Jakšić Stojanović: The new law on higher education will enable a more flexible study model

The new Law on Higher Education will enable a much more flexible study model that will properly respond to the needs of the labor market, said the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Anđela Jakšić Stojanović.

Today in parliament, explaining the Bill, she said that the new model enables undergraduate studies of 180 credits.

"Instead of the 3+2+3 model, which we agreed does not properly respond to the needs of the market and various fields, we have enabled undergraduate studies of 180 credits, postgraduate studies as one-year or two-year studies of 60 or 120 credits, doctoral studies of 180 credits, as well as integrated study programs worth 30 or 360 credits," said Jakšić Stojanović.

According to her, this will enable higher education institutions to organize study programs in accordance with the specificities of the fields themselves.

"The students who are caught off guard, those who enrolled in two-year master's studies, will be able to receive a specialist studies diploma after the fourth year," said Jakšić Stojanović.

She said that, according to the new law, undergraduate and postgraduate students at public institutions do not pay tuition fees, while people with disabilities and members of the Roma and Egyptian populations do not pay tuition fees at private faculties either.

Jakšić Stojanović stated that, according to the new law, those who are elected to academic positions will sign an indefinite contract.

Speaking about the Enrollment Regulations, she said that the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) will be working on this document for the first time.

"This will be an umbrella document and one of several regulations that the Ministry of Education and Science will have to draft after the adoption of the law. In addition to the Regulations on Enrollment, it is necessary to amend the study rules so that everything is ready for enrollment in the next academic year," said Jakšić Stojanović.

She said that it is important that students are involved in all of this, because, as she stated, they will best identify the challenges they face.

Jakšić Stojanović said that from now on, the selection for the title will no longer be carried out only at the University of Montenegro, but also at independent faculties.

"In order to resolve the problem with potentially controversial title choices, we have enabled the Council for Higher Education to provide individual opinions on academic titles acquired abroad," added Jakšić Stojanović.

MP from the Europe Now Movement Uglješa Urošević highlighted as significant the fact that students who enroll in universities will again be able to obtain a diploma after four years.

"The market still sees the main diploma as the one obtained after four years, that's the tradition and we had to adapt to that. I see this law as a model to try to correct everything that we saw that didn't work in the previous law. We enable students to obtain it after both three and four years," said Urošević.

He also praised the fact that professors who are elected to academic positions will receive permanent contracts.

Democratic Party of Socialists MP Zoja Bojanić Lalović questioned the election of the rector according to the draft law, stating that the two previous models showed certain shortcomings.

"We believe that the academy should have more independence, have you considered any alternative model?" asked Bojanić Lalović.

Jakšić Stojanović said that there were many possibilities for selecting the rector and that the members of the working group considered many options and came up with the solutions proposed in the law.

"The Rector is elected by the Board of Directors, upon the proposal of the Senate. A member of the Senate cannot be a member of the Board of Directors, half of which are full-time professors, so we calculated that in this way the entire process is devoid of political or any other influence," said Jakšić Stojanović.

She believes that the proposed solution will provide satisfactory results and does not involve any complicated procedures.

New Serbian Democracy MP Milica Rondović assessed that the changes to the law represent a significant step forward in educational policies and that these changes are "for the benefit of all students."

"I am convinced that the law places the student at the center of the education system and creates a strong connection between knowledge, the labor market and social development," said Rondović.

She stated that the key shortcomings of the education system are an overload of theory and a lack of practice.

"I hope this is a step that will provide students with practical knowledge, because I know they possess theoretical knowledge," said Rondović.

As she stated, the education system has been neglected for years.

"A diploma has become a piece of paper, a mere means to achieve a goal, not proof of knowledge, and this did not happen yesterday, it is the result of decades of irresponsible politics. I hope that we will become a country where diplomas are not bought, but earned," said Rondović.

She said that she is pleased with the return of specialist studies within the 3+1 model and its improvement through greater flexibility and connection to practice.

"The goal is for master's studies to gain real significance, so that students are prepared to meet the demands of the labor market during their studies," said Rondović.

This, she said, means that the long-standing systemic injustice towards all generations of students who enrolled in studies according to the 3+2+3 model, starting from 2017/2018 until today, will be corrected.

MP from the Democratic Party of Socialists, Sonja Popović, asked whether the flexible model means that each unit will be able to apply a different model, which, she stated, leads to uneven standards within the University.

"Do these standards make mobility and recognition of passed exams more difficult, does the flexible study model open up space for uneven quality and responsibility? If we do not have uniform criteria, there is no guarantee of equal quality of teaching," said Popović.

Jakšić Stojanović said that flexibility has many benefits "and we will certainly face many challenges."

"That is why it is important to respect these standards when it comes to the accreditation and re-accreditation process, and everything will go through several different filters," said Jakšić Stojanović.

According to her, the fact that institutions can decide to go with the 3+1+1 or 3+2 model based on labor market needs does not mean that they will be able to act outside the guidelines and will not be able to meet the standards.

Democratic MP Duško Stjepović said that this is one of the five most important laws adopted by parliament.

"A properly established education system, starting from preschool and ending with these rights and obligations in the higher education system, shapes the state and society in the long run. Depending on what we put our education system on, the state will be better or worse in 15-20 years," said Stjepović.

He said that the law is not being passed for the European Union, but for the future of Montenegro.

"I commend you because you returned specialist studies to their rightful place and corrected the logical dislocation of the system we had," added Stjepović.

MPs will vote on the Bill on Higher Education at a later date.