At the only state educational institution in Serbia that trains professional pilots, there is every chance that the vacation will last longer, most likely due to political influence.
More than 10 licensed lecturers and managers of the Aviation Academy in Belgrade have resigned due to the Ministry of Education's decision to replace long-time director Goran Cvijović and replace him with Miroslav Lepiro, a mechanical engineer with no experience in aviation.
The departure of licensed professors means that the school can no longer issue diplomas recognized in Europe to its students, something they were most proud of for years.
The parents' council, employees, and union representatives have organized several protests in front of the school since January 8, and it is still unknown when students will be able to return to school and who will teach them.
The Ministry of Education had not responded to BBC journalists' questions about their proposal for overcoming the crisis by the time this text was published.
However, this should not affect the safety of air passengers, the Directorate of Civil Aviation, the national oversight body, said in a written response to the BBC in Serbian.
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In 100 words
One of the education unions sees the Ministry of Education as the biggest culprit for the current situation, stating that "through unreasonable and inadequate actions, they want to bring down the school like a house of cards, and that no one understands why they are doing this."
"This is one of the high schools with the best reputation in Serbia, there are classes where classes are held only in English."
"From a secondary technical school, an entire aviation center was formed, where pilots, air traffic controllers, aviation and traffic technicians, and mechanics receive their education," explains Milorad Antić from the Forum of Secondary Vocational Schools.
The Aviation Academy consists of a secondary vocational school, a college of vocational studies, as well as a pilot training center in Vršac.
How did politics influence the fate of the school? 300 words
The Parents' Council also previously issued a statement asking the Minister of Education Slavica Đukić Dejanović to annul the decision dismissing the principal.
Goran Cvijović is at the Air Force Academy, a school that was founded a few months ago. celebrated its centenary, spent 25 years, and his directorial mandate was valid for another two.
He was replaced before New Year and Lepir, a former member of the Vršac City Council, was appointed acting director.
For months now, media outlets close to the government have been campaigning against Cvijović, accusing him of sympathetic to the opposition, because he supported the student protests, as well as acting "a state within a state".
"The director was dismissed because, due to a report of a security threat at the flight center in Vršac, he dismissed the head of the flight center who was close to the Serbian Progressive Party."
"Then there was political intervention, so the Ministry of Education replaced the director and brought in someone who was not involved in aviation," says Ivan Miletić from the school's parents' council.
Parents of students considered that it is not clear what the criteria were based on which Lepir was appointed, for whom the statement claims that "he does not have a single day's experience in managing any educational institution or in affairs related to the aviation industry", and it is not known whether meets the criteria prescribed by the Law on the Foundations of the Education System.
Students from the Air Force Academy also provided support to parents and employees.
"From the first day we set foot in school, we were taught that safety is the holy word of aviation," they wrote in an open letter to the education minister, posted on the social network. Instagram.
"It is important for us to resolve this situation because of the permits we can work with, and due to current events, our training is on hold and we are not sure when it will resume," says Petar Petrovski, a third-year student studying piloting.
Cvijović is among the dozen or so managers who have resigned, and from the school's union. they announced and filing criminal charges against Lepiro, accusing him of arbitrariness.

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Ivan Miletić is responsible for the loss of lecturers of professional subjects, who are also license holders.
"Their departure means that at the end of their education, neither students nor pupils will be able to obtain the necessary licenses and certificates, with which they were able to work until now," adds Miletić, an aircraft electrician by profession.
In recent years, the school has been involved in the dual education model, so students have had internships at Air Serbia, JAT Technika, and Nikola Tesla Airport.
"With the departure of professors, there will be no classes in either high school or college, and there will be no people in the entire Serbia who can issue licenses, because the Aviation Academy was also a certification center at the state level, so now employees in the aviation industry will have to go to EU countries to obtain or renew their licenses," says Miletić.
Parents of students who pay annual tuition fees of 14.000 euros for air traffic control and 18.000 euros for piloting are particularly concerned.
"Back in the day, when I went here, this was a technical secondary school, so students only received a diploma upon graduation."
"However, the idea was for the school to become an aviation center, so over time a college was formed, and so far, upon graduation, children also receive certificates for work in accordance with EASA standards," says Miletć.
EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) is a European Union agency responsible for regulating and overseeing air safety in Europe.
Ovi standard define requirements for aircraft manufacturers and maintainers, regulate aviation in European Union member states, but include requirements for personnel training and qualification.
In order for educational institutions offering training for pilots, technicians or other aviation personnel to meet these standards, they must also: be certified.
Is air traffic at risk?
The Civil Aviation Directorate "conducts oversight of all aspects of civil aviation, including pilot licensing and certification, to ensure full compliance with domestic and international standards."
"The Civil Aviation Directorate of the Republic of Serbia, as the national supervisory body for safety and security in civil aviation, works to maintain the highest possible level of air traffic safety in the Republic of Serbia, thereby ensuring that the entire civil aviation system functions smoothly," they wrote.

Why is the Air Force Academy important?
The Aviation Academy educates professionals for civil and military aviation.
"We have theoretical classes in Belgrade, and practical classes at the training center in Vršac."
"We also had practice at airports in Belgrade, Niš, Kragujevac, and military pilots also had practice in Batajnica," says Petar Petrovski.
The Aviation Academy was founded in 1924 in the Belgrade neighborhood of Dorćol, originally as a technical secondary school.
Students from this school fought in the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, as well as in World War II, when about two hundred students and professors were killed, and nine of them were declared national heroes, it says on the school website.
In September 2007, the school changed its name from the "Petar Drapšin" Technical School to the Aviation Academy.
There are currently 3.067 valid pilot licenses in various categories in Serbia, according to data from the Civil Aviation Directorate.
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