EDC and HRE in the education system of

Montenegro

Smiljka Pavićević, Nadežda Vujašković, Nataša Perić

Education reform in Montenegro

• Education reform began intensively in 2001

• Before that many programs related to EDC were implemented in schools through a variety of programs for teachers of different subjects

• Strategic documents such as the Book of Changes paved the way for broader introduction of education for democratic citizenship and human rights in the education system of Montenegro.

Introduction of the subject about democratic citizenship in the

education system• Civic Education as obligatory subject in

the 6th and 7th grade of primary school• Civic Education is introduced as elective

subject in gymnasiums• The elements of Civic Education are

introduced in Sociology curriculum for secondary vocational schools

• Civic Education curriculum for secondary vocational schools is designed

Affirming civic education as one of teaching principles

• Civic Education envisaged as comprehensive approach to teaching with the aim to help our students learn how to become active, informed and responsible citizens who will be

aware of their rights, but their responsibilities as well

active in their communitiescapable of having influence on the

world

Teacher training

• All teachers in primary schools and gymnasiums have completed basic training modules

• Currently, an advanced training modulehas been organized for teachers of primary schools and gymnasiums

• Changes in teaching staff in primary and secondary schools

• The responsibility of the Bureau is to plan and implement training for these teachers

Basic training modules

• The Catalogue of training programs which is innovated each year

• Basic modules are related to curriculum structure, basic concepts and contents, goal-oriented planning and lesson preparing, applying the methods of active learning and teaching, evaluation and assessment in teaching, as well as to the basis of political system in Montenegro and political philosophy in general

Advanced training modules

• Identity (personal and collective), me and others

• Democracy and education, democratic values as a principle

• Attitudes, dialogue, tolerance, conflict solving

• Culture of human rights, intercultural dialogue

• Human and children rights, European values

• Training for trainers • University and NGOs are involved in

some advanced modules. It has an important impact on extending the knowledge gained in basic modules

Seminar organization

• Usually 2 or 3-day seminars

• Teachers become active participants in the learning process and that is the model for their future work with the students at school and the link between practice and theory

• Teachers learn how to learn

Trainers

• Advisors from the Bureau for Education Services who participated in creating the new curricula and who are trained to work with teachers

• University professors• Teachers who achieve outstanding

results and who are also trained to work with adults

• Foreign experts• Representatives of NGOs

Strategy of Civic Education

• The Strategy for Civic Education in Primary and Secondary Schools in Montenegro ( 2007 -2010)

• Gives a holistic view of Civic Education

The main aims of this Strategy are: • Comprehensive and sustainable approach to

introducing of Civic Education in education system

• Affirmation of education for democratic citizenship as general education principle

Strategy main topics

• Status of the subject Civic Education, status of Education for Democratic Citizenship

• Teaching, curricula, methods• Teacher training• Monitoring, quality assurance and quality

improvement• Use of additional recourses

Activities given in the StrategyPriorities and dynamics

Curriculum revison• This year, the curriculum for primary school was revised

(it is to be adopted by the National Council for Education)

• The emphasis is put on engaging students so that they become aware of the problems in all the aspects of their life (family, school, local community, etc..) and capable of finding the appropriate solutions by taking an active part in the whole process

• The correlation with other subjects is improved and the approach is interdisciplinary and cross-curricular

• The subject is open, meaning that different methods and modern approaches to teaching and learning can be applied in order to develop students' civic competence and prepare them for life as citizens of a democracy

Further activities• Developing of a new strategy or common

guidelines

• Implementation of the revised curriculum

• Further teacher training• Regional and international cooperation

• Summer Academy Human Rights in Action

• The first Academy was held last year was and showed that it could become a valuable source of ideas how to improve teaching of Civic Education in the region and beyond.