The Government of Montenegro has adopted the Education Reform Strategy 2025–2035, which initiates a comprehensive transformation of the education system, and in the next two years, more than 145 million euros will be invested in the implementation of key measures, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) announced today.
The statement added that the majority of the funds will be directed towards the construction of facilities within the education system, which, they said, creates the preconditions for the modernization and creation of the education system in accordance with the most modern EU practices.
"Also, a process of comprehensive reform of curricula will be launched in a way that they respond to the needs of modern society and enable children and adolescents to acquire the knowledge and skills they need for further learning and advancement, but also enable better employability and general well-being. The quality of teaching will be improved through the training of a large number of teachers in various areas, including the application of digital tools, the development of children's social and emotional skills, providing support to children from vulnerable groups, the application of the principle of fair and clear standards-based assessment, etc.," the MoESI statement, headed by Anđela Jakšić Stojanović, emphasizes.
The government department added that the strategy applies to all levels of education - from early and preschool to higher education and adult education - and aims to create an inclusive, fair and modern system that meets the needs of children, youth and society as a whole.
They stated that the four key strategic goals include:
1. Quality and equity - providing education that meets the individual needs of each child, with a special focus on children from vulnerable groups, including Roma and Egyptians, children with disabilities, refugees and children from other language groups, as well as children from families at risk of poverty.
2. Empowering teachers and schools - improving initial education and continuous professional development of teachers, and raising the reputation and professional autonomy of educators.
3. Efficient management and financing - introduction of mechanisms for evidence-based policy development and reform activities, more efficient use of budget funds and greater accountability of institutions at all levels.
4. Infrastructure modernization and digital transformation - reconstruction and construction of schools according to modern standards that enable quality and inclusive education, digitalization of the teaching process and management systems, and integration of green skills and climate resilience into education.
The Ministry of National Education and Research said that key reform areas that will be implemented in the next two years include:
•Improving the curriculum and introducing new learning models that encourage critical thinking, problem solving, digital skills, social and emotional skills, and civic competences;
•Creating conditions for establishing a full-day school system, in which students receive not only formal education, but also additional support, extracurricular activities and quality free time;
•Digital transformation of the education system through the development of digital textbooks, distance learning and support for digital literacy and the safe, purposeful and inclusive use of digital technologies.
•Strengthening inclusion through support for teachers to work with children from vulnerable groups, early identification and provision of support to all children in need, provision of teaching assistants, as well as flexible programs tailored to the needs and abilities of children in a way that allows them to develop their full potential;
•Connecting education and the labor market through dual education, greater practical training and cooperation with employers;
•Social and emotional support for students, including measures to protect mental health and prevent violence in schools;
•Gender equality in education and reducing the educational gap between girls and boys, while combating stereotypes in textbooks and teaching practices;
•Support for schools in rural areas, reducing territorial disparities in the availability and quality of education.
"The strategy was created as a result of an inclusive and consultative process in which more than 8.000 people participated - teachers, students, parents, representatives of the civil sector, international organizations and local communities, which guarantees that the document reflects the real needs of the system and has a strong foothold in the community," said the Ministry of Education and Science.
They also state that the ten-year Strategy strives for equal access to education, reducing social and regional disparities, and developing competences that prepare children and young people for life and work in modern society.
"The strategy was developed within the framework of the 'Quality Education for All Children of Montenegro' project, which is being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, UNICEF and the European Union," the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation said.
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