Montenegrin students get principal rehired

11/11/2009

High school students in the country protested for 42 days until their voices were heard.

By Marina Roganovic for Southeast European Times in Podgorica -- 11/11/09

A protest walk organised by Montenegro University students attracted hundreds of people. [Marina Roganovic/SETimes]

With their principal, Miomir Djurisic, unanimously re-elected on Tuesday (November 10th) by a new board of education, high school students of Cetinje Gymnasium (Grammar School) have won a battle against what they claimed was a violation of their rights.

Before the votes were in, Djurisic said he was "happy that the kids went back to school, and everything else was solved". After finding out he won, he said he was thrilled and thankful, but cautioned, "this still needs to be verified by the ministry."

Students protested for 42 days, refusing to attend classes, because the Ministry of Education and Sciences cancelled the local board of education's July decision to appoint Djurisic as principal for another one-year term.

Students ended the protest and went back to class on October 13th.

Vladana Stanisic, a senior at Cetinje Gymnasium, said she is glad it's all over. "It felt like we did something great when the board was changed and because of that now we have our principal back. With this, justice has been served. I really believe that the voice of youth was heard all over Montenegro.”

Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic met with parents and teachers on October 9th, and noted that the education ministry, "failed in handling the crisis at Cetinje Gymnasium", adding that "individual responsibility will be determined."

Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sciences Zana Scepanovic resigned on October 19th. Two days later, the deputy minister, Marko Jokic, also resigned, citing "personal reasons". Education and Science Minister Sreten Skuletic has yet to resign, but committed to "look over the happenings, responsibilities and actions" involved in the controversy.

Djukanovic did not want to comment on whether Skuletic should resign, but did say that when a ministry fails to deal with issues, necessitating intervention from a higher level of government, that ministry should be held responsible.

Prior to the solution, Cetinje Gymnasium students were getting support from all over Montenegro. One of the most significant events was a protest walk organised by Montenegro University students, which attacted a few hundred people, including prominent professors, university administrators, and college and high school students.

Danilovgrad High School students marched about 20km to join the protest.

Milan Popovic, a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, described the protest as "one of the most important and greatest events in the last 20 years in Montenegro's alternative, social, protest history. The action was smart, it had consistence and weight. The students had help from many prominent people in Montenegro. Also, the action was successful, which gives it great weight."

Branka Bosnjak, science adviser and professor at Montenegro University, said "These students have shown civil courage and their perseverance proved that politics do not belong in schools. With their protests, they gave a lesson to everyone about how to fight for the rule of law."

Bosnjak added that the ministry was "powerless" against the student uprising, noting it became clear that the ministry, "was not working for the students, but for the [ruling] party's interests".