School year preparations: Parental rights and transition advice

As the new school year approaches, parents in Slovenia and Serbia are preparing for the transition of children entering the first grade.

In Slovenia, parents of first-graders are entitled to one day of paid leave from work to accompany their child on the first day of school. This right, established under the Employment Relationships Act, allows for up to seven days of paid leave for personal circumstances per calendar year. To claim this benefit, employees should notify their employers in advance and provide proof of the child's enrollment.

In Serbia, educational experts emphasize that the first day of school should not be a source of stress. Andrijana Šikalerski, director of the Jovan Ristić Elementary School in Belgrade, advises parents not to pressure children to have mastered reading or writing before starting. Instead, the focus should be on helping children adapt to the new environment, teachers, and peers, acknowledging that every child develops at their own pace.