Violence against teachers must be solved systematically, and not cover up cases where miscreants usually go unpunished, said the Union of Education of Montenegro (SPCG).
The President of the Trade Union, Radomir Božović, reminded that in April of last year, they published the research "Violence against teachers".
Božović said that, of over 1,2 thousand male and female teachers surveyed from all over Montenegro, over 25 percent wrote that in the previous few years they had experienced a certain type of verbal or physical violence from students, parents or school administrators.
“The data is devastating. The epilogue of almost all such violence is that the case is covered up. Only rare cases reach the public, but even those remain without a proper reaction. We sent the PDF version of the research to the directors of all educational institutions in Montenegro," said Božović.
He said that the SPCG has also created a form of protocol on how schools should act when "a nervous parent comes to school to clarify with the teachers".
"Few directors responded to our research. We also sent the research to the Ministry of Education, the Institute for Education, and their representatives were there to promote our research," said Božović.
He said that they have sent several letters to the Ministry of Justice with the aim of meeting and seeing if there is a possibility for teachers to legally obtain official status.
"Also, we wanted to propose that an article be included in the Criminal Code that would provide for fines for parents of children who commit violence against teachers, or that in the Act on the treatment of minors in criminal proceedings, the punishments for those who commit violence against teachers should be increased", added Bozovic.
He said that they expected the Ministry of Education, together with the Institute of Education, to support them and that educational measures in schools would be stricter and more effective.
Božović said that this was one of the demands of the trade union during the warning strike, held on September 4 last year, and added that they had not received a response from any ministry.
He said that they are all additionally worried about the latest case of violence against teachers at the "Savo Pejanović" school.
According to Božović, the inertness of the officials of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation in this case is worrying.
"We wonder how long individuals (parents, students or school administrators) will be able to commit violence against us, without anyone being held accountable," said Božović.
He recalled the case at the "Vuk Karadžić" school from Beran, from last June, when a student repeated a class with six units, and his parent "led a hunt through social media against the teachers, especially the physics professor Siniša Miladinović, insulting them and threatening".
According to Božović, the teachers reported the case to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP), but there was no reaction.
Božović said that the case from the "Pavle Rovinski" school in Podgorica is currently current, where the math teacher caught a student copying during a control task, the way he was using the phone.
As he stated, it turned out that the student took photos of the test, sent the assignments to the teacher from the private course, who did them and forwarded them to him.
Božović said that the math teacher took a photo of the student's phone, as evidence, reported the case to the assistant principal and the class teacher.
He said that the teacher reported to the MUP the teacher from the private course, who illegally helped the student during the regular class.
Božović stated that in the end, upon the parent's report, the director initiates disciplinary proceedings against the mathematics teacher, states that the teacher committed a serious breach of duty and punishes her with a 20 percent salary reduction for the month.
Božović also recalled the case of Dragan Mijušković, a teacher at the "Oktoih" school in Podgorica, who a few years ago was lynched by the public because a student brutally insulted him during a basketball game.
"All the cases mentioned show that teachers, most often, do not have the protection of the competent institutions, and that they are left to their own devices," said Božović.
According to him, teachers in the Montenegrin education system need legal protection.
"How this can be done remains to be seen in discussions with the authorities in the ministries of education, science and innovation and justice." Until then, the union will provide legal and advisory assistance to all teachers who will experience violence at work", said Božović.
He called on the authorities to react.
"We must systematically solve violence against teachers, and not cover up cases where miscreants, most often, go unpunished," Božović believes.
According to him, as long as such things happen in classrooms, the best young generations will avoid the teacher's call.
"And those who are already there, they will use the first opportunity to change jobs", added Božović.
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