Serbia
Unija srednjoskolaca Srbije (UNSS)
Union of secondary school students of Serbia
Status
Member organisation
Contact information
Address: Balkanska 29/8, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia
Phone:+381 116 641 810
Fax: +381 112 625 906
Email: unss(a)srednjoskolci.org.rs
Website: www.srednjoskolci.
Facebook: UNSS
Year of foundation
2003
Brief history
The Union of Secondary School Students of Serbia – UNSS is a non-governmental organisation founded in December 2003 with the aim to represent and advocate secondary school students on national and European level. UNSS is a national youth network that gathers more than 100 school student councils from over 50 cities in Serbia and represents about 60,000 secondary school students. Besides OBESSU, UNSS is represented at the Ministry of youth and sport and Ministry of education and science, as well as UNICEF, National Democratic Institute, Umbrella Youth Organisation of Serbia etc. In the year 2009, UNSS managed to change the umbrella law on education, upgrading the role of secondary school students in decision making process. Starting from 2010, UNSS is one of the eight European organisations to run a Social Day – a day when school students are volunteering in order to earn money for improving their school environment and cultural life.
Members
There are two types of membership in UNSS. Members can be School Student Councils from upper secondary schools and individuals aged from 15 to 30 years. Only school student council representatives have voting right at national meetings.
Number of Members
Approximately 60,000 school students and 104 student councils.
Main aims
- Democratisation of school student councils
- Foundation, fostering and strengthening of school student councils
- Raising level of youth participation in schools
- Recognition of non-formal education
- Creating open, inclusive and safe school environment
- Motivating and fostering activism among youth
- Offering chance and help to school students to write their own projects
- Empowerment and affirmation of young artists
- Promotion of values of cultural life
Three examples of activities organised by UNSS
- Lobbying towards the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Ministry of Education and Science and other relevant bodies working in the field of education
- Organising conferences, workshops, trainings and seminars for school students and school student councils.
- Campaign and fighting for school students rights
