The National Association of Parents and Teachers of Serbia (NARNS) was developed with the support of the Open Society Foundations, UNICEF and the Serbian Ministry of Education in 2017.
NARNS is a digital resource supporting learner and family participation in educational decision-making. It aims to develop a platform for discussion and a culture of respect and co-operation between parents and teaching staff. Parents and teachers work together on topics such as social inclusion, children’s health and safety, transition from pre-school to the school education system, tolerance and fostering inter-culturalism, and emotional literacy. This co-operation helps to develop a positive school climate and improve education. NARNS also acts as a ‘broker’ between parents, teachers and the education system.
This was the beginning of a new phase of development in the democratisation and modernisation of Serbia’s education system. Considerable resources and examples of good practice were created to motivate parents and teaching staff to get involved and implement over 70 programmes at school, local and national levels. The association is part of a regional dialogue organised by Open Society Foundations in Berlin, which continuously brings together parent associations from Tajikistan, Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia. This format enables the exchange of examples of good practice and spreads NARNS’s mission and vision to partner countries.
Read more in the Voices into Action toolkit.