Serbian President Proposes Shorter School Lessons Amid Digital Era Focus

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić proposed in late 2025 a reduction of the conventional 45-minute school period, signaling a potential structural shift in national pedagogy ahead of novel educational concepts planned for introduction after the New Year. This initiative directly addresses the recognized need to optimize student engagement, as many educational observers contend that sustained focus often wanes before the standard lesson duration concludes. The proposal aligns with broader discussions in progressive education circles about adapting traditional structures to contemporary student capacities and the demands imposed by the digital age.

Psychologist Jelena Manojlović correlated the observed decline in student attention spans with the accelerated rhythm of modern life and the high-velocity content consumption prevalent on social media platforms. She suggested that any move toward shorter classes would necessitate a more streamlined curriculum, prioritizing the assimilation of core concepts for durable knowledge acquisition over methods focused on superficial test preparation. Sociologist Bojan Panaotović supported evaluating this structural modification, stressing that educational quality must supersede mere instructional quantity, though he cautioned that condensed formats, such as 30-minute sessions, would require exceptionally high levels of instructional intensity.

Further supporting the concentration argument, Psychologist Jovana Stojković noted that children under 15 are subjected to near-constant stimulation from platforms like TikTok, potentially reducing attention spans to as little as eight seconds and possibly impeding healthy synapse development. Stojković highlighted the finding that the initial twenty minutes of any lesson are typically the most effective for knowledge absorption. Conversely, some educators expressed concern that shortening lessons could diminish knowledge transfer, as the 45-minute block often incorporates essential review and preparatory time for both students and teachers.

This debate occurs within the context of Serbia’s ongoing digitalization efforts. During the coronavirus pandemic, Serbian classes were temporarily adjusted to 30 or 35-minute sessions, establishing a recent, crisis-driven precedent for shorter periods. Furthermore, a project supported by the European Investment Bank aimed to digitally equip all schools by the end of 2021 to increase digital skills, which had risen from 32% in 2015 to 46% in 2019, according to Eurostat data. International comparisons show varied approaches, with nations like Germany and Austria maintaining standard lessons of 50 minutes or more, while others utilize interactive block lessons up to 90 minutes with positive pedagogical outcomes.

The current proposal remains in its preliminary announcement stage, having successfully initiated a significant discourse among the public and academic experts regarding the modernization of the national teaching process. The Ministry of Education, currently led by Minister Dejan Vuk Stanković, will ultimately navigate these proposed structural changes within the framework of the Strategy for the Development of Education in Serbia by 2030, adopted in June 2021, which prioritizes enhanced teaching and learning quality.