Kosovo's formal school system includes early childhood education, formal pre-primary education, primary education, lower secondary education and upper secondary education. Early childhood education covers children from birth to age five, while formal pre-primary education usually prepares children around ages five to six. Primary education, called arsimi fillor, covers grades 1 to 5 and normally serves children around ages six to ten. Lower secondary education, called arsimi i mesem i ulet, covers grades 6 to 9 and normally serves children around ages eleven to fourteen. Upper secondary education, called arsimi i mesem i larte, usually lasts three years from grades 10 to 12, although some official statistics show grades 10 to 13 because certain profiles or programs last longer. Schools may be public or private, but private schools must be licensed. Grades 1 to 9 may operate as one combined school or as separate primary and lower secondary schools. Upper secondary options include a gjimnaz, professional schools, music schools and art schools. Programs may focus on general or natural sciences, mathematics and informatics, languages, social sciences, technical fields, agriculture, economics, medicine, trade, theology, music or art. Competence centres, resource centres and special schools provide more specialized arrangements. A child normally enters grade 1 at age six. Earlier admission requires an assessment by a professional team and approval by the school director. For grades 1 to 9, the municipality normally assigns a catchment area, and children living there have a right to registration. Schools may accept children from outside the catchment area when places are available and the places are published transparently. Upper secondary provision may cover several municipalities or be coordinated by the Ministry. Foreign children receive access under the applicable rules on the same basis as other children. Compulsory attendance begins with the school year after the child's sixth birthday and ends after lower secondary education. Parents carry the main responsibility for registration and regular attendance. Unjustified failure to register or attend can constitute an administrative offence. A school director may grant up to two weeks of absence on a written request. Home education requires municipal review and compliance with the applicable local rules. Municipalities organize safe transport, although transport charges can differ locally; eligible children with disabilities or learning difficulties receive suitable free transport. The Kosovo Curriculum Framework is competence-based and includes six key competencies. Schools follow a core curriculum and may add a school-based curriculum of up to 20 percent, alongside subject syllabi. Teaching may use official or community languages, and every student learns at least one official language. Public schools may use only teaching materials approved by the Ministry. Approved textbooks for grades 1 to 9 are free. Teachers assess learning continuously through formative and summative methods, including classroom work and performance records. External or state assessment takes place under the Kosovo Curriculum Framework at the end of grades 5 and 9 and at the end of upper secondary education. Students completing upper secondary education may take the State Matura, whose current 2026 format includes the mother tongue, English, mathematics and an elective subject. School certificates, grade records and completion certificates document progress and completed stages. Compulsory public education does not charge tuition. Licensed private schools set tuition according to their contracts with families. Municipalities, the Ministry and schools have different responsibilities: the Ministry sets national policy, standards, curricula, licensing, inspection, the school calendar and external assessment; municipalities and their directorates of education manage schools, buildings, catchment areas, transport, local support and staffing procedures; school directors, boards and parent councils handle daily administration, records and implementation of school rules. Inclusive education is the default. A student may receive an individual education plan, professional support and reasonable assistance such as sign language, Braille or orientation support. Municipal professional evaluation teams can include education, social work, psychology and rehabilitation specialists. Regular schools are considered first; resource rooms, special classes, resource centres or special schools are considered after expert assessment when a regular arrangement is not practicable. After grade 9, students may enter a gjimnaz or a professional, music or art school. Upper secondary completion can lead to work or, where admission requirements are met, further study.
School in Kosovo
School education in Kosovo covers formal learning from preschool preparation through upper secondary education. Primary school runs from grades 1 to 5, lower secondary school from grades 6 to 9, and upper secondary school usually from grades 10 to 12. Compulsory education is tuition-free and normally continues from the school year after a child turns six until the end of lower secondary school.
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