EDUCATION REFORM PROGRAM - STRATEGY FOR 2001

Background / Need Assessment

The education system has suffered ten years of isolation, lack of investment, and general decline of infrastructure and quality.  Nevertheless, the system is functioning well, considering its limited resources.  Schools operate for the entire academic year, albeit in double and triple shifts in places. The government has demonstrated a significant commitment to education, investing 30% of its overall budget.

Reform of the overall educational system is a necessary enterprise for the state of Montenegro in order to provide lasting effects of democratic reforms and make the achieved values part of the system. IEP and OSIM started their work on reforms in October 1999. The first, preliminary talks with the Ministry of Education of Montenegro confirmed that there is an awareness of the need for substantial reforms of the educational system, as well as readiness and openness for cooperation. The existing educational system has the following characteristics:

• there is a marked political readiness of the Government of Montenegro to support educational reform, as well as an obvious need for hiring foreign experts;

• lack of cooperation and interest of potential donors for the support of educational reform;

• lack of educational policy and strategy for the reform of the educational system;

• complete centralization of the education system management;

• evident lack of educational infrastructure (in order to fulfill world standards regarding the number of pupils in a classroom; at the moment, educational system lacks more than 20 buildings for educational institutions of different sort);

• lack of adequate didactic materials for teaching innovation;

• markedly traditional teaching methods (the most common methodology puts teachers, not pupils, in the center of  the learning process – ex catedra);

• overloaded, out-dated and sometimes irrelevant curriculum - centralized and completely determined by the MES;

• conservative and underdeveloped institutions covering the pre-service training;

• lack of continuous teacher training system (in-service training);

• the system is concentrated on general and academic education, with inadequate vocational and occupational education and specialization of staff;

• significantly expressed phenomenon of brain-drain at the academic level;

• uneconomical way of financing system – lack of correlation between education of staff and the needs of labor market;

• lack of qualitative way of supervising and analyzing the state and needs of the educational system.

The mentioned characteristics of the educational system in Montenegro refer to all the segments of the system, from pre-school to university education.

Urgent Needs In Education

While the education system in Montenegro is in need of reform and development, investment in improving physical learning conditions is high necessity as to ensure basic functioning of schools and it is a basic precondition for the starting phase of the reform process. Immediate needs assume the following:

1. repair and reconstruction of existing facilities;

2. construction of new facilities;

3. maintenance & heating;

4. school supplies (basic materials, food accommodation, transportation);

5. internally displaced persons and refugees;

6. equipment (for foreign language learning and computers); MES deems that learning foreign languages, introduction of information technology and computer literacy are the main guidelines for the curriculum reform and education reform as a whole.

Education Reform Needs (Middle Term And Long Term Needs)

The education system in Montenegro has not been significantly reformed or restructured since the communist time. Recently the MES has initiated some important changes in curriculum and teacher training in order to improve foreign language learning and introduce innovative methods, especially in the field of information technology and pre-school education (e.g. implementation of the Step by Step Program).

1. Reform management and strategic planning:

Prior necessity for the MES, as a leader of the reform process is to be helped with the reform management, in the widest sense of the word. In other words main reform necessity is capacity building development in order to

• mobilize available human resources and establish appropriate reform structure (management issues) and produce a sort of White paper as a strategic framework of the reform process (strategic planning);

2. Montenegro consultancy:

Having in mind the fact that the lack of expert staff is a common feature of the majority of transition countries, Montenegro consultancy could be a part of larger arrangement for South East East.

3. Raising public awareness on the necessity of change of the education system:

One of the preconditions of the successful education reform process is building public consensus on the necessity of change of the education  system and provision of the wider participation of the society in this process.

4. Teacher Training: 

Pre-service teacher education in Montenegro has not been reformed or restructured since the socialist self-management times and it represents a serious lack of the education system. There is also no system for in-service training of teachers or administrators.  Experts in pedagogy within Montenegro have not had the opportunity to learn about new developments in their field, and generally lack information and skills on new methods and approaches.  Teaching practice taught at the teacher-training faculties is quite conservative, promoting teacher-centered methodologies, and has been rigidly followed for the past 15 years. Teachers receive solid training in their subject areas, but a broader, modern  and practice-focused pedagogical education is needed.  Teacher training efforts have been launched by international organizations in preschool and primary education, introducing a child-centered, interactive approach. The MES has been very open to teaching innovations, but there is a need for developing strategy and a systemic approach for upgrading the skills of the teaching force.

