Political appointments, curricula, textbooks, but also the system in which students, not teachers, manage the criteria must be consigned to the past as soon as possible.
Staff who reached their positions with the help of politics, an overly extensive curriculum that does not offer the possibility of critical reflection or application in life, textbooks that have confused students more than they have taught them for more than a decade, are just part of the problems in Montenegrin education, according to the readers of "Vijesti".
The editorial team published a questionnaire at the end of January, inviting readers to draw the attention of education authorities to pressing problems and suggest solutions in anticipation of the adoption of the Ten-Year Education Reform Strategy.
The questionnaire was completed by 661 people, most of whom were from Podgorica - 339. Most of them belonged to the age group from 35 to 54 years (483).
More than half of readers (361) expect the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation to have a “real desire to see the problems and improve the education system”, but to have a clear vision and plan for education reform (310).
Overly extensive material and practically useless knowledge are seen as a problem by 314 readers, while 297 of them want new curricula for students. More than a third (257) believe that current textbooks are long outdated, which is why it is necessary to urgently work on new ones.
249 readers expect the depoliticization of the field of education, and 238 believe that some teachers do not try hard enough in class and hope that education employees will be more engaged in working with children.
The lack of basic conditions in kindergartens and schools for children was highlighted as a problem by 207 readers.
"We need to focus on the process, not the results. We have led to the fact that children are governed by criteria that do not exist. Knowledge is not important, the values of students and teachers are distorted. The Ministry wants results on paper, real results are not important. Children see and understand that it is easier to be a scoundrel, and they become one," is one of the suggestions.
"The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation needs to set goals. Goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. For example, the Ministry's goal must be to reach 2027th place in the PISA test by 20," the readers' suggestions emphasized.
Teachers humiliated, but also uncommitted to students
Some readers also say that "the collapse of the education system began with the degradation of the reputation, knowledge and authority of teachers."
"Decades of negative campaigns have resulted in no one wanting to be a teacher. Only 10 percent of the blame lies with the teachers themselves because, as in every profession, they do not do a good job... A better position for teachers in society is necessary, depoliticization of education, a real desire for change to happen, which should include teachers... People with will and knowledge should be appointed to leadership positions, and not for appointments to be politically motivated...".
Some readers, however, criticize the work of the teaching staff.
"Teachers need to focus more on children who are interested in learning. Most of the time, classes are about improving grades or calming down children who are disrupting classes," the reader states.
He also believes that "teachers should be given more freedom to sanction children whose behavior disrupts classes."
"The education sector must provide professional and motivated staff to work in schools who will also spend their full working hours in the institution and constantly work on their improvement... The teaching staff needs to be brought into line. Those who do not know the subject matter and cannot or do not want to teach the material to students should distance themselves from the education system... If someone has decided to be an educator, then that is what they should be, and not do what is planned, and whether the child understood it is less important. Schools must be free of politics, teaching staff must be selected based on their expertise, and they should also pass psychological tests," some readers assessed.
When a future programmer learns about the life of arthropods
Readers suggest that educational authorities "analyze best practices, apply proven models, take bold and radical, not populist, moves in the best interest of society as a whole, encourage improvement in the quality of work with children, reward enthusiasm...".
"It is necessary to connect information from textbooks with concrete examples in practice and for knowledge to be applicable. It is necessary to introduce a mandatory subject, Civic Education, at all levels. Subjects should be reorganized, and thus the load of material, in accordance with the interests and natural talents of students, to improve evaluation methods with the aim of encouraging critical thinking and focusing on learning outcomes... Through programs, primarily in the upper grades of elementary school, the child should be directed to his interests and not burden someone who is interested in programming about the way arthropods and amoebas exist...", are the suggestions of "Vijesti" readers.
They emphasize that the acquired knowledge must be used in practice, but also that it is important for students to have unannounced knowledge tests more often "so that older students are not ready to cheat."
"We must accept that the current education system is outdated and irrelevant for today, to integrate the needs of children and to make a serious and comprehensive reform that will motivate children to think, not just memorize material... It is necessary to prohibit parental interference in the education system, stronger educational measures for student behavior, and a reduction in the volume of material in all subjects," the readers say.
Gošović: We are considering all suggestions
The public consultation on the Draft Strategy ended on 2 January, and it is expected to be adopted by the end of April (first quarter) at the latest. The document highlights that the current major problem is the quality of the existing school infrastructure, but also that the lack of appropriate equipment and materials for teaching and learning affects the quality of education.
"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 Ministry of Education emphasizes that the received suggestions are being considered.
Director General of the Directorate for Secondary and Vocational Education, Marija Gošović, points out that during the public debate, the Ministry received eight comments from relevant stakeholders.
He emphasizes that the Ministry 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, Gošović points out, have been recognized through the measures defined in the Strategy, and in that sense, four key goals have been defined.
“The first relates to improving the quality, equity and inclusiveness of the education system. The second focuses 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 being equipped with quality and inclusive didactic materials,” concludes Gošović.
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