We are aware of the fact that teachers are overburdened with administrative work, so we will initiate work on amendments to legal and by-laws that will enable the reduction of this type of obligations and the creation of adequate conditions for the realization of what is most important, which is the quality implementation of the teaching process and dedicated work with students.
This was said by the Minister of Education, Anđela Jakšić Stojanović, in the Assembly of Montenegro, answering the questions of DPS MP Zoja Bojanić Lalović, who asked about the high level of dissatisfaction among the teaching staff at several levels.
Jakšić Stojanović said that she believes that it was not a bad intention of those who initiated the legal solution that gave more authority to school boards. She emphasized that such a legal solution set back the education system and made it impossible for the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation to have control mechanisms.
"The teaching profession has lost its popularity, but society's trust in this staff is also being lost. Have you analyzed all these aspects and what steps have you taken to improve their position", asked Bojanić Lalović, emphasizing that a special aspect of the issue is violence against teaching staff.
Jakšić Stojanović also announced that the Government plans to increase the salaries of teachers, considering the importance of the profession, as well as the organization of professional trainings in accordance with modern teaching methods, rewarding the mentors of students who have won prizes at national and international competitions.
She also said that successful mentors will have the opportunity to be part of the official delegations of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation during study visits to partner countries...
"Everything that has been implemented so far, as well as other activities that we have planned, can contribute to restoring the reputation and status in society that they deserve to our fellow educators," said Jakšić Stojanović.
Bojanić Lalović also referred to last year's case of copying in external matriculation exams, as well as the poor results of Montenegrin students in the PISA test. She said that she was familiar with the changes in the rulebook for external knowledge tests, but that it also shows the state of education, that teachers do not trust parents and vice versa. That is why she asked if the Government has a plan for the recovery of education. She also emphasized that the inspection requested the dismissal of several school principals, but that the school boards ignored it.
“When it comes to laws and school boards, I think you're absolutely right. I believe that the intention of those who initiated such legal solutions was good, but the fact is that these solutions brought complete chaos into the education system. An additional problem is that the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption treats people in school boards as public officials. Lately it has been happening to us that we can't find people who are willing to join the school board. Another problem is that the most important issues in education are decided by people who are not competent to deal with them", warned Jakšić Stojanović.
PES Member of Parliament Jelenka Andrić asked what the Ministry had done in relation to equipping schools with computer equipment, but also how it planned to solve the problem of transporting pupils from the north.
Jakšić Stojanović said that, based on the contract signed in November 2023, computer equipment worth 6.337.214 euros was provided, namely 4.575 computers, 1.133 laptops, 1.806 televisions, 516 projectors and 445 printers, which were installed in all basic and secondary schools in Montenegro.
"In this way, 210 classrooms and 2.020 cabinets in all educational institutions in Montenegro have been equipped", emphasized Jakšić Stojanović.
She pointed out that in the previous period, the Ministry paid special attention to the issue of transporting students, considering the numerous problems and challenges they encountered - the age of the vehicles, the transportation of children from vulnerable groups, the issue of safety...
"The Ministry, based on the request of educational institutions for the replacement of vehicles for transporting students who live in rural areas of Montenegro, i.e. in places where there is no organized public transportation, undertook activities and collected data on the needs of schools. Data on the state of vehicles in schools, needs for replacement of existing vehicles and procurement of new vehicles were analyzed. In 2024, in order to improve travel safety and reduce costs, the Ministry provided for the procurement of 26 new school vehicles intended for transporting students from rural areas, of which 19 are small buses and seven small vans. The value of the purchase is 1.276.331,54 euros. Also, the capital city donated 3 vehicles, as part of an initiative related to improving the quality of transportation for our youngest," said Jakšić Stojanović.
DPS Member of Parliament Aleksandra Despotović, has the Ministry of Education formed a Commission that should investigate the incident in which the teacher of the Gymnasium "Slobodan Škerović" allegedly participated, and who, according to media reports, taught students that the independence referendum in 2006 was "stolen and irregular" , and if not, whether any other investigations or proceedings were conducted regarding that case.
"The management of the school submitted a statement to the Ministry after talking with the professor in question. The same was submitted to the Institute for Education and the Educational Inspection in accordance with the procedures. The Educational Inspection will act within its competences, while the Institute of Education has informed us that, in accordance with the Plan for external quality assessment of educational institutions, in the period from April 22 to 26, it will carry out additional quality control of the work of history professors, as and an anonymous survey of all the students in the classes taught by that colleague. The public will be informed about the established factual situation in a timely manner", said Jakšić Stojanović.
MP Aleksandra Kuč was interested, "bearing in mind serious doubts about the objectivity and professionalism of the director of the Agency for Quality Control in Higher Education (AKKVO), Goran Danilović", what has been done so far in the case of the reaccreditation of the Faculty of Montenegrin Language and Literature (FCJK). She said that FCJK "went through a series of bullying" since 2021.
Jakšić Stojanović also said that the Ministry formed a Commission for the supervision of the work of the Agency in order to determine the conduct and application of regulations from the scope of the Ministry's supervision. She also said that the Ministry has initiated an inspection under the Department of Administrative Inspection in the Ministry of Public Administration.
"The said procedure is ongoing, and the public will be informed of the results of the monitoring," she said.
She read the Agency's response, according to which "currently, the accreditation procedure is in the stage where the Reaccreditation Commission evaluates the application received and the supplemented evidence requested on March 12, 2024". "For this and every other faculty, the legal provisions of this country will be applied," said Jakšić Stojanović.
MP Abaz Dizdarević asked how many final verdicts in which the Ministry lost the case, which refer to proceedings initiated by illegally dismissed managers of educational institutions during the mandate of the former Minister of Education Vesna Bratić, and how much monetary damage there is to the state budget. .
Jakšić Stojanović specified that there are 130 legally binding disputes.
"Procedures to determine the illegality of decisions are ongoing for ten more cases. In legally concluded proceedings, the Ministry has so far been obliged to pay the plaintiffs the total amount of 102.924,35 euros for the costs of the proceedings. After the judgments that established the illegal removal of directors of educational institutions became final, 97 of them initiated proceedings before the competent courts for compensation of damages against the Ministry. The pending court proceedings are ongoing and at this moment we do not have information on the amount of compensation for material damages to the plaintiffs," said Jakšić Stojanović.
Bonus video:
