Kristina Radoman has been re-elected as the director of the Podgorica Secondary Vocational Medical School, and while her opponent Ljlja Raičević claims that the decision is problematic and the selection process is non-transparent, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) says that everything was done in accordance with regulations.
Raičević, who has several legal disputes with the school's headmistress, said in a statement she submitted to the "Vijesti" editorial office that Radoman's new mandate "sends a deeply problematic message to education employees and the wider public - that violating the law against employees, losing court cases and causing damage to the institution are not considered an obstacle to obtaining a new mandate."
According to her, it is particularly worrying that "this choice is explained by terms such as 'leadership, ethics and modern management', while at the same time there are serious questions regarding the treatment of employees, respect for the law and court decisions."
"Additional concerns are also caused by the lack of transparency of the election process itself. As a candidate for director, the commission did not allow me to attend the interview of my opponent, although such a practice was allowed in other educational institutions in the same election process. Such uneven treatment raises serious questions about equal conditions for all candidates and undermines confidence in the regularity of the procedure," Raičević claims.
He reminds that educational institutions have a special social responsibility, which is why they "need leaders whose authority is based on respect for employees and students, on lawful work and respect for the institutions of the system."
"In situations where there are better candidates and a clear need for change, insisting on the continuity of such leadership cannot be considered a step towards improving education. Elections that ignore these principles do not send a message that the education system will be better, fairer and of higher quality - on the contrary, they deepen distrust and leave serious consequences for the working atmosphere and the educational process," said Raičević.
The Ministry of Health, however, says that the appointment of the Director of the Medical School was carried out fully in accordance with the procedures prescribed by law.
"Based on the test results and the commission's report, Kristina Radoman was elected director, having fulfilled all the requirements stipulated by applicable regulations," the Ministry of Education and Science responded to "Vijesti" from the Ministry of Education and Science.
They also emphasize that "the allegations that anyone, except the candidate and the committee members, was allowed to attend the interview are not true."
"Such a practice was not allowed in this or other procedures for the election of directors of public institutions," the Ministry of National Education and Research is categorical.
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