School trips in Serbia: Who decides where children go, who chooses the agency, and what parents actually pay

The organization of school trips in Serbia is increasingly fraught with issues, as rising costs and unclear tendering procedures leave parents questioning where their money goes and who is accountable when things go wrong. A recent incident in Vrnjačka Banja, where a second-grade student was injured by falling street lighting during a recreational trip, has amplified these concerns.

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There are different types of incidents – where someone gets injured, whether it's at the hotel, during the trip, how it happened. The chain of responsibility is not always the same.

Ana Dimitrijević of the Forum of Belgrade Gymnasiums highlighted the complex chain of responsibility for such incidents. While teachers often feel the most responsible for students under their care, Dimitrijević suggested that in the Vrnjačka Banja case, the responsibility might lie with the entity maintaining public lighting rather than the school or tour guides. She also noted that insurance is typically the last resort for agencies to cover.

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Of course, the teacher leading another person's child feels most responsible because, by the nature of things, they are responsible for it… This in Vrnjačka Banja, I think the school, teachers, or guides are not responsible, but whoever maintains the city and public lighting.

The selection of destinations and agencies is another point of contention. Trips are intended to be educational, aligning with curriculum content. However, established routes are often followed, and while teachers should propose programs, the final choice is influenced by tenders where the most favorable offer is selected. This process involves the Parents' Council and a commission to ensure compliance.

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Insurance is the last resort that agencies must cover.

At Ninth Gymnasium in Belgrade, parents have accused the principal, Tatjana Šuković, and the agency "Fantast travel" of systemic law violations, administrative overreach, and financial misconduct related to school trip organization. Allegations include issues with daily allowances for teachers, tax payments, and consistent favoritism towards a single agency. "Fantast travel" has denied these claims. Dimitrijević mentioned that discrepancies were found regarding payments for teachers' daily allowances, where contracts stated work was done without compensation, yet daily allowances were paid, with a difference between gross and net amounts that should have been remitted to the pension fund. Parents' checks indicated these funds were not paid.

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The way destinations are chosen is different. Excursions should be educational in character, in line with what children learn during the years, so that where they go, they see something historical or cultural that they can connect with what they learn or will learn.