5. Curriculum:

There is a centralized curriculum, approved by the MES, which operates in all schools of the republic.  Educational standards are embodied in the curriculum (no separate statement of standards or targets).  There is no provision for school-based curriculum development or a clear percentage for optional course development.  The curriculum is generally regarded to be overloaded, outdated, and in some cases lacking relevance.  There is an over-emphasis on building knowledge, and not enough on developing understanding, skills and attitudes.  The MES sees the need for curriculum modification particularly in preschool and primary education, in accordance with a child-centered approach.  Beginning in 1998, the MES began to reduce the level of ‘factology’ of the old curriculum, introduced new textbooks in foreign languages (English and French course books are published in the respective countries) and introduced earlier teaching of foreign languages (in grade III instead of IV).  In secondary and higher education, the MES aims to introduce the subject of information technology and to strengthen student’s achievement level in foreign language training.

6. Textbooks and learning materials: 

Textbooks are a cause of frustration among parents, teachers and students.  Based on the over-packed curriculum, the textbooks have an over-emphasis on memorization of facts, and do not promote broad understanding of concepts.  The language and content of many of the textbooks is considered to be inappropriate to the age level of students.  They are generally the only classroom resource available to teachers, with little or no supplemental materials such as maps, reference books, or readers.

7.  Assessment: 

Assessment of pupils at the teacher/classroom level is based on the content of the textbooks.  Entrance examinations are required for entrance to secondary school and to university.  A school-leaving examination is applied to all secondary school students.  The assessment system is almost exclusively fact and knowledge based, and rewards good memorization skills.  Any curriculum and textbook reform effort would have to also include changing assessment practice, as well.[1]

Donor Cooperation And Potential Partnerships

In 2001 OSIM will work on establishing Consortium of Donors, which will include donors most active in education, e.g. WUS Austria, UNICEF, British Council etc.[2]

Intensive activities, focused on Montenegro education needs and aimed at bringing the issue to the attention of international donor community, are currently being undertaken on local and regional level.

The fact that the results and "terms of reference" of the EC "OBNOVA" tender  have been announced and have indicated British Council as the institution which will be in charge of covering main areas of education reform, has helped other donors in identification of their place and role in the process. In that regard, the role and quality of OSIM’s previous engagement in education reform project brings to a conclusion that OSIM’s participation in future Consortium is welcome and most appreciated.  

Possibility of allocating some additional financial resources for the purpose of improving technical/infrastructural working conditions in schools has been indicated. As OSIM deems that this sort of investment seems to be crucial motivation and basis of overall reform process, network should put additional efforts in order to effectuate this financial support. Other donors engaged in education in Montenegro share to a full extent this consideration. Above mentioned donors have agreed on the fact that it would be most likely and rational to pass the responsibility of coordinating donor activities' to the Ministry and make it most efficient in regard to the implementation of Green/White Paper.

Mission / Long Term Goals

The strategic goal of the program is to establish qualitative, flexible, efficient and financially rational model of educational system. It is of strategic importance to try, using all the measures we are undertaking, to create preconditions for a proper functioning of the process. The key precondition is building up professional and managing capacities of the Ministry of Education which leads the whole process, but also of those segments of the system that can, during its transformation, give a special contribution from inside (University, NGOs involved in education and stakeholders).

Deciding to carry out a reform of education as its long-term strategic priority, OSIM had in mind the fact that education has a key role in establishing peace, stability and democracy in the Southeast Europe. Systematic changes in this area are a way to provide lasting effects of democratic reforms and their integration into the system, since educational system is not only their promoter, but primarily creator.

