Education is the most important part of society and should be invested in the most. Without intending to diminish the importance of acquired knowledge, in school desks young people spend most of their childhood and in them they should learn much more than history, geography and mathematics.
She said this, among other things, in an interview for "Vijesti". Isidora Sredanović, a student of the seventh grade of Elementary School "21. maj" in Podgorica and a member of the Network of Golden Advisors of the Ombudsman.
"We are all aware that big changes need to be made, but these big things are hidden behind the little things that we neglect and don't have time to deal with. I think that schools should be a place where we can't wait to come, where we have fun and warmth, where we feel safe, respected and loved, regardless of whether we have A's or A's, whether we are Roma or not and whether we have developmental disability or not," she said.
Sredanović has been a member of the Golden Advisors Network since May of last year and, as she says, it was a great experience for her.
The network of golden ombudsman advisors was formed in 2014 so that interested children could actively participate in the work of defenders of human rights and freedoms. Their role is to contribute to the protection and promotion of children's rights with their proposals and ideas.
"My generation of Golden Advisors started working relatively recently, but it seems to me that applying for this competition is one of the better decisions and I am very grateful that I was chosen. We have a great time in the Network with 30 children from different cities of Montenegro. We talk about very important topics, but in a fun way... Even though we are of different ages, some are from the north and some are from the south, we are not all the best students, but we really differ in our interests. Within the network, we are all equally important and what is best - our opinion is really sought and heard", said Sredanović.
SISTEM NEPRAVDI
According to her, there are "many injustices" in the Montenegrin education system. The lack of teaching staff in the subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry, the decreasing number of psychologists in educational institutions, as well as peer violence, are just some of the challenges that the education system faces.
"Also, there are differences in the availability of education for children in Montenegro. Children from rural and rural areas often do not have the same opportunities as their peers in urban areas. "Difficult access to schools, especially in unconnected or remote places, is a significant problem because school transport is still not properly regulated," Sredanović believes.
As he says, children with special educational needs "rarely get involved in extracurricular activities".
"When it comes to the quality of education, we should ask ourselves why children of the Roma nationality have a harder time deciding to continue their education. This may mean that they did not receive a quality education in primary school or that they were not encouraged and motivated to continue their education," said Sredanović, adding that children are worried about a bad result on the PISA test.
He is of the opinion that the Montenegrin education system is "a little outdated" in some segments.
"We often find textbooks boring and outdated, so it depends on the teacher's motivation whether they will be able to bring the material closer to us, and not all teachers are very motivated. When we see what chemistry, physics, and biology classes look like in European schools, we really wonder when children in Montenegro will have something similar. I think that's a shame, because how will we know if we're interested in something if the school doesn't make efforts to interest us and 'provoke' our interests and talents. Our teaching does not have practical elements of learning, and today's generations cannot get interested in any other way, because everything that can be learned from books is already on the Internet and the information is available to us in two clicks", explained Sredanović.
"PUT ON SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES"
He reminds that through the Network of Golden Advisors young people learn to "put on other people's shoes" and that "we look at every topic from the point of view of children who do not have enough money, or do not have an adequate home".
"Many times, both through my life and through the Network of Golden Advisors, I have met children who do not have the basic conditions for life. I think the state should pay special attention to children living in poverty, because the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says that the material status of the family should not limit the child's enjoyment of any right," Sredanović points out.
He emphasizes that the increasingly frequent use of alcohol and opiates among young people is a burning problem which, he points out, "is not only present in our country, but throughout the world."
"I think that perhaps the problem is the lack of quality content for children or the fact that certain substances are quite accessible to them. Children who use stimulants, especially if they become dependent on them, are in trouble and need help. Punishment is never an adequate solution, especially when it comes to children and teenagers. Punishment often leads to anger, anger and arouses resistance", said the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
According to her, a positive effect would be the showing of educational films that "show the severity and danger of addiction", as well as "holding workshops on this topic".
"But a workshop in which all the children in the school participate, not just the selected and usually the best students. This is a topic that needs to be talked about so that it is understandable to children and to properly show the danger to which we are exposed. Children need to be shown more life-like things and the real danger to which we expose ourselves, even though we want to 'just try'. At the same time, parents and citizens should also receive education in an understandable way, because the child must not be alone in the problem, but needs timely and adequate support", Sredanović points out.
THE CHILD'S VOICE SHOULD BE LISTENED TO MORE
The child's voice is important, and decision-makers, emphasizes Sredanović, "should listen to them more".
As he claims, the Network of Golden Advisors has been warning for almost a decade that it is important to hear the opinion of children about their rights.
"No matter how small, mature or immature we are, how can we be partners with adults in creating a society where no child is hungry, where every child has adequate health care. A society in which violent behavior is an exception, not our everyday life, in which all children go to school and look forward to gaining knowledge and developing their potential, regardless of whether they have a developmental disability or not. In which our peers from the Roma population enroll in universities, and that is not a spectacle but a natural thing. "In which every school has a sufficient number of psychologists and mathematics teachers, and in which diversity among us is an asset, not an invitation to beatings and bullying," concluded Sredanović.
A dignified life for all
According to her, cultural and sports activities are what children lack in many Montenegrin municipalities.
"...They don't have very rich content and those children are a little envious of us from Podgorica for the offer of cinemas, theaters, sports clubs, manifestations, events, but that means nothing if you don't have money for entrance fees or membership fees. I emphasize our rights to quality free time and recreation for a reason, because I think it is unnecessary to remind of the importance of every child having a warm home, quality nutrition and everything that makes a dignified life and growing up", believes Sredanović.
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