce. Additionally, the grade inflation in elite schools raises concerns about educational equity and the fairness of academic opportunities for students across different regions.
As Serbia grapples with these educational challenges, stakeholders and policymakers are urged to consider comprehensive reforms to improve the quality of education and ensure that academic achievements accurately reflect student capabilities. The focus should be on fostering functional literacy and critical thinking skills, rather than merely inflating grades to meet perceived standards of excellence.
