"I would advocate that those who graduated from a state university can get a job in state institutions."
This is the way the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture would do Vladimir Jokovic solved the problem of party recruitment.
Commenting on party recruitments in the mandate of the 43rd Government, Joković told RTCG that if there is "correcting the injustice towards those people who had the courage and they could never come and get a job".
Iz Ministry of Education they did not answer "Vijesti" questions about whether they consider Joković's statement discriminatory, nor whether the department has information about the lower quality of diplomas from private higher education institutions, which would eventually result in their work permit being revoked.
"The Ministry of Education does not comment on the statements of members of the Government. The address of the Ministry of Education is not the address to which these questions should be sent. Certainly, we are sure that the statement does not refer to private colleges and universities that are highly ranked on international lists of higher education institutions," the department replied. Miomir Vojinović.
Discrimination and ignorance
"Vijesti" interlocutors, on the other hand, agree that Joković is discriminating against students of private universities with this attitude.
With such a statement, says the former long-time secretary of the private University "Mediterranean" Dragica Andjelic, "the Deputy Prime Minister only confirmed that in every sense it is as far from higher education as the sky is from the earth".
"I agree that party recruitment is a legacy of the former government, but the new government has given it an even stronger intensity," Anđelić said in a statement to "Vijesti".
According to her, that attitude of Joković is discriminatory.
"But, above all, the lack of knowledge of the highest state officials in the educational system of Montenegro is a concern. Discrimination against private universities and colleges is nothing new. Recently, the Parliament passed the Law on Confirmation of the Agreement on the Recognition of Qualifications in the Field of Higher Education in the Western Balkans, and only for qualifications obtained at public institutions, and all of this passes without objection. In connection with this, many people will probably be surprised when they realize that a diploma obtained at a private university does not have the same treatment as a diploma obtained at a state university, and with this initiative the state wanted to expand the boundaries of easier recognition of educational documents, which, I assume, made Mr. Joković, that he considers them unworthy even within his own state administration. If it wasn't sad, it would be funny," Anđelić emphasizes.
The statement is inappropriate, the state guarantees equality
And a full professor at the University "Mediterranean" and a lawyer Miloš Vukčević warns that the statement of the Deputy Prime Minister is "at least inappropriate".
"...And I would say scandalous, because he discriminated against all students of private universities, who are guaranteed the same rights by law as state students," said Vukčević.
He reminded that the state, through its legislative framework, guarantees the establishment and operation of private universities, as well as the same rights regarding the employment of students, but also the realization of a number of other rights.
"Vice President Joković should, first of all, take care of compliance with the Law on Higher Education, the Law on Labor, the Law on Civil Servants and State Employees, as well as other systemic laws that do not differentiate between students - whether they come from private or state university", points out Vukčević.
An attitude that drives good students out of Montenegro
Senior legal advisor at the Center for Vocational Education (VET) Snezana Kaluđerović says that the public does not know that the Agency for Control and Quality Assurance of Higher Education in Montenegro ranked universities and higher education institutions in Montenegro and determined the quality of diplomas according to some methodology.
"It is not even known that there are analyzes of the quality of diplomas obtained at higher education institutions in Montenegro. It is not known how diplomas from internationally recognized or highly ranked universities on international rankings are not valid for the Deputy Prime Minister. However, we all know that the SNP in the opposition was vocal about the necessity of professionalizing public administration, as well as that they quickly forgot that story when they came to power because we saw that expertise and quality were the last criteria by which this government was guided in the process of employment", notes Kaluđerović.
According to her, it is not the first time that "Joković has made statements with a discriminatory content and obviously neither his political experience nor the high office he holds have taught him elementary, even political responsibility."
Controls every five years
Dragica Anđelić emphasizes that Montenegro is part of the European area of higher education. "There are external commissions appointed by the Agency for Control and Quality Assurance of Higher Education in Montenegro that check the quality of work of both private and state universities. Quality control is mandatory, every five years, and institutions that meet the prescribed standards continue their work without interruption, otherwise students may be banned from enrolling," she explains.
The problem is dubious foreign degrees
According to Anđelić, the key problem is "false diplomas obtained outside the borders of Montenegro" and the state should deal with this. She said that, according to the statements of some officials who are still in the government, about 30.000 fake diplomas figure in the state administration.
And Vukčević warns that Joković "is bothered by private universities in Montenegro, but the government does nothing to prevent the arrival of a huge number of diplomas, every year, from dubious faculties in the surrounding area".
"Finally, with such a statement, Joković discriminated against all high school students, because they also have the right to be employed as employees in the state administration, exactly in the way that the Deputy Prime Minister himself exercised that right, who also graduated from high school and performs the function of a minister. To begin with, I suggest him to finish some college. It can also be private", says Vukčević.
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