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EDUCATION REFORM PROGRAM - UPDATE ON STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION IN THE PERIOD JULY- DECEMBER 2000
Activities
of the Open Society Institute Montenegro in the period July – December
2000 have been carried out in the light of engagement of Mr. Slavko Gaber,
professor at the Pedagogical faculty of the University of Ljubljana, as a
special consultant of the Ministry of Education and Science of Montenegro
in education reform process. During his second (July) visit to Montenegro, in the framework of his consultancy arrangement, Mr. Gaber tried to create logistical framework for the forthcoming activities of the Ministry. His project envisaged formation of a National body for educational policy, called National Council for education as well as 5 commissions covering different levels of education i.e. pre-school education, primary school education, general secondary school education, vocational education and training and education of adults. This original plan has contributed to the immediate formation, although unofficial, of some of the commissions, which continued their work on Green Paper (draft of the strategy) further on. However, some political conditions and technical incapability of the Ministry have slowed significantly whole process in terms of nominating promptly National council which would, consequently, officially nominate members of the commissions. This brought to a situation where commissions worked, without being formally nominated. In spite of the fact, project continued with certain vacuum in summer months. In September Open Society Institute has decided to help the reform process even in terms of provision of technical equipment for the Ministry, which was intended to upgrade Ministry’s capacity to meet all demands of the reform and coordination efficiently and quickly. In November 2000, seminar on teacher training was held in Herceg Novi (November 5 - 8), organized by the Institute for Educational Policy - Budapest, Ministry of Education and Science and Open Society Institute Montenegro. It was third seminar in the series of capacity building seminars aimed at increasing expertise of the Ministry’s staff which will be or already is part of the reform structure. Seminar elaborated some of the main characteristics of modern educational systems in general and teacher training systems, in particular. It emphasized distance learning, lifelong learning and education available to all as priorities of the European education. Professionalized model of teacher training was also emphasized as the most modern and convenient system of inservice teacher training. This seminar, however, served also as a forum which usually indicates some of the next steps of the Ministry of Education in the reform process, having in mind its role of leader in the project.
Special meeting, gathering donors most active in Montenegrin education, was held in the course of the seminar and served as a guideline for the forthcoming activities. It was convened upon request of the British Council which originally intended to start with its OBNOVA project in the education field in September, but had its activities hampered by the unstable political conditions. British Council announced its readiness to revise original concept following suggestions of partner donors and to have the revised concept confirmed by the European Commission. It stressed, at that stake, that the final logistical framework will be prepared until end of January 2001. Focus of their project, however, remains elementary education. In the beginning of December special workshop was held, upon request of the British Council, gathering representatives of the OSIM, UNICEF and Mr. Slavko Gaber, who was visiting Montenegro in that period. Conclusion of the meeting has been the following:
OSI Montenegro decided to support the demands of the reform structure in this initial phase, having in mind primarily the importance of its adequate treatment for the future of the sustainable development of the education reform process. Knowing that the process has suffered from certain delay, we deemed that the incentive of this kind is necessary for the proper management of the reform. OSI Montenegro intends to continue its efforts in the field throughout year 2001. Some of the main guidelines will be determined by the Ministry and will significantly focus on media campaign of the whole education reform project. This refers primarily to the inclusion of all stakeholders in the process of understanding, gaining and spreading the knowledge about the change in the education system which has the characteristics of systematic and sustainable change, based on positive experiences of other countries which have gone through the same process.
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