Yesterday, semi-graduates and high school graduates raised the country to its feet, and the culmination of numerous incidents happened in Podgorica - elementary school graduates of "Vlado Milić" primary school set fire to the roof of the school during the torchlight ceremony.
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The roof will not be the only damage caused - the question is whether it will be possible to use the classrooms in that wing of the building after the intervention of firefighters and huge amounts of water with which the fire was extinguished.
"We live in a society full of bad role models, starting with the political elite that dominates the public space, driven by the insatiable need to be constantly present, which in fact largely promotes negative patterns of behavior, aggression, disrespect, lack of ethics. Then there are the parents and the family, in which, unfortunately, young people are created who are ready to set fire to the school, beat up the teacher... Not to mention the media and the Internet, which are flooded with pathology of every kind. All this together gives birth to a young man who finds the peak of fun, celebration and satisfaction in lighting a torch, and in this case also a school," sociologist Andrija Đukanović told "Vijesta" yesterday.
It was not peaceful in Kotor either - the final grade students there blocked the Vrmac tunnel, while their peers throughout Montenegro celebrated with nationalist songs and fights. Yesterday, according to RTCG, high school graduates from Ulcinj caused an accident, fortunately, with no injuries.
However, yesterday's pictures from the Budva square, where the graduates performed the graduation dance, show that it can be different.
Prosecutors reviewed the footage
Ivana Milić, the principal of Podgorica Elementary School "Vlado Milić", said that she had unofficial knowledge that there would be torchlights, because it had happened in previous years, and that she called the police the moment she saw the final grade students with torches.
"I was aware that they already traditionally celebrate every year, and compete on social media to see who had the better torch and whose party will be better. First, we need to start with the people who sold them those torches and pyrotechnic devices," said Milić.
"We will see what we will do with educational measures, because they are still students of our school," she added.
This essentially means that students can have their grades reduced in governance...
According to the commander of the Podgorica Protection and Rescue Service, Zdravko Blečić, the fire engulfed part of the roof, covering an area of 40 to 50 square meters.
"Firefighters had problems approaching and accessing this part of the school, however, with the help of the janitor, who was very prompt, they succeeded," said Blečić.
Unfortunately, they took advantage of the fact that we, as parents, made a mistake, not controlling enough and not having an insight into what kind of celebrations children are 'preparing', as well as the fact that torches can be obtained and used without any problems in this country. Not only today, the last day of school, but also during the celebrations of the semi-prom and prom nights. We are in a crisis of family and all other values, and our children are only using them and doing what we taught them, what we approved of them and what they are not responsible for, said the Association of Parents
The Basic State Prosecutor's Office told "Vijesta" that until the end of the event, they do not have information about whether the identified students are responsible for the flare, and whether one part of the investigation will go to the question of how and where they bought the pyrotechnics.
"The acting state prosecutor was on the scene to conduct the investigation together with the expert for fires and explosions", said "Vijesti" from ODT.
According to unofficial information from "Vijesti", the prosecutors also examined the recordings allegedly made by the teachers yesterday. Allegedly, 34 students lit the torches, and three fifteen-year-olds admitted that they threw the torches at the school...
Until the conclusion of the paper, the Podgorica prosecutor's office did not announce what the investigation showed...
Are there any responsibilities of teachers?
The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MPNI) will insist on adequately determining responsibility and sanctioning all participants in the incident, the department announced yesterday.
Minister Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović visited the school yesterday and condemned inappropriate behavior.
"We appeal to the competent authorities to tighten the penal policy because it is high time for that and no one has the right to endanger the safety of children and employees in schools and destroy state property," the Ministry's statement said.
They thanked the competent authorities - the Police Directorate and the Protection and Rescue Service for their timely reaction, thanks to which there were no serious consequences.
Yesterday, the department did not announce the possible responsibility of the management and personnel, and according to unofficial information, they will wait for the prosecution to announce its position.
Several "Vijesti" sources who spent their working life in education claim that the school administration is responsible for the incident, especially if they knew that the high school seniors were preparing the torch.
"Even if they didn't have that knowledge, they had to assume that the semi-graduates would light firecrackers, or do something similar, because this is a perennial phenomenon in almost all schools in Podgorica, including the school in Donja Gorica", the former director told "Vijesti" of a school in Podgorica, now a pensioner, with the condition that his name is not mentioned in newspapers.
