On 17 April 2026, starting at 1:00 PM, a public forum titled “Improving the Social and Educational Inclusion of Children with Disabilities” was held at the premises of the Institute for Urban Development. The forum was organized by the Association for Support to Persons with Autism “Children of Light”, in cooperation with its project partner, the Citizens’ Association “Blue Balloon”, with the aim of presenting the work of these two associations and advocating for amendments to the regulations governing the status of teaching assistants.

The participants in the forum were: Nikolina Klepić (graduate psychologist and project coordinator), Olivera Davidović Knežić (Master of Psychology and deputy project coordinator), Daniela Višnjić (legal advisor), and Vojin Nišević (president of the “Blue Balloon” association).

Support for the public forum was provided by the Head of the Department for Education, Health, Social Protection, Pronatalist and Demographic Policy of the City of Prijedor, representatives of the Public Institution Centre for Social Work, Public Institution Kindergarten “Radost”, Public Institution College of Medical Sciences, members of the “Duga” Association from Gradiška, parents of children with developmental disabilities, teaching assistants, as well as employees of primary and secondary schools.

The father of a person with multiple disabilities, Miodrag Glamočanin, shared his son’s experience during schooling. Since he attended a special school, he was not entitled to a teaching assistant, although one was essential for him. As a result, his mother spent several years accompanying him during classes. After she became seriously ill, the family had to pay for an assistant from their own funds to stay with him while he was at school.

A psychologist at a secondary school and the mother of a boy attending classes with the support of an assistant, Ivana Đukić, shared her experience both as a parent and as a professional associate in a school that, for the first time this academic year, has a student being educated with the assistance of a teaching assistant. She believes that the role of the assistant is highly significant and that communication between parents and assistants must be honest and transparent, without embellishment.

The Director of the College of Medical Sciences, Ilija Stijepić, believes that individuals engaged as teaching assistants should undergo training before beginning work, and that this training must be part of a systematically planned and organized program.

The conclusions of the public forum are as follows:

It is necessary to improve the employment and legal status of teaching assistants so that this position is not regarded as merely a “temporary solution” until a better job is found.
Mandatory training, organized by the relevant institutions, should be provided for individuals who wish to work as teaching assistants.
It is necessary to amend the Rulebook on the Upbringing and Education of Children with Developmental Disabilities, in the section relating to the status of teaching assistants, as well as the Rulebook on Norms and Standards for the Financing of Primary Schools.
We would like to emphasize that, as part of the support provided to parents of children and young people with developmental difficulties, free legal assistance has been made available by Daniela Višnjić, a lawyer with many years of experience. All interested parents may contact her by phone at 065/597-696 or via email at djecasvjetlosti@gmail.com.

We would also like to take this opportunity to announce that next week we will organize a petition signing campaign in Banja Luka, Prijedor, and Gradiška for amendments to the Rulebook on the Upbringing and Education of Children with Developmental Disabilities, in the section concerning the status of teaching assistants, as well as the Rulebook on Norms and Standards for the Financing of Primary Schools.

“We invite citizens to sign the petition and thus contribute to improving the quality of inclusion,” emphasize representatives of the Children of Light Association, Banja Luka.