While some consider excursions to Serbia problematic, others see them as an educational opportunity for children.

Instead of going to Belgrade and Novi Sad, Montenegrin schoolchildren could spend their field trip in Sarajevo and Mostar....

Due to protests in Serbia and concerned parents, says Novica Gačević, director of the Štampar Makarije Elementary School, the original decision had to be changed.

"There are no riots that would jeopardize any security, but the location that is blocked is Slavija, and we are located in Slavija, that would add an additional burden and make it more difficult, so in terms of security it is not problematic, but given that such a situation is unpredictable, I would not expose these children now to a sudden traffic blockade and for the children to be on the bus at certain time intervals, there is no need for that. In the meantime, we received a letter from the Institute for Education where our Ministry of Education addressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get an opinion on the security situation in Serbia. and it said somewhere that there must be either a postponement or a change of destination. Now, the parents decided at that meeting, together with me, that the majority of representatives and parents' councils should choose another destination, that we should not expose children to those unpleasant situations on the street, but we cannot overlook which intersection will be blocked, and it is dangerous and stressful for children, such is the behavior between the police and citizens," he explains.

However, Gačević expects that the children will go on the excursion as planned because the procedures for changing the destination have been initiated.

We received that opinion and the person who does public procurement for our school also obtained an opinion from the parents' council, where he will, based on that, make a proposal for amicable termination of the previous contract with the agency and proceed with, as they say, a professional emergency procedure that will probably last within 3 to 7 days, where we will strive for the original date scheduled for September 16th or 20th to remain in force. If it doesn't, there will be some postponement. Basically, it's some destination that is a variant of Mostar - Sarajevo," reveals Gačević.

Some schools, such as Zabjelo's "Vuk Karadžić" will postpone the trip until further notice, so the next steps will be known in the coming days - refunds or route changes, while the "Savo Pejanović" Elementary School says they are waiting for a meeting with the Parents' Council.

On the other hand, the Parents' Council Network points out that opinions are not unanimous. While some consider going to Serbia problematic, others see it as an educational opportunity for children.

"Well, I will say that the absence of civic education in elementary schools may put all those children in an unenviable position to understand the situation correctly. Civic demonstrations, riots, declaring their rights or in any way changing a political situation in the country is the choice of the citizens who live in that country and I believe that when our children go to another country, regardless of whether it is Spain, Italy or Serbia, they can learn more about that country and see some differences. Because why do we all travel across the border to other countries, but to experience their way of thinking, their attitudes, simply their dilemmas that they struggle with. And I believe that going to Serbia, if adequately channeled, can also be educational for our children," points out Jovana Bošković from the Parents' Council Network.

But it is right for the parents to make that decision, says Bošković.

"I will just advocate that every parent knows best what is best for their child, that it is not something too scary and that children should be talked to. They go accompanied by a teacher, I believe that these excursions can also be made educational and controlled, that it does not have to depend much on the social situation, but let's say that an excursion was organized in Podgorica last week, that there were those fires, why should everyone have canceled it, because something does not depend on us and we cannot control it," she explains.

However, some principals believe that it would be best to change the concept of elementary school excursions and first explore the undiscovered beauties of Montenegrin regions.

"So the state needs to work on building hotels that can accommodate our students, a large number of students, and then we will be here. We need to get to know our areas first. I am also a geographer, so I have been to some destinations that I am seeing for the first time. It is sad, these are phenomenal areas and our children need to see them first, and then we can move on," said Gačević.