Other OSIM’s educational programs (Step by Step, HESP, Debates, Human Resource Development), are complementary to overall efforts on the system reform and function to raise responsibility of the whole society for quality and role of education for the strategy of sustainable development.

Sustainable Strategy Development / Link with what was done

During year 2000, OSIM has tried to meet some of the priority demands, such as the expertise in creating the framework of the education reform strategy. As a first step, OSIM and IEP, have offered crucial assistance in creation of Need Assessment and acquaintance of potential international donors with it (Graz, March 2000).

In terms of capacity building OSIM/IEP have organized a series of seminars dealing respectively with: strategy and financial aspects of educational reform; the education reform models in transition countries; the education reform models in Western European countries with special emphases on curriculum development and assessment. It has helped in bringing foreign expertise to the reach of those involved in education reform. OSIM has also initiated engagement of the permanent Slovenian expert/consultant, who will follow closely and direct the developments in this field, together with Montenegrin Ministry of Education, through South East Europe Education Cooperation Network.

Through South East East, OSIM has facilitated participation of the representatives of the MES in several significant international events, dealing with the issues of educational policy in the Region and EU. 

OSIM has also involved journalists in preliminary reform activities. They have taken active part in the seminars and have followed closely up-to-date activities of key participants in the process. OSIM will, during 2000, organize a study visit of several media representatives to Scotland.

In spite of the fact that the activities of OSIM, are, to a great extent, dependant on the EC OBNOVA tender (its mandate and scope of activities), our ambitions remain related to and directed towards developing strategic document and related activities, which would mark serious initiation of the intended process.

Strategy And Method Of Implementation

Undoubtedly biggest strategic enterprise that OSIM has undertaken in close cooperation with IEP is the educational reform. Taking into consideration the quantity and depth of the process for the sphere that is, by definition, under a strict control of any state, the most basic methodological postulates of our general strategy are: gradual approach, thoroughness and realism in estimating the state and desirable changes, with the basic aim to make the potential results measurable and not susceptible to regression.

Quantity and range of our activities as well as our strategic approach is significantly dependent on level of engagement of other donors, especially EC "OBNOVA" Program, as it’s outcome could influence the intensity and dynamic of the reform as well as its concept. The results and "terms of reference" of the EC "OBNOVA" tender  have been announced and have indicated British Council as the institution which will be in charge of covering main areas of education reform.

However, in accordance with our up-to-date activities and experience we could continue our engagement in the following areas: capacity building and reform management, curriculum development, teacher training, raising public awareness campaign and advocating equal education opportunities for the members of minority groups and children with additional need.

a) Capacity building and reform management:

Having in mind the fact that the lack of expert staff is a common feature of the majority of transition countries, Montenegro consultancy could be a part of larger arrangement for South East East. Cooperation between Montenegrin MES and Slovenian experts is already established and this sort of consultancy arrangement would be aimed at both: capacity building of the MES and reform management. This means the following:

• Mobilizing available human resources in order to establish appropriate reform structure;

• Establishing working groups for respective levels of education as well as groups for subject curriculum development and assessment (which will include approximately 60 - 250 members from all spheres of society);

• Support to the activities of the above mentioned working groups (due to the very limited human resources for this very purpose, people who are to be engaged should be additionally stimulated for this sort of activity);

• Developing White out of Green Paper, through overall, bottom-up review and public debate; [3]

b) Curriculum development

• Organizing seminars for working groups dealing with curriculum development issues with special emphases on areas gaining specific public attention and being namely: history, information technology, foreign languages and mother tongue;

c) Teacher training

Contemporaneously with other reform activities, special attention should be paid to activities aimed at pre-service and in-service teacher training. Pre-service teacher education will be targeting capacity building of junior faculty staff (covered mainly through HESP) and establishing new policy formulations and guidelines for prospective teachers to gain more practical teaching skills. In-service teacher training should be dealt with in two ways:

• participation of as much as possible teachers in Green paper / White Paper / Curriculum development guidelines / Subject Curriculum development review process;

• teacher training aimed at specific issues, i.e. new teaching methodology and assessment practices, as well as implementation of new educational values.

