Tomorrow is the deadline by which principals and assistant principals of all schools and kindergartens in Montenegro, who were appointed during the time of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), should be replaced.
Acting officers will be appointed in their place, and then competitions for new directors will be announced.
The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports did not answer to Television News whether all these shifts, which they previously claimed were necessary because the DPS (Democratic Party of Socialists) was abusing schools for political purposes, were carried out.
However, many claim that the new government will continue at the same pace and that it will appoint its own staff to head educational institutions, while education will still remain in the clutches of politics.
400 principals of primary and secondary schools and kindergartens and around 600 of their assistants will give their offices to someone else tomorrow.
Some may even keep them, but in the capacity of acting (acting).
This is provided for by changes to the Law on General Education, which the new government claims will enable the depoliticization of educational institutions headed, as they say, exclusively by a party cadre of the former government who violated regulations in their work.
"The appointment of new directors of public institutions will be carried out without exception. Without exception, in accordance with the law. Transparently, according to clear criteria. No party booklet in the competition documentation. No crosses, checks, ticks and so on," said Vesna Bratić, Minister of Education, of science, culture and sports on May 31 of this year.
The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports did not answer Television News whether all former directors have already been replaced and appointed acting directors, and when we can expect to announce a competition for new directors.
Television Vijesti asked the authorities in that ministry how they will determine who violated the law and ethics and whether they will be prosecuted, and whether the new directors will be persons close to the parties in power.
Televizija Vijesti waited two weeks for answers, and by the time today's Vijesti started at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m., it had not received them.
The opposition harshly criticized the "cutting" of the director, saying that it was unprecedented revanchism.
And many others question the position that all previous directors have done bad work and must be replaced.
"I think that the previous directors who conscientiously and dedicatedly performed their duties can by law remain in that position until the end of their mandate, and that their appointment is not necessary," said Snežana Kaluđerović from the Center for Civic Education (CGO).
"Along with the rotten apples, many good and quality staff who started many projects in the education system in those leadership positions will also suffer," said Slobodan Savović from the Education Union.
In the Educational Union of Montenegro, which gathers professors and school teachers, they claim that the new government is already following in the footsteps of the former and that it is preparing to appoint directors exclusively according to the party key.
"There was a division. Illegal division of schools. They had political leaders, that is, the most important political entities that have the majority, obviously the Democratic Front, they had a list of schools on the table and they destroyed the schools as the balance of power in the parliament allows them," he said. Krsto Vuković, President of the Educational Community of Montenegro.
Vuković is a teacher at the high school "Danilo Kiš" in Budva and will apply for the position of new director.
He also believes that this time too, the heads of the institutions will not be capable and professional people, but exclusively party soldiers.
"I can specifically say about Budva. The DF chose the secondary mixed school "Danilo Kiš" and the new elementary school, the URA asked the Democrats for a concession for the old elementary school "Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša", and in the end the Democrats were left with the music school and the elementary school in Petrovac ", Vuković said.
If the main goal of the amendments to the Law was indeed depoliticization and professionalization in educational institutions, all this should have been done differently, concluded the interlocutors of Television Vijesti.
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