Passing entrance exams at the faculties of state universities in Serbia begins today, and judging by the applications of potential candidates freshman, psychology is still the most popular at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, where five candidates are currently applying for one position, reports RTS.
Medicine, dentistry and faculties that train IT specialists are still popular.
At Belgrade University, the oldest and largest in Serbia, there are places for 15.283 freshmen, two thirds of which are budget.
Prospective students can choose between nine state universities in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Nis, Novi Pazar and Pristina (with a temporary seat in Kosovska Mitrovica), 22 state academies and colleges of vocational studies, but also an increasing number of private faculties.
Testing is scheduled from June 24 to 28, and preliminary lists of enrolled academics will be published on July 1.
Some faculties have been empty for years
On 105 programs of basic academic studies in 2023/2024. BU planned to enroll 15.233 freshmen, 18.156 high school graduates applied, and 12.358 students were enrolled, which is about 800 to 900 less than a year earlier. Of the total number of enrolled freshmen, 8.369 were enrolled on the budget, and 3.984 were self-financed.
"Compared to the previous school year, there was a decline in interest in social and humanistic sciences, about 600 fewer students were enrolled than in the previous year, while about 250 fewer students were enrolled in faculties from the group of technical and technological sciences," said UB vice-chancellor Dejan Filipović for RTS.
Worryingly low interest in teaching colleges
Last year at the Faculty of Physics in Belgrade, only one freshman out of the 25 that were expected applied for the General Physics course.
Dean of the Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, prof. Dr. Ivan Belča told the portal of the weekly "Vreme" at the time that the teaching profession had been degraded and pushed into the background for years, which finally led to the almost complete disinterest of young people in this profession.
At the Faculty of Philology, also in Belgrade, 24 candidates out of 100 planned places applied for Serbian language and literature.
These data show that a small number of students are interested in teaching majors, which is worrying because general state of education.
Dean of the Faculty of Teacher Education, prof. Dr. Mandić previously told "VremeZašto s" that interest in teachers' colleges failed because of the financial status of teachers, and the attitude of children and parents towards teachers.
He then pointed out that, when it comes to the motivation of young people to choose a teaching profession, the key is the relationship between students and teachers, during which the teacher's role model is also developed.
Fewer and fewer students at state colleges
The enrollment analysis showed that last year only four faculties (FON, ETF, Architecture and Security Faculty) managed to fill all places in the first enrollment period.
The budget quota was filled by seven of them (Faculty of Political Sciences, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Faculty of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine).
Observed in this way, at the remaining 18 faculties, i.e. Biology, Geography, Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medicine, Agriculture, Theology, Mining and Geology, Traffic, Technical in Bor, TMF, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation, Physics, Philosophy, Philology, Chemistry and There were more vacancies for foresters during the enrollment period.
The number of freshmen is decreasing every year at state colleges, and on the other hand, the number of academics at private colleges is increasing.
One of the reasons why this is so is that the state faculties are not adapting to the current job demands, Milo Tomašević, a full-time professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, told "Vreme" earlier.
He added that the number of enrolled freshmen is decreasing due to the demographic factor, because there are fewer and fewer high school students in Serbia.
