By his Decree dated March 14, 1854, Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević founded the Craft School at Topolivnica. The craft school was the first institution of its kind in Serbia.

The craft school was abolished in a short time. With the efforts of the highest state officials, in 1862 a decision was made for the Craft school at the Military Factory in Kragujevac to continue its work.

Wars of national liberation against Turkey from 1876-1878., interrupted the work of the school for the period of 12 years.

The school renewed its work in 1888 with the efforts of the director of the Institute, Pavle Šafarik, and especially the agile engineer Tošo Selesković and the Minister of War, Sava Grujić.

After graduating from the Military–Crafts school, a significant number of cadets went to the developed centers of the military industry in Europe and the USA, in order to continue their further professional training.

The historical film about the founding of the school was made on the occasion of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding.

Actors from the Knjaževo-Serbian Theater from Kragujevac and school students took part in the film.

The school building was significantly damaged in the First World War.

With the renovation of the Military Technical Institute in 1920, the Military -Crafts School also renewed its work. The school retained its military character in terms of status and organization. Since 1925, the boarding school has been working again at the school, and the cadets were educated at the expense of the state.

The school was closed for the fourth time in 1941.

Military Industrial School No. 1 in Kragujevac was founded in September 1946 by the Ministry of National Defense at the „Crvena Zastava“ Institutes. In 1946/47. 490 military cadets were enrolled in the school.

In 1964, the school was named Youth Technical School „Đuro Salaj“.

On September 1, 1972, the Center for Technical Education „Voja Radić“ was established, and the school was named the Metal School for Skilled Workers and Technicians „Zastava“.

During the school year 1990/91., the school changed its name to Mechanical Engineering School „Zastava“.

The school is called the Technical School of Mechanical Engineering and Traffic until May 23, 1996., and since 2009 the school changed its name to Polytechnic School.

In 2018, a decision was made by the Government and Ministry of Education to establish Secondary vocational school in Kragujevac and abolish Polytechnic school and The Second Technical School in Kragujevac.

The school implements plans and programs of teaching and learning of general and professional education in the duration of three years and four years for the following fields of work, mechanical engineering and metalworking, electrical engineering, transport, forestry and wood processing and culture, art and public info.

The curriculum for teaching and learning is realized in Serbian language.