This law regulates the basics of the system of preschool, primary and secondary education and adult education, as follows: principles, goals, outcomes, standards of education and upbringing, knowledge, skills and attitudes, means and conditions for conducting pre-school education, basic and secondary education and upbringing, types of education programs, establishment, organization, financing and supervision of the work of institutions of education and upbringing, as well as other issues of relevance for education and upbringing. This law also regulates the workplace relationships of the employees in institutions.

With the start of implementation of this Law, Article 12 of the Law on Adult Education ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia" No. 55/13) shall cease to be valid, as well as the previous Law on Foundations of Education System ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia" no. 72/09, 52/11, 55/13, 35/15 - authentic interpretation, 68/15 and 62/16 – Constitutional Court).