He, as well as the other interlocutors of "Vijesti", based on decades of experience, state that the teacher on duty, the class teachers, the assistant director, and the director are responsible for the incident.
"Practically everyone who allowed students to bring torches into the school and set fire to the roof," said one of them.
Another, on the other hand, states that yesterday's burning of the school is a logical continuation of everything that we have been seeing at (semi)graduation celebrations for the last two decades.
"Beginning with trumpeters and nationalist songs, ending with the burning of the school. Someone has to be responsible for not standing in the way of that, at least in the schoolyards".
The President of the Education Union, Radomir Božović, said yesterday that the students understood it as a game, and that the adults should have drawn their attention to the fact that "some children's games can lead to serious consequences".
Asked if the management and teaching staff could have prevented the unfortunate event, Božović said that it was not yet known "what the circumstances were".
"Whether the children, perhaps, were allowed to go home or they already left and came back... I don't know the details. Usually the teachers accompany them. It happened that they would call trumpeters, splash water on each other, but the teachers would be there and follow them... In any case, I only know that when I was in class, my colleagues and I would always follow what they were doing, be with them, until they they go home. I only know that teachers and school administrators are following it. I'm not sure that the management just let go and good luck... I tell you again, I don't know the details," said Božović.
Who sells torches to children?
Yesterday, the Association of Parents told "Vijesta" that it is already clear that children do not know how to celebrate their departure from elementary school, that is, parting with their friends.
"There is no way to find creative and beautiful ways to celebrate, to watch some of the scenes that we see from the region and the world and from our coast. Obviously, that cannot work here. We have to, of course, as always, go to the extreme and celebrate the end of primary or secondary school with some destructive behavior and very dangerous situations", said the Parents' Association.
From that organization, they assessed that the reaction had to be different.
“In terms of preparation for this day. Some kind of pressure and control had to be made. On this day when they finish, perhaps additional supervision. As far as we can see around the capital, the police are a little more present than usual. It also happened that schools warned parents to talk to their children not to do such things on that last day. Because it is expected that they will do something like that, because it has become a practice", emphasized the Parents Association.
They ask how the students got the torches in the first place, if it is known that the law prohibits the sale of pyrotechnics to minors.
"Unfortunately, they took advantage of the fact that we, as parents, made an oversight, not controlling sufficiently and not having insight into what kind of celebration children are 'preparing', as well as the fact that torches can be obtained and used without any problems in this country. Not only today, the last day of school, but also during the celebrations of the semi-prom and prom nights. We are in a crisis of family and all other values, and our children are only using it and doing what we taught them, what we approved and what they are not responsible for", they emphasized.
They appealed to all actors in society not to leave anything to chance in the coming year.
"And that the schools, together with the parents, do their best to prepare festive, decent and beautiful celebrations that will be an example", concludes the Parents' Association.
Đukanović: The causes of violence should be sought in the environment
"Children today are much more violent than two or three decades ago. The reason for this should be sought in the environment in which they grow up and the role models that are presented to them", according to sociologist Đukanović.
"Under the guise of freedom and democracy, space has been opened for many wrong things that have a bad effect on young people. Thus, we have a lot of bad content in the media and on the Internet, which today have a dominant influence on the behavior of young people," emphasizes Đuakaović.
According to his opinion, high school graduates and semi-high school graduates celebrate in a rather aggressive way.
"...Like fan groups, often with nationalist songs, inappropriate for the occasion and place. Today, fans, criminals, and even war criminals are role models for young people. All these role models are marketed to them by the most watched and popular media. Apart from the media and social networks, a huge responsibility is borne by the parents whose attitudes and values are passed on to the young, and it involves a lot of aggression and hatred. It has become acceptable to be sensitive, tolerant and polite, today only aggression and rudeness are appreciated", Đukanović assessed.
He says that the fact that parents do not have time for children, that many are faced with the struggle for existence, and as a result of which they do not deal with children who are left on the street, should also be highlighted.
"You could bet that even after what happened with the burning of the school, there will be parents who will defend the children and find justifications for their actions, and even those who will make them victims. Parents are often non-objective and many of the problems with children's behavior originate from them. All segments of society are responsible for the situation in which young people find themselves. These days, we also see cafes full of young people celebrating the end of school with alcohol, and among them there are a lot of minors. And here is the sale of pyrotechnics to minors... No one is seriously concerned with young people and the prevention of their deviant behavior. We fell deep into a hole from which we cannot get out", concluded Đukanović.
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