Unicef, the Association of Parents, the Educational Community, the Pedagogical Center, the Union of Principals of Schools of Montenegro and the Union of Education of Montenegro call for each school to be allowed to independently decide on the best ways to organize quality and inclusive education during the COVID-19 pandemic on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of risks and possibilities of the school to be carried out in cooperation with health professionals, teachers, parents, students and the local community.
This appeal, as stated in the joint statement, stemmed from the first meeting on the right to education during the Covid-19 pandemic that Unicef organized with relevant local organizations last week.
"Inclusive public discussion is the goal of a series of meetings with relevant organizations organized by UNICEF for the greater inclusion of different groups, primarily students, parents and teachers, in the public debate on education during the COVID-19 pandemic. They all have the right to be consulted so that their views are taken into account when making decisions. We are convinced that the best decisions will be made through continuous dialogue with all interested parties and health experts," said Juan Santander, head of the UNICEF representative office in Montenegro.
The educational community emphasized that the decision to reopen schools should be based on a thorough analysis of the situation in each school, which should be carried out in close cooperation with health experts, teachers, parents and students.
"We appeal to every school to include the teachers' council, the parents' council and the student parliaments in a dialogue with health experts and the school administration in order to quickly recognize all problems and together find the best solutions at the school level. One of them is certainly equipping all schools, teachers and students with new technologies and skills to use them", said Olivera Leković from the Education Community.
The Pedagogical Center pointed out the need to listen with special attention to the messages of children with developmental disabilities, as well as Roma and Egyptian families.
"A single solution for all schools and all children ignores the differences in student needs that a quality education system should respond to." We call on the Ministry of Education to ensure a flexible system that can meet the different needs of different students. This is the key principle of quality, inclusive education and it should be followed even during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Prof. Biljana Maslovarić from the Pedagogical Center.
The Union of School Directors of Montenegro highlighted the challenges of schools with too many students.
"The challenges are not the same for all schools. Some schools are able to safely organize classes in the school building in accordance with the instructions of the health authorities. However, this is a significant challenge for overcrowded schools. For this problem, we need to find short-term solutions together with health experts and local communities, while for its long-term solution, we appeal to the authorities at the local and national level to build new schools", pointed out Dragutin Šćekić from the Union of School Directors of Montenegro.
The Education Union of Montenegro warned of a significant increase in the workload of teachers and inadequate digital support. They especially emphasized the need to improve the socio-economic position of teachers in society.
"The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a health crisis, but also an educational one. The future of our society depends on the good work of not only doctors, but also teachers. We call for an urgent improvement of the socio-economic position of educators", said Nikolaj Knežević from the Education Union of Montenegro.
The Parents' Association explained that the socio-economic status of the parents must also be taken into account, because the authorities have not yet adopted adequate measures on paid parental leave.
"We are still waiting for a decision on the right to paid leave, and September 1 has passed a long time ago. This situation is quite stressful for many families throughout Montenegro, and we call on the authorities to resolve it as soon as possible, as well as to prevent it from happening again," said Kristina Mihailović from the Parents Association.
The head of the Unicef representative office in Montenegro, Juan Santander, will meet, as announced, with other organizations from the civil sector and relevant institutions during the coming weeks in order to get to know their views on the state of children's rights during the Covid-19 pandemic and to promote their participation in inclusive public debate on the issue.
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