The Montenegrin Education Union expressed deep regret over what they called an unfortunate incident that occurred at the "Miloje Dobrašinović" Gymnasium on Thursday, when security guards allegedly tried to remove retiring professor Nova Vuković from class, in full view of the students present.
Amidst the general harangue against teachers by parents, students, and school administrations, this event exposes the state of our education system to the core, the Education Union pointed out.
The union called on the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation to investigate the case and determine whether the security guard was abused and to respond appropriately to the apparent abuse of authority.
"The attempt to throw a teacher out of his classroom during class, and in front of his students, causes a feeling of anxiety in every normal citizen. Throwing (arresting) a teacher in that way, as if he were a criminal on a wanted list, is something that should never happen in schools in Montenegro," the Education Union said in a statement sent to the media. The union pointed out that this incident reflects how unprotected a teacher is, even in the classroom, where, at least according to the law, he should have autonomy and protection.
"It shows that violence is deeply rooted in Montenegrin society, and that as such it is being transferred to educational institutions. It seems that it has become quite common for us to resolve misunderstandings or different opinions with violence."
"Without going into the legal issues on this occasion, whether the teacher had to go on vacation before retiring, without analyzing whether the security guard blindly carried out the director's orders or wanted to take justice into his own hands, the Education Union of Montenegro condemns this kind of treatment towards a teacher - a man about to retire. School directors must show more sensitivity when resolving sensitive issues in collectives. Therefore, we eagerly await amendments to the General Law on Education, which provides for the testing of managerial and organizational skills for future directors," the statement reads.
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The Education Union also pointed out that this is an opportunity for the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation to review and standardize the role of security guards in schools.
"Otherwise, we believe that introducing security guards into our education system, without any prior training, in addition to violence protection assistants, who have undergone some training in working with children and treating employees, may be a hasty move by the Ministry," it added.
The union also took the opportunity to call on the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation to investigate the case and determine whether the security guard was abused and to respond appropriately to the apparent abuse of authority.
"The Education Trade Union of Montenegro will continue to advocate for the protection of employees in the workplace and to provide all possible assistance to teachers who are subjected to violence, regardless of whether they are members of the Education Trade Union or not," the statement concludes.
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