The rights and protections afforded to Kosovo Serbs in areas such as healthcare, education, culture and religion are clearly outlined in the Kosovo constitution and subsequent agreements, namely the 2013 Brussels agreement, which grants further autonomous powers to Serb-majority municipalities.<\/p>\n
However, many still see these as \u201cspecial\u201d rights or administered by \u201cparallel institutions,\u201d largely due to their funding ties with the Serbian government.<\/p>\n
Contrary to such beliefs, it is important to clarify that these institutions are legally allowed to receive funding from various sources, including the Serbian government, as long as the funding process maintains transparency.<\/p>\n
It is also a misconception that other minorities are not granted these protections. In fact,\u00a0all minorities have the right to school in their own language;<\/a>\u00a0display their own flags and enjoy protections for their unique cultures.<\/p>\n While healthcare was specifically negotiated for Kosovo Serbs as part of the Brussels 2013 agreement, it is also accessible to any registered person in Kosovo.<\/p>\n The responsibility for safeguarding these institutions lies with the Kosovo government, ensuring not only the protection of Kosovo Serbs but also of other minority groups such as Gorani, Roma, Bosniaks and even Albanians who utilize these services.<\/p>\n This situation raises a broader question: Why is the right of Kosovo Serbs to manage their own education and healthcare crucial for them?<\/p>\n Challenges in Education<\/strong><\/p>\n Aside from issues about history teaching, which is a challenge in both Kosovo due to a lack of multiperspective teaching and Serbia due to not acknowledging war crimes in former Yugoslavia, the the portability of qualifications poses a significant issue for the Kosovo Serb community.<\/p>\n Given the tendency of many Kosovo Serbs to migrate or pursue temporary opportunities in Serbia for employment and higher education, it becomes crucial for them to ensure that their qualifications are recognized and accepted in the destination country.<\/p>\n For instance, a Kosovo Serb student aiming to attend the University of Belgrade faces greater challenges as a graduate of the Kosovo system, as Serbia currently chooses not to recognize its diplomas.<\/p>\n Further, the Serbian system offers a lower-level high school degree, allowing Serbian students not bound for university to pursue vocational, technical courses, and apprenticeships. Though Kosovo offers technical schools and pathways to apprenticeships, the system remains quite weak.<\/p>\n Kosovo does offer its curriculum in Bosnian and Turkish minority languages - but does not offer Romani - and the largest school in Kosovo\u00a0is in fact multilingual<\/a>.<\/p>\n Though there are schools in Kosovo that\u00a0host<\/a>\u00a0Serbian and Albanian language students, particularly in areas around Gjilan, the Kosovo government has made limited efforts to reach out to Kosovo Serbs and other minorities using the Serbian system.<\/p>\n However, efforts have been made to begin recognizing Serbian degrees from the University of North Mitrovica and in Serbian system high schools. Elizabeth Gowing, the advisor to Prime Minister Albin Kurti on community affairs, highlighted in her\u00a0\u00a0monthly newsletter\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0that the Commission on the Verification of Diplomas would begin recognizing diplomas from the University of North Mitrovica and soon from Kosovo Serbian high schools.<\/p>\n However, both Kosovo and Serbian students are still awaiting recognition from institutions in each country for their degrees, as agreed upon in the 2013 Brussels Agreement.<\/p>\n But the biggest disparity is in the emphasis on early education which is vital for the future success of children in education. In Kosovo,\u00a0only only 15%<\/a>\u00a0of children attend early education, meanwhile, in Serbia, the rate is 48%<\/a>\u00a0.\u00a0Another important factor is the fact that in the Serbian system, early education is free, while in Kosovo it often isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Challenges in Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n Healthcare is also linked to linguistic barriers and financial considerations. In addition, Serbian healthcare is universal while the Kosovo system requires insurance or fees to be paid upon provision.<\/p>\n Often, Kosovo institutions are absent in minority communities, lacking staff who can speak minority languages, particularly Serbian. Despite both Albanian and Serbian languages being the official languages of Kosovo, state institutions\u00a0often fall<\/a> short\u00a0of complying with this legal requirement. This deficiency creates difficulties for Kosovo Serbs in accessing health or other government services.<\/p>\n The hospital center in North Mitrovica is also considered by many observers as one of the better hospitals in Kosovo. It also serves as a teaching hospital for the University of North Mitrovica.<\/p>\n Further, the healthcare system in the north of Kosovo is still better funded and supported than the Kosovo system, which not only has issues with internal reform but also with qualified doctors and nurses emigrating for higher wages and with poor facilities in its medical institutions.<\/p>\n