In this sector of reform we expect significant cooperation with the British Council and UNICEF.

d) Advocating equal education opportunities for the members of minority groups and children with additional needs

This means that OSIM intends to pay exclusive attention to the inclusion of minority education needs and education of children with additional needs in the overall reform process. This will be carried out by involving representatives of these groups in seminars, public debate and working  groups at the MES level. 

e) Raising public awareness campaign

This approach is exclusively related to the OSIM.

• Increasing the level of public competence (in media sector);

• Raising awareness of citizens and special target groups (students, parents, teachers, principals, stakeholders, NGOs), for the process and essence of reform;

• Gaining public consensus on this issue;

OSIM intends to make journalists more aware of their responsibilities in this important effort and make them, also, more competent for the need of involving wider public in and gaining it’s support for the reform of education system.

Having in mind that the initiation of public debate is scheduled for year 2001, following the draft of the reform – "Green paper" which will be prepared by the end of 2000 and which will be subject to both, public and parliamentary debate, as well as final adoption of White paper (scheduled for June 2001), we intend to support proactive role of journalists in organizing public debate, round tables, contact programs and every form of research journalism, which would be related to this issue. OSIM and the regional Media Program will organize specific forms of training for journalists who show interest for the education reform issue.

Human Resource Development as a starting program within this kind of reforms is a completely new approach and basically the most important element in the strategy of sustainable development. OSI Montenegro is the first and only institution taking care of this crucial issue, which is to discover and develop potential and unknown resources both in and outside the country.  If taken as a long-term priority, we must undertake a systematical research in terms of supply and demand in order to create a sort of a virtual labor market for the beginning. Quality data basis of the existing (disposable) professional staff, which Montenegro lacks, in the country and abroad, is a key issue for a long-term establishing of this program on the basis of labor market functioning.

Through HRD we will support the following:

• Creation of a web site and a data base on the disposable staff from Montenegro and institutional needs;

• Initiation of a public campaign for better understanding and prevention of this problem;

• Establishing relation between supply and demand at the ‘labor market’;

• Establishing a lobby group which could contribute to a decrease of the staff drain from Montenegro, better planning of domestic resources, as well as return of those who are already abroad.

Method of implementation: Program will work on operational and not grantmaking basis and will have a proactive approach, aimed at attracting involvement of the potential leaders of the mentioned reform process.

Capability

OSIM will try to improve expert knowledge of the staff employed in local foundation, in order to overtake higher degree of competencies and expertise from the Institute for Educational Policy. Starting from 2001, program will involve two local staff members, while the consultants’ presence will be simultaneously used for the staff development purposes.

Evaluation

Although working in close collaboration with diverse donors and the MES on education reform, OSIM will in parallel with the development of the program develop sets of indicators which can provide a fair account to the success of the education reform program – especially of those aspects in which OSIM will have a major contribution. The following types of indicators will be sought for and applied to monitor the process:

• Indicators of the capacity built up in the managing teams to carry out the reform (e.g. quantity of knowledge gained on comparative education reform models in the Region and in EU, capability of developing strategic into action plan, capability of strategic consideration);

• Indicators of the quality of curricula being developed in the selected fields (e.g. professional and public reaction and response of student population to the developed curricula, correlation between skills and knowledge, civil society values-driven curricula);

• Indicators of teachers’ involvement in teacher training activities, the quality and effectiveness of these activities (e.g. number of teachers participating in teacher training programs, active participation in training and in the process of reviewing curriculum guidelines, innovative approach to the new methodology);

• Indicators depicting those features of public awareness raising and conducting public debates which indicate their inclusiveness, transparency, democratic tone and feedback effectiveness;

• Indicators of minority representation and involvement in reform activities (e.g. representation of minorities in reform  structures, respect for intercultural/interethnic/inter-religious understanding);

Most of these indicators will have to be carefully selected and tailored to fit the context of activities envisioned, but having in mind the importance of the education reform activities OSIM is supporting, considerable attention will be devoted to a fair evaluation of the process. 

Budget Projection For 2001

* EC "OBNOVA" Program: 0.5 mil ECU (~469.000 $)