Despite the recommendation of the Institute for Education, the graduating seniors of the Podgorica Elementary School "Vuk Karadžić" are already leaving for an excursion to Serbia on Monday, September 1st.
The director of that school Budimir Vukicevic He told "Vijesti" yesterday that this decision was made after an extraordinary meeting with parents held on August 25th "with the aim of considering the recommendation of the Education Bureau."
"Most parents were in favor of not postponing the excursion. We also consulted the Parents' Council, which told us that they were of the opinion that the trip to Serbia should not be postponed, and that it was okay for the children to go along the route that was determined and adopted back in April. The students are scheduled to depart from Podgorica to Zlatibor, then visit Novi Sad and Belgrade. The route also includes a visit to Kragujevac and the Šumarica memorial park, after which the students will return to Podgorica," explained Vukićević.
The Institute for Education recommended at the beginning of the week to postpone any planned excursions to Serbia, due to the current situation in that country.
Previously, the parents' councils of several elementary schools expressed concern about organizing student excursions in Serbia, which is why the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to obtain an opinion on the safety of our students and pupils going to the mentioned destination. After that, the Institute sent its recommendation to the schools to postpone the trip or, in agreement with the agencies, plan alternatives.
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According to media reports, the "Radojica Perović" elementary school has canceled its excursion to the neighboring country, while some of the Podgorica schools are still determining the route.
Vukićević, answering the question of whether they asked parents to sign a statement accepting responsibility for any potential risk to the student, said that this was done "because it is understood."
"The person whose child it is can say that it is unsafe and not send the child on the excursion. We stand by the decision that the children will go on the trip on Monday," he said.
The director of the Parents' Association previously warned that there will be schools and parents who will not accept the recommendations of educational institutions. Kristina Mihailović.
According to her, the Ministry of Education, the Institute for Education, school administrations and parents' councils must create a precise and binding regulation on the organization of field trips and excursions, so that situations do not arise where some institutions follow the recommendations and others decide not to.
"It is important to create a rulebook that will be binding and that in the future the procedures are known exactly, what is being done, but also what is being done and how to act in risky situations. It is best when everything is clearly specified, so that we do not have this variant - some will hear and understand the recommendation, and some will not."
Back in February, the Education Bureau sent instructions to elementary schools and recommended that student excursions not be organized outside the borders of Montenegro.
"If an excursion or trip is intended for elementary school students to visit religious sites, in addition to educational and cultural and historical content, it is necessary that objects of all religions be represented," the Instructions for organizing and implementing these extracurricular activities emphasize.
The document states that excursions are planned multi-day student trips to visit places that have "natural, cultural, historical, scientific, recreational, sporting, economic or technical significance."
According to the Instructions, before going on an excursion or trip, it is important to make a detailed estimate of the costs of transportation, accommodation, meals, as well as entrance fees paid by parents.
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