The education reform strategy for the period from 2025 to 2035 could be adopted as early as next month, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation told "Vijesti".
Adoption of this document would begin to address the challenges that the Montenegrin education system has been facing for years, UNICEF said.
"About 70 percent of primary school students attend 13 percent of institutional schools, which leads to overcrowding of certain schools, while a large number of school facilities are underutilized. Children from poorer backgrounds face additional difficulties. Few children with developmental disabilities or Roma and Egyptian children attend preschool education, and as a result are left without critical support in their early years. Very few of these children enroll in secondary schools, which limits their chances of later getting a good job and breaking the multi-generational cycle of poverty," said Mikele Servadei, Head of UNICEF Montenegro, for "Vijesti".
The future plan for reform and development of the education sector was developed by the relevant Ministry with the support of UNICEF and the Delegation of the European Union.
Sevrdei also recalls that this UN fund was a partner of the Ministry in the development of a comprehensive Analysis, which was presented in 2022, and mapped the key weaknesses of the education system.
"Since the 2006 PISA survey, Montenegrin students have lagged behind their OECD peers in mathematics, science and reading. The situation has worsened over time, and according to the 2022 PISA survey results, Montenegrin XNUMX-year-olds are almost three years behind the global PISA average," he warned.
2.500 teachers, more than 300 children from 20 schools and more than 5.500 parents gave their recommendations on how to improve Montenegrin education
On International Education Day, Servadei points out that the goal of the new strategic document is to “create a clear plan to improve the quality of education at all levels in Montenegro, ensuring that all children achieve their full potential.”
"In addition to the obvious infrastructure needs that the Ministry is responding to, UNICEF specifically supports the modernization of the school curriculum to include skills necessary for life in the 21st century, a multi-sectoral approach to addressing violence, professional development for teachers, improving digitalization, and providing tools for the inclusion of children with disabilities and children from minority groups," says Servadei.
What is written in the Draft Strategy?
The public debate on the Draft Strategy ended on January 2. The document, among other things, emphasized that the current major problem is the quality of the existing school infrastructure, and the lack of appropriate equipment and materials for teaching and learning affects the quality of education.
The issue of hygiene in schools is particularly problematic - water, the document states, is mostly available at handwashing stations, but soap and hand dryers are rare. Not even a fifth of schools have hot water.
"One of the key problems is the mismatch between the goals of the Montenegrin curriculum, designed to encourage critical thinking, creativity and problem solving, and the actual assessment practices in classrooms. Despite its curricular ambitions, assessment often emphasizes the reproduction of content, limiting its role in fostering higher order cognitive skills. Internal assessment focuses heavily on memorization rather than competency development," it said.
The document warns that Montenegro has made some efforts to align textbooks and teaching materials with recent curriculum reforms, but that certain challenges remain - particularly when it comes to ensuring that textbooks consistently promote critical thinking and bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.
The document also recognizes that the quality of the Montenegrin education system directly depends on the staff structure and competencies of employees at all levels of education. It is emphasized that the Education Sector Analysis for the period from 2015 to 2020, as well as the results of students in national tests and the achievements of students in international studies, indicate the necessity of improving the initial education of teachers, their professional development and the engagement of qualified and motivated professional staff.
The Draft Strategy reiterates that there is a shortage of teachers in the field of natural sciences, which has been a significant problem for a long time.
Suggestions from more than 5.500 parents, 2.500 teachers, 300 students
The Ministry, headed by Anđela Jakšić Stojanović, says that during the public debate, they received "a total of eight comments from relevant stakeholders."
The Ministry, however, also conducted online questionnaires for children, parents, and teachers, and also organized public debates in seven municipalities with the Parents Association.
"In order to give children, teachers and parents the opportunity to express their opinions on the challenges they face and ways to solve them, during the development of the Strategy, consultations were conducted via an online questionnaire that was completed by around 2.500 teachers, more than 300 children from 20 schools and more than 5.500 parents," they emphasize.
The opinions and recommendations we received from teachers, children and parents, they point out, have been recognized through the measures defined in the Strategy, and in this regard, four key goals have been defined.
"The first relates to improving the quality, equity and inclusiveness of the education system. The second is focused on supporting teachers through initial education and continuous professional development. The third goal relates to improving education management at all levels and providing a financial framework for the implementation of the Strategy. The fourth goal relates to improving and expanding school infrastructure, including equipping them with quality and inclusive teaching materials," the Ministry said.
They explain that, given the complexity and importance of this document, the Working Group is still actively engaged in its finalization.
"The working group carefully considers all received proposals and suggestions to ensure that the Strategy responds to the challenges facing the education system. Proposals and comments are of utmost importance because they provide valuable insight into the needs and expectations of different social groups, making the Strategy comprehensive, which is also the goal of all stakeholders involved in the development of the Strategy," they concluded.
The Working Group, they specify, included all key stakeholders in the education system, including children, teachers and parents, representatives of the Ministry of Education, UNICEF, the Institute for Education, the Center for Vocational Education, the Institute for Textbooks and Teaching Materials, etc.
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