Parents of 14 first-graders in Ulcinj boycott classes: They are looking for a teacher who speaks Montenegrin

Fourteen children, who are enrolled in the first grade of the "Maršal Tito" Elementary School in Ulcinj, in the Montenegrin language department, have not been attending classes since Tuesday because their parents are requesting that they be taught by a teacher who meets all legal requirements and speaks the standard CSBH language at the level necessary for working with first-year students.

The first graders attended classes regularly for the first three days, after which the class was disbanded and the children were assigned another teacher, who, according to the parents, completed her education in her native Albanian language and does not know Montenegrin sufficiently.

The parents also sent a letter to the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović, asking her to help them resolve the problem so that their children can continue to attend classes regularly.

They point out that some parents have already enrolled their children in the "Boško Strugar" Elementary School and claim that they agree with the newly created list in terms of its construction.

"But not with the fact that the children will not be taught by a teacher who has the accent, dialect, and knowledge of the CBSH language, which is necessary for first-year students who acquire the basics of their language, speech culture, and spelling precisely in those early years. We contacted the principal, Ferida Hajdinaga, who said that we must submit a written request that we, as parents, and our children want a teacher who has completed her education in the Montenegrin language and who has a dialect and accent consistent with her job," the letter says.

Parents believe that by enrolling their children in CBSH, they were requiring them to learn that language from a teacher who had already completed it, and not a person who had knowledge of the language.

"The only requirement for this group of parents is an adequately trained teacher, regardless of religion or nationality. If the school does not have the staff, the question arises as to why this staff has been allowed to leave the institution for years and the solutions are given to teachers with whom the principal will "roll" due to the parents' dissatisfaction," the letter states.

It is noted that the parents of this group are people of all religions and nations who do not care about the religion and nationality of the teacher, but are only looking for an adequately educated and knowledgeable person.

"In order to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, the media will also be informed, in order to help the principal to perhaps publicly announce a teacher with adequate qualifications and our children will at least in the third week of September begin schooling in their own language, which is guaranteed to them by the Constitution and Article 78 of the Law on Primary Education, which states: "Teaching in schools may be conducted by teachers whose mother tongue is the language in which the teaching is conducted or by teachers who have graduated from an appropriate faculty for teacher education in the language in which the teaching is conducted," the letter states.

Parents claim that what is happening at the Maršal Tito Elementary School is a precedent and that this should not be the way children are treated.

"How is it possible that the initially formed class lists are changed the very next day. How is it possible to transfer children from one class to another by drawing tickets as if it were a game of chance. We are not talking about numbers on paper here. We are talking about children and their feelings, fears, security and first encounter with school," the parents' statement states.

He wonders if, as the director claims, new lists were sent from the Ministry of Education, why they were not informed about it.

Parents note that they and their children are going through a difficult time and are considering hiring a child psychologist. They are also requesting an appointment with the minister or for ministry representatives to come to the school.

"In all of this, we are exposed to statements by Principal Hajdinaga that we are dissatisfied with the presence of the Roma population in the class. We deny these allegations and reiterate that the construction of the newly created class is excellent and that our only request is a teacher with the level of knowledge of the CBSH language required by our first-year students," the letter states.

In a telephone conversation, Hajdinaga denied the parents' allegations that anything was done against the law. She promised to deliver a letter to "Vijesti" today that she plans to forward to the ministry, but she had not done so by the time the newspaper went to press.