The 2025 Small Matura Disaster: Eighth Graders Only Know a Strong D!
Did you know that this year’s eighth graders in Serbia scored an average that barely reaches a strong D on their final exams? Yes, you read that right! The average scores in Serbian language and math hover around 11.6 out of 20 points, far below what we’d expect from future high school students.
Elective Subjects: Slightly Better, But Still a Mess
Elective subjects like geography, biology, history, physics, and chemistry showed somewhat better results, with averages ranging from 13 to nearly 16 points. Chemistry was the best performed subject, but ironically, the fewest students took it. Geography was chosen by a whopping 46.5% of students but was the weakest among electives.
Teachers in Panic Mode: Inflating Grades to Save High School Admissions
Milorad Antić, president of the forum of secondary vocational schools, revealed that some teachers gave higher grades at the end of the school year than students actually deserved. Why? To help kids get into high schools more easily! But when these inflated grades are compared to the actual exam results, the gap is glaring. This means high schools will be welcoming students with knowledge levels far below expectations this fall.
Pandemic Fallout: Learning Gaps Widened
One of the main reasons for these poor results is the disruption of regular schooling during the pandemic. Many students missed continuous learning, leaving huge gaps in knowledge, especially in language and math. This is a red flag — future high schoolers will have to work extra hard to catch up.
What Do Principals and Educators Say?
Marija Latinović, principal of Bora Stanković Elementary School, points out that the results show a wide range of knowledge and abilities. She stresses that numbers shouldn’t be seen just as grades but as reflections of each child’s effort and motivation. More and more parents are opting for private schools where final exams often don’t matter, complicating the picture even more.
Is This the Beginning of the End for Education Quality?
These results are a clear sign that Serbia’s education system is under serious strain. If responsibility and discipline aren’t restored in schools, and if teachers don’t take their jobs seriously, we can expect even worse outcomes in the future. Will anyone finally stop this downward spiral, or will we keep watching generations of students graduate with subpar knowledge?
Conclusion: The Future Is at Risk
The 2025 Small Matura showed that our eighth graders only know a strong D, while teachers inflate grades to save high school admissions. This isn’t just a student problem — it’s a societal one. If we want a better future, urgent action is needed to restore education quality.
So, dear readers, what do you think? Are these results shocking or expected? Is it time to seriously reform the education system, or will we keep watching kids skate by with minimal knowledge? Drop a comment, share your story, or just crack a school joke — you know we love a good debate!
